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Administrative Template Functionality

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Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2

What are the major changes?

The following changes are available in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 with Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT):

  • Improved user interface

  • Support for multi-string and QWORD registry value types

What do Administrative templates do?

Administrative templates (.ADMX files) are registry-based policy settings that appear under the Administrative Templates node of both the Computer and User Configuration nodes. This hierarchy is created when the Group Policy Management Console reads XML-based Administrative template files.

What new functionality does this feature provide?

Administrative templates now provide an improved user interface and support for the multi-string (REG_MULTI_SZ) value and QWORD registry types.

Improved user interface

In previous releases of Windows, the properties dialog box for an Administrative template policy setting included three separate tabs: Setting (for enabling or disabling a policy setting and setting additional options), Explain (for learning more about a policy setting), and Comment (for entering optional information about the policy setting). In Windows Server 2008 R2, these options are available in a single location in the properties dialog box instead of in three separate tabs. This dialog box is now resizable.

Additionally, the Explain field, which provides additional information about a policy setting, is now called Help.

Why is this change important?

By providing all options required for configuring policy settings in a single location, the improved Administrative templates user interface reduces the administrative time that is required to configure and learn more about policy settings.

Support for multi-string and QWORD registry value types

Administrative templates now provide support for the multi-string (REG_MULTI_SZ) and QWORD registry value types.

Why is this change important?

This change expands Group Policy management options by enabling organizations to use Administrative template policy settings to manage applications that use the REG_MULTI_SZ and QWORD registry value types.

Support for the REG_MULTI_SZ registry value type enables you to perform the following tasks when you configure Administrative template policy settings:

  • Enable a policy setting, enter multiple lines of text, and sort entries.

  • Edit an existing configured setting, and add new line items.

  • Edit an existing configured setting, and edit individual line items.

  • Edit an existing configured setting, select one or more entries, and delete selected entries. The entries do not have to be contiguous.

Support for the QWORD registry value type enables you to use Administrative template policy settings to manage 64-bit applications.

What policy settings have been added or changed?

For Group Policy in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 with RSAT, more than 300 Administrative template policy settings were added. To learn whether specific policy settings were added or changed for the technologies that are documented in this guide, review the appropriate technology-specific topics.