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March 05, 1999 12:00 AM

How do I create my own Policy template?

Windows IT Pro
InstantDoc ID #14971
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A. A. When system policy editor is run you can select which templates to include. There are 3 which are supplied with NT, and are stored in the %systemroot%/inf directory

  • common.adm
  • windows.adm
  • winnt.adm

The only ones you will use normally are common.adm and winnt.adm. Windows.adm was supplied for compatibility with windows95 machines, however policies created with Windows NT will not work on Windows 95 so this template is not used.

To select which templates to use, select "Policy template" from the options menu.

The structure of an adm file is simple and follows the structure shown below

CLASS MACHINE or USER 

CATEGORY !!<string for first level>
   CATEGORY !!<string for second level> this is optional
      POLICY !!<string for name to be displayed next to check box>
      KEYNAME !!<string for the keyname where the value is, do not include the first
         VALUENAME !!<actual value name>
         VALUEON "1" VALUEOFF "0"
         PART !!<displayed in the bottom of the system policy screen> TEXT 
         END PART
      END POLICY
   END CATEGORY
END CATEGORY

[strings]
<strings defined>="Windows NT Network"

Simple! The !! means what's after is a string and has to then be defined in the [strings] section. You don't have to use strings and can just put the entries directly be enclosing in quotes if it contains a space, it just might help for long key names if used repeatedly. For every keyword (except for class) there must be a end keyword, e.g. for category there must be a end category, same as an if and endif etc.

For examples, look at the common.adm and winnt.adm files and then compare to how they look in the system policy editor to get the display and effect you want. There are many other combinations and effects such as a drop down box which can be accomplished using the following

   PART !!<string> DROPDOWNLIST
   VALUENAME ""<actual value>
      ITEMLIST
         NAME "<string>" VALUE NUMERIC n
         NAME "<string>" VALUE NUMERIC n
         NAME "<string>" VALUE NUMERIC n
      END ITEMLIST
   END PART

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Comments
  • Colin Ernst
    9 years ago
    Nov 26, 2003

    I want to create a min-max list for the idle time that must pass prior to the screen saver starting. How can I do this?
    Also how do I create just an empty box that I could enter in any value I want?

    Thanks

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