GPO association file doesn't work

Question

I would like to force on all Win10/Win11 domain PCs in the company Outlook as the default application for mailto. I have followed the instructions for creating a GPO with an associated xml file. https://learn.microsoft.com/it-it/microsoft-365/troubleshoot/group-policy/configure-email-client-using-policy On the PCs the registry key is created with the correct path to the .xml file, but the default app does not change, not even after restarting the PC.

Help me, please!

Thanks

Answer 1

Hi @M.Tech ,

According to my research, there could be several reasons why the default app is not changing even after the registry key is created and the PC is restarted. Here are some potential causes:

1. GPO Application: The Group Policy might not be applying correctly. You can check the application of Group Policy using the gpresult /h report.html command in the command prompt, which generates a report of the Group Policy results.
2. Group Policy Updates: Make sure that the Group Policy has been updated on the client machines. You can force an update by running the command gpupdate /force in the command prompt.

Besides, changes made through Group Policy can sometimes take time to propagate and might not apply until after several restarts. Also, Group Policy settings typically apply only to new users logging in for the first time and won’t change existing user settings.

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Answer 2

Hi M.Tech,

Thank you for posting in the Q&A Forums.

Verify that the GPO settings are correct

Ensure that the GPO settings are in the correct path, i.e., Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer".

Double-click on the Set Default Associations policy and ensure that it is set to Enabled and that the correct path to the XML file is specified.

Verify that the contents of the XML file are correct, specifically the <Association Identifier="mailto"...> section to ensure that it points to Outlook. > section to make sure it points to Outlook.

Ensure that the path to the XML file is accessible to all domain PCs, either locally or over the network.

If the content of the XML file is incorrect or incorrectly formatted, the policy will not take effect. 2.

2. Confirm the policy is applied

Run the gpupdate /force command on the domain PC to force the immediate application of the Group Policy.

Event Viewer: Check the Group Policy related logs in the Windows Event Viewer for any error or warning messages.

If the Group Policy is not applied correctly, it may be due to network problems, permission issues, or policy conflicts.

3. Check the registry settings

Use registry editor (regedit) to check the DefaultAssociationsConfiguration value under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System to make sure that it points to the correct XML file path.

Before modifying the registry, be sure to back up the registry in case of an accident.

If the settings in the registry are incorrect or missing, it is possible that the GPOs are not being applied correctly to the PC.

Best regards

NeuviJ

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Answer 3

Hi,in the meantime thank you for your answers but unfortunately they do not solve the problem.

As I wrote on my request, the GPO is set up correctly and the PCs reach the share where I copied the .xml file, the proof is that deleting the registry key "DefaultAssociationsConfiguration in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System" recreates it by running the command gpupdate /force.

Despite the registry key being created and restarting the PC, the default software does not change...mystery!

Regards

Marco