Policy Analyzer confusion help needed

Question

Policy Analyzer confusion help needed

AdamBudzinskiAZA-0329 96

Hi,

The Policy Analyzer tool is useful for comparing GPOs against other GPOs, the local policy settings on the computer, and the local registry. Download the security baseline for Windows 10 v22H2 from

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=55319 imported the MSFT Windows 10 22H2 – Computer GPO into Policy Analyzer

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I’m confused because in Policy Analyzer for this given GPO it displays ‘only’ 180 objects:

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However, the XLSX file that comes with the download MS Security Baseline Windows 10 v22H2.xlsx (available under Documentation) states a unbelievable count of 2566 distinct objects:

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According to a book I’ reading Mastering Windows Security and Hardening - Second Edition the XLSX format contains the full baseline. What am I missing ?

Thank you for any help in advance !

SpottedTreeFrog 0 Reputation points

2024-09-30T19:49:16.0966667+00:00

Sorry about the very late answer.

I'm still figuring the Policy Analyzer out myself, but I am quite familiar with the Baseline spreadsheet.

That spreadsheet has ALL the policy settings for Win10 22H2. Very few of them have a recommended baseline setting. Look in the Windows 10 column on each sheet. That column holds the recommended baseline settings. So on the Computer sheet, there are about 2566 total policies, but only about 200 of them have a recommended baseline settings.

What you're looking at in Policy Analyzer is just the recommended baseline settings.