Query on Group Policy behaviour - multile GPOs that rename local Administrator account

Question

Hi Everyone,

I'm hoping you can help me with a query on the behaviour of Group Policy when multiple GPOs that rename the local Administrator account apply to the same server.

I believe I understand the concepts around Group Policy precedence and the winning GPO. However I am not clear as ti what happens in this particular scenario.

In such a case would the local Administrator account be renamed only once at GPO application (to match the name specified in the winning GPO) or would it be renamed multiple times? For example if there were two applicable GPOs that apply would the local administrator account be first renamed as per the GPO that is applied first, followed by another rename as per the GPO that applies last? Would it mean that the local administrator account name will flips back and forth at each GPO refresh?

The background is that I'm looking into implementing a consistent naming standard across all member servers joined to an Active Directory domain that I manage. I was toying with the possibility of linking an enforced GPO with the desired "official" local adminisrator account name at the root of the OU hierarchy that contains member servers.

I am curious as to the behaviour of this particular policy setting when there are multiple GPOs at play.

Any clarifcation on this would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi pb3000,

Thank you for posting in the Microsoft Community Forums.

Group Policy Prioritization and Winning GPOs

Priority: Group Policy priority is usually based on the GPO's link order, mandatory settings, security filtering, and the GPO's weight (e.g., the priority of the local GPO relative to the domain GPO). GPOs that are closer to the target object (e.g., a server) usually have higher priority in the OU hierarchy.

Winning GPO: In the event of a conflict between multiple GPOs, the setting of the GPO with the highest priority will “win” and be applied to the target object.

Local Administrator Account Renaming

Single rename: No matter how many GPOs attempt to rename the local administrator account, only the settings from the winning GPO will actually be applied to the target server. In other words, the local administrator account will only be renamed once to match the name specified in the winning GPO.

No flip-flopping back and forth: Group Policy application is not cumulative or sequential (i.e., it is not applied first to one GPO, then to another, and results in settings being overwritten). Instead, it is based on prioritization and conflict resolution mechanisms to determine which settings are ultimately applied. As a result, there is no local administrator account name flipping back and forth on each GPO refresh.

Recommendations for implementing a consistent naming standard

Plan GPOs: When planning GPOs, ensure that only one GPO (or the GPO with the highest priority) contains the renaming settings for the local administrator account.

Use an OU hierarchy: Link the GPO containing the desired “official” local administrator account name to the root of the OU hierarchy (or appropriate sub-OU) containing the member servers, and ensure that it is prioritized over other GPOs that may contain conflicting settings.

Testing and Implementation: Before applying the GPO to a production environment, fully test it in a test environment to ensure that the Group Policy settings work as expected and that there are no unexpected conflicts or side effects.

Monitoring and Troubleshooting: After implementation, use the Group Policy Resultant Set of Policy (RSOP) tool to monitor the application of the group policy and troubleshoot any potential problems.

Best regards

Neuvi

Answer 2

Hi Neuvi,

Thank you so much for your response. This is extremely helpful and fills a gap in my knowledge of Group Policy. It all seems very clear now!

As you recommend I will test in a UAT environment that is similar to production before implementing.

Thank you once more.