Remote Desktop Group Policy Management Software
Help improve Group Policy management with remote desktop software
Export information from AD controllers to demonstrate compliance during audits
Being able to demonstrate compliance is critically important for any organization. For example, PCI and HIPAA involve detailed monitoring and auditing of user authorization and authentication. While Group Policy management tools can help support these initiatives, not all Group Policy management software can easily surface the critical information you may need for audits.
SolarWinds® Dameware® Remote Support (DRS) is built to eliminate this problem by helping you more easily export the information you need to send your auditors to demonstrate compliance, such as information about the users in Active Directory and other device details you may need about Windows servers, laptops, and Active Directory controllers.
Manage multiple AD domains to ensure proper configurations and security settings
When it comes to maintaining the safety of your organization, you need to be able to remotely control and administer Active Directory domains, groups, and users. With SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support, you can update group policies for multiple AD domains right from the tool’s management console without being physically present and logged in to any domain. You can remotely reset user passwords, unlock accounts, and edit group policies to help you ensure users and computers on your domain have the proper configurations and security settings.
Check and edit Group Policies right from the console
When it comes to using Group Policy effectively, having a powerful remote Group Policy management solution can help. SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support is built to allow you to add, delete, or update users and computers from organizational units. You can also check and edit details in group policies from the tool’s console for more complete control over Group Policy Objects in Windows Server, even if you aren’t physically near the affected devices.
Remotely control your devices
In addition to being a powerful Group Policy management solution, SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support is designed to be an effective, all-around remote desktop support software. DRS can let you remotely connect to Windows computers in addition to Linux and Mac devices to offer remote support when problems arise.
DRS also offers built-in utilities to help make remote desktop support sessions even more effective, including file transfer, chat, and screenshot capture. By providing faster, more effective troubleshooting, DRS can help save everyone time and can increase productivity.
Perform an inventory of your Windows software
When it comes to understanding your network and the devices on it, it’s important to determine what software is installed on your devices. With a good Group Policy management remote desktop solution, you can more easily determine what Group Policy Objects are attached to your devices.
SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support is designed to help you better understand software information and system configurations for remote devices. With DRS, you can export this information in easy-to-use .CSV or .XML formats.
Get More on Remote Desktop Group Policy
How to use Group Policy to remotely install software
When it comes to using Group Policy to remotely install software, there are a few different approaches you can take. These include:
Assigning software: The first way to install software to a remote desktop is by assigning a program distribution to the computers or users you want. When you assign the program to a computer, the software is installed when the computer starts and will be available to any user who goes on that computer. The installation will be completed when a user first runs the program. If you assign the program to a specific user instead of the computer, the software will be installed when the user logs in.
Publishing software: Another way to install software remotely is to publish a program distribution directly to users. Then, when the user logs in to the computer, the program you published will be visible in the Add or Remove Programs dialog box. They can install the software from there.
Creating a Group Policy Object: A remote desktop Group Policy Object (GPO) is another good way of distributing software. To use a GPO, you first need to start the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in. Then click the Group Policy tab and click New. Create a name for your new policy and hit Enter. Navigate from Properties to Security and then clear the Apply Group Policy check box for whichever security groups you don't want this new policy to apply to (make sure the box is checked for the groups you do want it applied to). When you’re done, click OK.
Other approaches you can try to use Group Policy to remotely install software include creating a distribution point, assigning a package, and publishing a package.
Dameware Remote Support can help with providing software updates to devices in your network. To make it possible, each supported device needs to have installed the DRS client agent.
How to check Group Policy applied to a remote computer
When you have several Group Policy Objects in your system, it’s important to have a way to check if objects are actually getting applied to the users and computers you need them on. Fortunately, there’s a way to do so through a series of commands and the Group Policy management console with the help of the GPresult command.
To display the applied GPOs to a specific user or computer, you can enter the command: gpresult /r with the name of the user or computer. This is the quickest and easiest way to check GPOs applied to a remote computer. Not only will it display the GPO order, but it will also display details like the last time the group policy was applied to the device, what domain controller the group policy was run from, and the relevant security groups for the computer or user.
If you don’t want to see both your computer and user GPOs at the same time, you can use the scope command to specify user or computer (gpresult /r /scope:user or gpresult /r /scope:computer).
To display GPOs specifically on a remote computer, you can use the command gpresult /s pc2 /r.
There are several tools to help you view and manage GPO. One of them is Dameware Remote Support, which is useful for administering the enterprise network environment.
How does remote Group Policy management work in Dameware Remote Support?
SolarWinds Dameware Remote Support (DRS) is built to be a powerful remote desktop support software and can help you with Group Policy management across your organization. DRS can also help with everything from remote access to simplifying Windows administration.
When it comes to managing your Group Policy Objects (GPO) and Organizational Units (OU) using DRS, just right click on the Active Directory site you want to manage and pick the right option. From there you can:
- Open Group Policy Objects: Use DRS to open the Group Policy Object Editor for the AD site.
- Browse Group Policy Objects: View and edit the Group Policy Objects for related domains, OUs, sites, and computers from a single management console
- Audit Policy: View and edit the Active Directory site's audit policy.
- Account Policy: View and edit the Active Directory site's account policy.
DRS is designed to stand out from some other Group Policy management software due to its exporting capabilities. With DRS, it’s easy to export information from Windows servers, laptops, and Active Directory controllers and users. With this information, you can more easily demonstrate compliance to auditors. You can even create custom exports to fit your needs based on WMI Properties. With Dameware Remote Support, you can also export system configurations in .XML and .CSV formats.
Related Resources and Tools
Other SolarWinds tools to help support remote end-users:
Other Dameware products features:
How to use Group Policy to remotely install software
When it comes to using Group Policy to remotely install software, there are a few different approaches you can take. These include:
Assigning software: The first way to install software to a remote desktop is by assigning a program distribution to the computers or users you want. When you assign the program to a computer, the software is installed when the computer starts and will be available to any user who goes on that computer. The installation will be completed when a user first runs the program. If you assign the program to a specific user instead of the computer, the software will be installed when the user logs in.
Publishing software: Another way to install software remotely is to publish a program distribution directly to users. Then, when the user logs in to the computer, the program you published will be visible in the Add or Remove Programs dialog box. They can install the software from there.
Creating a Group Policy Object: A remote desktop Group Policy Object (GPO) is another good way of distributing software. To use a GPO, you first need to start the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in. Then click the Group Policy tab and click New. Create a name for your new policy and hit Enter. Navigate from Properties to Security and then clear the Apply Group Policy check box for whichever security groups you don't want this new policy to apply to (make sure the box is checked for the groups you do want it applied to). When you’re done, click OK.
Other approaches you can try to use Group Policy to remotely install software include creating a distribution point, assigning a package, and publishing a package.
Dameware Remote Support can help with providing software updates to devices in your network. To make it possible, each supported device needs to have installed the DRS client agent.
Invest in remote desktop Group Policy support
Dameware Remote Support
- Edit Group Policy Objects right in the tool
- Export information from AD with a few clicks
- Manage multiple AD domains from a single management console
Starts at
No monthly fees, connect to unlimited end devices
