what exactly are templates??

x_Danny_x

im getting confused with the meaning of it and how it is used.


this is not the same templates used for websites and programming languages

Webmaster

I assume you mean 'security templates'. They basically contain a bunch of registry/policy settings that can be preconfigured and deployed to several computers that need the same settings.

x_Danny_x

so this is something done in a Domain/Forest?

Is it similiar to Group Policies in domains?

Webmaster

also on local computers, if you run XP pro for example:
press Start, select Run, and type gpedit.msc and press OK

This will start the Group Policy management console. Both under Local Computer Policy and User Configuration you will see 'Adminstrative Templates'.

Here's a quote from a chapter I wrote for an O'Reilly book:

Most of the policy settings that can be configured on a stand-alone computer are stored in Administrative Templates. These are .adm files located in the %systemroot%\System32\Policies\adm\ folder and define options available in the Group Policy console. The settings available through administrative templates are also known as registry-based policy settings as they change or add a key in the local registry. The administrative template WMPlayer.adm contains policy settings for customizing and controlling Windows Media Player 9 settings.

x_Danny_x

i see thanks Webmaster, it is much clearer now