NETWORKING ALL-IN-ONE

For Dummies - Study Notes

Chapters 6 & 7

Group Policy | Windows Commands | Net Commands

Subject Windows Server Administration

Group Policy, Windows CLI, Net

Topics
Commands

Networking All-in-One For

Source
Dummies, 9th Ed.

Author Doug Lowe

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 6 - Using Group Policy

6.1 What is Group Policy? 3

6.2 Group Policy Objects (GPOs) 3

6.3 Enabling Group Policy on Windows Server 2025 4

6.4 Creating Group Policy Objects - Step-by-Step 5

6.5 Filtering Group Policy Objects 6

6.6 Link Enabled vs Enforced 7

Chapter 7 - Windows Commands

7.1 Using the Command Window 8

7.2 Special Command Tricks 9

7.3 Environment Variables (Table) 10

7.4 Batch Files 12

7.5 The EventCreate Command 13

7.6 Net Commands - Full Reference 14

7.7 The RunAs Command 23

Quick Reference - Net Commands Summary 25

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CHAPTER 6 - USING GROUP POLICY

6.1 What Is Group Policy?

Group Policy is a feature of Windows operating systems that lets administrators control how
Windows and other Microsoft software behave across an entire network. Instead of configuring
each computer or user individually, admins can centrally manage settings such as password
requirements, software restrictions, default browser home pages, Windows Update behavior,
and thousands more settings.

Why is Group Policy Important?

• Controls password policy - how often users must change passwords and how complex they
must be.
• Sets default home pages in browsers for specific departments.
• Enforces Windows Update settings so users cannot disable updates.
• Can restrict access to Control Panel, certain drives, software, and more.
• An essential tool for any Windows network administrator.

💡 STUDY TIP
Group policy can be confusing at first, but becomes clear with hands-on practice.

6.2 Group Policy Objects (GPOs)

Group policy is implemented through Group Policy Objects (GPOs). Each GPO is a container
that holds one or more individual policy settings. These objects are then linked (applied) to
users, computers, domains, or organizational units (OUs).

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Key Characteristics of GPOS:

Aspect Detail

A collection of policy settings that define how Windows/software

What is a GPO?
should behave.

Who/What it applies
Both users and computers in the domain
to

Computer Policy Applied to any user who logs on to that computer

User Policy Applied to that user no matter which computer they log on to

(1) Create the GPO with desired settings, then (2) Link/apply it to
How to use
targets

Difficulty Finding the right policy among thousands can be challenging

🔑 KEY POINT
To use group policy you must know how to do two things: (1) create individual group policy
objects, and (2) apply (link) those objects to user and computer objects.

6.3 Enabling Group Policy Management on Windows

Server 2025
Before you can work with Group Policy on Windows Server 2025, you must install the Group
Policy Management feature. This is done only once per server.

Step-by-Step: Enabling Group Policy Management

Step 1 Open Server Manager and click Add Roles and Features.

Step 2 Follow the wizard until you reach the Select Features screen.

Step 3 Check the box for Group Policy Management (if not already checked).

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 Step 4 Click Next.

Step 5 On the confirmation page, click Install. Wait a few minutes for installation.

Step 6 Click Close when done.

📝 NOTE
Result: After completing these steps, a new command titled Group Policy Management
appears in the Tools menu of Server Manager.

6.4 Creating Group Policy Objects (Step-by-Step)

The easiest way to create GPOs is through the Group Policy Management Console (accessible
via Tools → Group Policy Management in Server Manager). A single GPO can contain one or
many individual policy settings.

Example: Creating a GPO to enforce Windows Update (so users cannot

disable it):
1. In Server Manager, choose Tools → Group Policy Management.
2. In the Navigation pane, drill down: Domains → [YourDomain] → Group Policy Objects.
3. Right-click Group Policy Objects and choose New from the context menu.
4. Type a descriptive name (e.g., "Windows Update") and click OK.
5. Double-click the new GPO to open it. Note: At this point, it is NOT yet linked to any
domain/OU.
6. Click the Settings tab (click 'Add' if blocked by security settings).
7. Right-click Computer Configuration and choose Edit from the context menu.
8. Navigate to: Computer Configuration → Policies → Administrative Templates → Windows
Components → Windows Update.
9. Double-click Configure Automatic Updates.
10. Select Enabled to enable the policy.
11. Configure settings (e.g., auto-download every day at 3 AM).
12. Click OK.

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13. Close the Group Policy Management Editor window.
14. Right-click Computer Configuration → choose Refresh to verify settings.
15. Drag the new GPO to the top-level domain node to link it. Click OK to confirm.
16. Verify the domain now appears in the Scope tab.
17. Close Group Policy Management. The policy is now active.

🔑 KEY POINT
Thousands of policy settings are organized in categories inside the Group Policy
Management Editor. As a beginner, expect to spend time hunting for the specific policy you
need.

6.5 Filtering Group Policy Objects

GPOs are not directly linked to users or computers. Instead, they are linked to sites, domains, or
organizational units (OUs). However, you can use filters to narrow down exactly which users or
computers are affected.

Why Filtering Is Needed:

Suppose Marketing needs [Link] as their browser home page, but Accounting
needs [Link]. Both groups are in the same domain. You can create two GPOs
and use Security Filtering to apply each GPO only to the correct group.

Step-by-Step: Applying a Filter to a GPO

1. Open Group Policy Management (Start → Administrative Tools → Group Policy
Management).
2. Navigate to and select the GPO you want to filter.
3. In the Security Filtering section, click Authenticated Users → click Remove.
4. Click Add. The 'Select User, Computer, or Group' dialog appears.
5. Type the group name (e.g., 'Accounting') → click OK.
6. Repeat steps 2-5 for the other GPO, applying it to the 'Marketing' group.

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 📝 NOTE
A particular user or computer can be a member of only one OU, but using filters allows you
to target individual users/computers or any security group.

6.6 Link Enabled vs. Enforced

Key Distinction

Setting What It Means / When Used

Link The GPO is linked to an Active Directory container. Default settings are
Enabled available to objects in the container.

Prevents other GPOs from overriding the settings. Used when you want a
Enforced
setting to be an absolute guarantee.

📝 NOTE
Remember: A GPO can be Link Enabled = Yes but Enforced = No. This is perfectly normal
and means the GPO IS applied to all objects in the domain - but another GPO could
override it. 'Enforced' blocks that from happening.

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CHAPTER 7 - COMMANDEERING WINDOWS
COMMANDS

7.1 Using the Command Window

Although Windows has a graphical interface, almost any network management task can also be
performed from a command prompt. Some admins prefer the command line for speed and
scripting purposes.

Opening a Command Prompt:

1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard, then type cmd .
2. Press Enter. The command prompt window opens.

Elevated Mode: To open with full admin rights click Start, type cmd , then right-click the
Command Prompt icon and choose Run As Administrator.

📝 NOTE
Closing: Type Exit and press Enter. This properly terminates [Link]. Using the X
(close button) forces Windows to kill the process and requires extra dialog clicks.

Editing Commands:
• Right-arrow key: Recalls the last command one character at a time.
• F3: Recalls all characters from the previous command at current cursor position.
• Up-arrow key: Scrolls through up to 50 recently used commands. Press Enter to re-execute
or edit first.

Control Menu (Top-left corner of window):

• Edit: Copy/paste to/from clipboard; Edit→Mark to highlight text with mouse, then Enter to
copy.
• Default: Set default properties for the command window.

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 • Properties: Change font size, background color, and window appearance.

7.2 Special Command Tricks

Wildcards

Wildcards let you process multiple files matching a pattern with a single command.

Wildcard/Meaning Example

* (Any number of characters including del *Y2K*.doc deletes all .doc files containing
zero) Y2K.

? (Any single character) ?[Link] matches [Link], [Link], etc.

📝 NOTE
Windows vs MS-DOS: In Windows, ab*[Link] and ab*.doc are NOT the same. In old
MS-DOS, anything after an asterisk was ignored.

Chaining Commands, Redirection & Piping

Syntax / Behavior Example

cmd1 & cmd2 (Runs both commands regardless

copy *.doc a: & del *.doc
of success/failure)

cmd1 && cmd2 (Runs cmd2 ONLY if cmd1

copy *.doc a: && del *.doc
succeeds)

cmd1 || cmd2 (Runs cmd2 ONLY if cmd1 fails) copy *.doc a: || echo Oops!

(copy *.doc a: && del *.doc) ||

(cmd1 && cmd2) || cmd3 (Group commands)
echo Oops!

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 ⚠️ WARNING
With a single & , if the first command fails (e.g., drive fills up), the second command still
runs! Use && for safe copy-then-delete operations.

Redirection and Piping

• Redirection (>) - Sends command output to a file instead of the screen: ipconfig /all >
[Link]

• Input Redirection (<) - Feeds a file as input to a command: nslookup < [Link]
• Piping (|) - Takes output of one command and feeds it as input to the next: type
[Link] | sort (displays the file in sorted order).

7.3 Environment Variables

The command shell makes environment variables available to commands. They always begin
and end with percent signs ( % ). They can be used anywhere in a command.

Example: echo %OS% running on a %PROCESSOR_IDENTIFIER%

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Variable Description

%ALLUSERSPROFILE% Location of the All Users profile

%APPDATA% Path where applications store data by default

%CD% Path to the current directory

%CMDCMDLINE% Command line used to start the command shell

%CMDEXTVERSION% Version number of the command shell

%COMPUTERNAME% The computer's name

%COMSPEC% Path to the command shell executable ([Link])

%DATE% Current date (format from date /t command)

%ERRORLEVEL% Error code returned by the most recent command

%HOMEDRIVE% Drive letter of the user's home directory

%HOMEPATH% Path to the user's home directory

%HOMESHARE% Network path to the user's shared home directory

%LOGONSERVER% Name of the domain controller the user logged on to

%NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS% Number of processors on the computer

%OS% Name of the operating system

%PATH% Current search path

%PATHEXT% List of extensions treated as executable files

%PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE% Chip architecture of the processor

%PROCESSOR_IDENTIFIER% Description of the processor

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 %PROCESSOR_REVISION% Revision level of the processor

%PROMPT% Current prompt string

%RANDOM% Random number between 1 and 32,767

%SYSTEMDRIVE% Drive containing the operating system

%SYSTEMROOT% Path to the operating system

%TEMP% Path to a temporary folder for temporary files

%TIME% Time in the format produced by the time /t command

%USERDOMAIN% Name of the user's domain

%USERNAME% The user's account name

%USERPROFILE% Path to the user's profile

%WINDIR% Path to the operating-system directory

💡 STUDY TIP
If an environment variable represents a path with spaces, enclose it in quotes: dir
"%HOMEPATH%"

7.4 Batch Files

A batch file is a plain text file containing one or more commands, saved with the .bat extension.
It can be run from a command prompt or the Start menu (Start → Run).

Common Uses of Batch Files:

• Copy an entire network drive to a local computer every night (quick backup solution).
• Stop and restart an Exchange server before/after nightly backups.
• Open multiple Explorer windows for frequently-used folders.
• Create logon scripts that execute whenever a user logs on to the network.

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 📝 NOTE
Microsoft encourages using profiles over logon scripts, but many networks still use logon
scripts.

7.5 The EventCreate Command

The EventCreate command creates an entry in a Windows event log. Useful for recording the
start or completion of tasks (e.g., nightly backups) in the event log.

Syntax:

eventcreate /T type /D "description" /ID eventid [/L logname] [/SO sourcename] [/

Parameter Description

/T type Event type: Information , Warning , or Error .

/D Descriptive message saved in the log. Use quotes for multi-word

"description" messages.

/ID eventid Event ID number (1-1000).

/L logname Name of the log file. Default is Application .

/SO sourcename Source string. Default is EventCreate . Requires /L if used.

/S system Name of the system for which the event is recorded.

/U username User account to use when logging (requires /S).

/P password Password (requires /U).

Example:
eventcreate /t information /id 100 /d "Nightly processing completed" /L
Application /SO Nightly

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 7.6 Net Commands - Full Reference
The Net Services commands are among the most useful commands for network admins. All are
two-word commands beginning with Net (e.g., Net Use, Net Start).

General Tips for Net Commands:

• Get a list of all Net commands: type net /? at a command prompt.
• Get help for a specific command: type net help command (e.g., net help use ).
• Many Net commands prompt for confirmation add /Y or /N to bypass (essential in batch
files).
• Always place /Y on every Net command in an unattended batch file.

Net Accounts

Purpose: Updates user account policies for password requirements.

Syntax:
net accounts [/forcelogoff:{minutes|no}] [/minpwlen:length] [/maxpwage:
{days|unlimited}] [/minpwage:days] [/uniquepw:number] [/domain]

• forcelogoff - How long to wait before forcing logout when logon time expires. Default = no.
• minpwlen - Minimum password length (0-127). Default = 6.
• maxpwage - Maximum days before password must be changed. Default = 90. Use unlimited
for no expiry.
• minpwage - Minimum days before a password can be changed again. Default = 0. Tip: Set
to 1 to prevent bypassing uniquepw policy.
• uniquepw - Number of different passwords a user must use before reusing one (0-24).
Default = 5.
• domain - Perform operation on the primary domain controller, not local computer.

Example:
net accounts /minpwage:7 /maxpwage:30
Running net accounts with no parameters displays current policy settings.

Net Computer

Purpose: Creates or deletes a computer account in the domain.

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Syntax:
net computer \\computername {/add | /del}

• computername - Name of computer to add or delete.

• /add - Creates a new computer account.
• /del - Deletes the specified computer account.

Example:
net computer \\theodore /add

Net Config

Purpose: Views or configures various network services (Server or Workstation).

Syntax:
net config [{server|workstation}] [options]
Server options: [/autodisconnect:time] [/srvcomment:"text"] [/hidden:{yes|
no}]

• server — Display/configure the Server service.

• workstation — Display/configure the Workstation service.
• autodisconnect — Idle time before disconnecting a session (range: -1 to 65,535 min).
Default = 15 min. Use -1 to never disconnect.
• srvcomment — Description of the server (max 48 chars, in quotes).
• hidden — Whether server is hidden from browse lists. Default = No.

Example:
net config server /srvcomment:"DHCP Server"

Net Continue

Purpose: Continues a service previously suspended by net pause.

Syntax:
net continue service

• Common services — netlogon, schedule, server, workstation

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Example:
net continue workstation
net continue "nt lm security support provider"

■ Enclose service names with spaces in quotation marks.

Net File

Purpose: Lists all open shared files and their lock counts; can close files and remove locks.

Syntax:
net file [id [/close]]

• id — The file's identification number.

• /close — Closes the specified file and releases any locks.

Example:
net file (lists all open files)
net file 1 /close (closes file with ID 1)

■ Must run this command from the server where the file is shared. net files also works.

Net Group

Purpose: Adds, displays, or changes global groups.

Syntax:
net group groupname [/comment:"text"] [/domain]
net group groupname /add [/comment:"text"] [/domain]
net group groupname /delete [/domain]
net group groupname username[...] {/add | /delete} [/domain]

• groupname — Name of the group. Alone: lists users in group.

• comment — Group description (max 48 chars, in quotes).
• /add — Creates group or adds users. Must create user account first.
• /delete — Removes group or removes users from group.
• username — One or more usernames to add/remove. Separate with spaces.
• /domain — Operate on primary domain controller.

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Example:
net group (list all groups)
net group Admin /add (create Admin group)
net group Admin Ward Wally June /add (add 3 users)
net group Admin (list users in Admin)

■ net groups (plural) also works.

Net Localgroup

Purpose: Adds, displays, or changes local groups.

Syntax: Same structure as Net Group commands above.

• Parameters: Same parameters as Net Group — see above.

Example:
net localgroup
net localgroup Admin /add
net localgroup Admin Ward Wally June /add
net localgroup Admin

Net Help

Purpose: Displays help for Net commands.

Syntax:
net help [command]

• command — Any Net subcommand: accounts, computer, config, continue, file, group, help,
helpmsg, localgroup, pause, session, share, start, statistics, stop, time, use, user, view.

Example:
net help use
net help services (lists services startable via Net Start)

Net Helpmsg

Purpose: Displays an explanation for a network error code number.

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Syntax:
net helpmsg message#

• message# — The 4-digit error number shown when the error occurred.

Example:
net helpmsg 2180

Net Pause

Purpose: Temporarily pauses a service. Prevents new connections but lets current users finish.

Syntax:
net pause service

• Common services — netlogon, schedule, server, workstation

Example:
net pause workstation
net pause "nt lm security support provider"

■ Use net continue to reactivate. Good practice: pause before stopping a service.

Net Session

Purpose: Views current server connections or disconnects users.

Syntax:
net session [\\ComputerName] [/delete]

• ComputerName — Computer whose session to view. Omit to list all.

• /delete — Disconnects the session. Without a name, disconnects ALL sessions. Open files
are closed immediately.

Example:
net session

⚠️ WARNING
■■ DANGEROUS: Disconnecting users while they are saving files may cause data loss.
Use with caution.

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Net Share

Purpose: Manages shared resources (create, view, modify, delete shares).

Syntax:
net share [ShareName]
net share ShareName=path [{/users:number|/unlimited}] [/remark:"text"] [/
cache:{manual|automatic|no}]
net share {ShareName|drive:path} /delete

• ShareName — Name of the share. Alone: displays share info.

• path — Path to the folder to share. Include drive letter.
• /users — Max number of concurrent users.
• /unlimited — No limit on concurrent users.
• /remark — Descriptive comment (in quotes).
• /cache — Caching option for the share.
• /delete — Stops sharing the folder.

Example:
net share (list all shares)
net share Docs=C:\SharedDocs /remark:"Shared documents"

■ net share with no parameters lists all current shares.

Net Start

Purpose: Starts a networking service, or lists all currently running services.

Syntax:
net start [service]

• service — Name of service to start. If omitted, lists running services.

Example:
net start (list running services)
net start "DNS Server" (restart DNS)

■ Workflow: run net start first to get exact service name spelling, then use net stop to
stop it.

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Net Statistics

Purpose: Displays the statistics log for the local Workstation or Server service.

Syntax:
net statistics [{workstation | server}]

• workstation — Shows: computer name, last-updated time, bytes/SMBs sent/received, read/

write ops, network errors, session stats, shared resource connections.
• server — Shows: sessions started/disconnected/errored, KB sent/received, avg response
time, password/permission errors, shared resource usage, memory buffer exceeded count.

Example:
net statistics workstation
net statistics server

Net Stop

Purpose: Stops a networking service.

Syntax:
net stop service

• service — Name of service to stop. Enclose in quotes if it contains spaces.

Example:
net stop "DNS Server"

■ You can restart it later with net start .

Net Time

Purpose: Synchronizes the computer's clock with another computer or domain.

Syntax:
net time \\ComputerName [/set]
net time /domain[:DomainName] [/set]
net time /rtsdomain[:DomainName] [/set]
net time [\\ComputerName] [/querysntp] [/setsntp[:NTPServerList]]

• /set — Actually sets the local clock.

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 • /domain — Synchronize with domain time source.
• /rtsdomain — Use RTS time server.
• /querysntp — Query SNTP time source.
• /setsntp — Set NTP server list.

Example:
net time \\Server01 /set

Net Use

Purpose: Connects to or disconnects from a shared resource on another computer; maps it to a

drive letter.

Syntax:
net use [{drive | *}] [\\computername\sharename [{password | *}]] [/user:
[domainname\]username] [/savecred] [/smartcard] [{/delete | /persistent:
{yes|no}}]

• drive — Drive letter to map. Use * for Windows to auto-assign.

• \\name\share — Server and share name to connect to.
• password — Password for the share. Use * to be prompted.
• /user — Username for the connection.
• /savecred — Saves credentials for reuse.
• /smartcard — Use smart card for authorization.
• /delete — Disconnects. Use * to cancel all connections.
• /persistent — Make connections survive reboot (yes/no).
• /home — Connects to user's home directory.

Example:
net use k: \\Server01\Acct /persistent:yes (connect)
net use k: /delete (disconnect)
net use (list all connections)

Net User

Purpose: Creates, modifies, displays, or deletes user accounts.

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Syntax:
net user username (display info)
net user [username [password | *] [options]] [/domain] (update)
net user username [password | *] /add [options] [/domain] (add)
net user username /delete [/domain] (delete)

• /ACTIVE:{YES|NO} — Activate/deactivate account. Default = YES.

• /COMMENT:"text" — Descriptive comment (max 48 chars).
• /COUNTRYCODE:nnn — OS country code for language files.
• /EXPIRES:{date|NEVER} — Account expiration date or never. Format: mm/dd/yy.
• /FULLNAME:"name" — User's full name (not username).
• /HOMEDIR:pathname — Sets home directory path (must exist).
• /PASSWORDCHG:{YES|NO} — Can user change their own password? Default = YES.
• /PASSWORDREQ:{YES|NO} — Must account have a password? Default = YES.
• /PROFILEPATH[:path] — Sets path for user's logon profile.
• /SCRIPTPATH:pathname — Location of user's logon script.
• /TIMES:{times|ALL} — Logon hours. Format: day[-day],time[-time]. ALL = always.
• /USERCOMMENT:"text" — Admin comment for the account.
• /WORKSTATIONS: — Up to 8 computers user can log on from. * = any.

Example:
net user Doug (display Doug's info)
net user Beaver /add /fullname:"Theodore Cleaver" (add user)

■ Running net user without parameters lists all user accounts on the server.

Net View

Purpose: Displays network information: list of computers in domain, or resources shared by a

specific computer.

Syntax:
net view [\\computername] [/domain[:domainname]]
net view /network:nw [\\computername]

• computername — Computer whose shared resources to view.

• domainname — Domain to view (if different from current).

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Example:
net view (list all computers in domain)
net view \\Server01 (list shares on Server01)

7.7 The RunAs Command

The runas command lets you run a program using the credentials of another user account.
Extremely useful for administrators who need to run a management tool with admin privileges
without logging out.

Syntax:
runas /user:username [other parameters] program

Parameter Description

Specifies domain and username. Forms: domain\username or

/user
username@domain .

/profile Loads user's profile (default — no need to specify explicitly).

/noprofile Doesn't load user's profile. Loads faster but may break some apps.

/env Uses the current environment instead of the specified user's.

User account isn't valid in current domain. Must use domain\username

/netonly
form.

■■ SECURITY RISK — saves password; any user can then run programs
/savecred
as admin!

/smartcard Credentials supplied by a smart card device.

Example — Run Microsoft Management Console as domain admin:

runas /user:dom1\administrator mmc

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⚠️ WARNING
■■ Critical Security Warning: NEVER use the /savecred parameter in a production
environment. Once used, ANY user at that computer can run ANY program with
administrator privileges using RunAs.

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QUICK REFERENCE — NET COMMANDS SUMMARY

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Command Purpose

net accounts Manage password policies (min/max age, length, uniqueness)

net computer Add/delete computer accounts from domain

net config View/configure Server or Workstation service

net continue Resume a paused service

net file List open shared files; close files and remove locks

net group Manage global groups (add/remove/list)

net localgroup Manage local groups (add/remove/list)

net help Display help for any Net subcommand

net helpmsg Explain a network error code number

net pause Temporarily pause a service

net session View/disconnect current server connections

net share Create/view/modify/delete shared folders

net start Start a service or list running services

net statistics View statistics for Workstation or Server service

net stop Stop a service

net time Synchronize computer clock with another computer/domain

net use Map/disconnect a shared resource to a drive letter

net user Create/modify/delete/display user accounts

net view List computers in domain or shares on a computer

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runas Run a program using credentials of another user account

End of Notes — Networking All-in-One For Dummies, Chapters 6 & 7

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