Setting Group Policy in MMC

This feature applies only in a network where Group Policy has been configured; a system administrator must enable Group Policy. For detailed information, see Group Policy.

Policy	Action	Result
Enable Restrict the user from entering author mode.	Open a console file that is configured to open in author mode.	Users with administrator credentials can access author mode. Restrict access to author mode in MMC. An error message appears indicating denied access to console in author mode.
Disable or do not configure Restrict the user from entering author mode.	Open a console file that is configured to open in author mode.	Use of author mode is unrestricted.
Enable Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of snap-ins.	Open a console that contains a snap-in that is not on the permitted list, or a snap-in that is extended by a snap-in that is not on the permitted list.	An error message appears. Note If you enable this policy, only explicitly permitted snap-ins appear in the list of available snap-ins in the Add Standalone Snap-in dialog box in MMC—all other snap-ins are restricted.
Disable or do not configure Restrict users to the explicitly permitted list of snap-ins.	Open a console that contains a snap-in that is not on the permitted list, or a snap-in that is not extended by a snap-in on the permitted list.
Explicitly permit a snap-in.	Open a console that contains the snap-in, or a snap-in that is extended by the permitted snap-in.	Use of the console that contains the snap-in is unrestricted.
Explicitly restrict a snap-in.	Open a console file that contains the snap-in, or contains a snap-in that is extended by the restricted snap-in.	An error message appears.
Do not configure the policy to permit or restrict a snap-in.	Open a console file that contains the snap-in, or contains a snap-in that is extended by this snap-in.	Use of the console that contains the snap-in is unrestricted unless the user, group, or organizational unit is restricted to a list of explicitly permitted snap-ins.

To open MMC or open a console in author mode:

Type mmc at the command prompt.
Type mmc path\filename.msc /a at the command prompt.
Right-click an .msc file, and then click Author.
Open a console file that is configured to open in author mode.

To open a console file that contains the snap-in, or contains a snap-in that is extended by this snap-in:

Type mmc path\filename.msc at the command prompt
Double-click the .msc file
Right-click the .msc file, and then click Open