After you create a custom template or decide to use one of
the predefined templates in Windows 2000 Server, you’ll need to apply it to the computer(s). You can
use several tools to do this. If you manage a lot of computers that need the
same security settings, then the best way to configure the security on your
network is to import the template into a Group Policy. Here are the
step-by-step instructions on how to do it:

  1. Open
    the Active Directory Users And Computers console.
  2. Expand
    the container for which you want to apply the template and open its Properties
    dialog box by right-clicking on it and selecting Properties.
  3. Go
    to the Group Policy and click New to create a policy.
  4. Type
    the name of the new policy and then click Edit.
  5. Browse
    to Computer Settings | Windows Settings | Security Settings.
  6. Right-click
    on the Security Settings node and select Import Policy. Select the template you
    want to apply and click Open.
  7. Once
    you’re done, wait for the Group Policy refresh cycle or type secedit /refreshpolicymachine_policy /enforce to get an immediate refresh.

If you’re in a Windows 2000 domain with Active Directory, you
can still apply security templates—just not through the Group Policy. To set
the security on a local computer, use the Local Security Policy console located
in the Administrative Tools folder.

If you aren’t in a Windows 2000 domain and still want to
automate the application of security templates on several computers, then use
the powerful command-line utility Secedit.exe. This utility will let you do
much more than just apply security templates. To get help on Secedit, run it without any switches.

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