Registry CRUD actions on Windows Group Policy

#windows

Using Group Policies, you can modify the registry of all computers joined to the domain.

When you create a new GPO, one of the parameters you're required to configure is the action that will be performed. These are:

Create
Update
Replace
Delete

But do you know what each action entails?

Create action

This action will create the registry key if it doesn't exist. If it already exists, it will do nothing, even if the actual registry value doesn't match the value set in the GPO.

Update action

This is the default action. It updates the registry value to the one set in the GPO. If the registry key doesn't exist, it will also be created.

Replace action

This action will delete the registry key if it already exists and then recreate it. If it doesn't exist, it will be created. This is similar to the update action but more aggressive, because it will delete the registry key every time it is applied. This action is rarely used.