If you’re in the middle of troubleshooting some computer problems, and you’re about to change certain settings in Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc), but then you only see the Windows cannot find ‘gpedit.msc’ error, you’re not alone. But don’t worry, it’s quite an easy issue to fix: just follow the instructions we have in this post and the gpedit.msc not found error will be fixed right away.

gpedit.msc not found error on Windows 11

Try these fixes for the gpedit.msc not found error

You don’t have to try all the three methods listed below; simply work your way down the list until you find the one that does the trick to fix the gpedit.msc not found error for you.

  1. Install Group Policy Editor manually
  2. Upgrade to Windows Pro or Enterprise
  3. Repaired damaged system files

1. Install Group Policy Editor manually

The most likely reason why you’re seeing the gpedit.msc not found error is that you’re using Windows Home edition, which doesn’t ship with Group Policy Editor. If you’re not sure if you have a Home edition, on your keyboard, press the Windows key and the I key at the same time, then select System > About, and you should see your computer specs there like this:

To fix the gpedit.msc not found error on Windows Home editions, you just need to install the Group Policy Editor back manually. To do so:

  1. Open an empty Notepad, then copy and paste the following commands:

    @echo off
    pushd “%~dp0”

    dir /b %SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientExtensions-Package~3.mum >List.txt dir /b %SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientTools-Package~3.mum >>List.txt

    for /f %%i in ('findstr /i . List.txt 2^>nul') do dism /online /norestart /add-package:"%SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\%%i"
    pause
  2. This is how the commands look like in Notepad.

  3. Click File, then Save as.

  4. Make sure you All files as the Save as type, then rename the file with .bat at the end. Then click Save to save this file to wherever you prefer.
  5. Right-click this file and select Run as administrator.
  6. Then wait for the batch file to run. When you see the successful notification like this, it’s done running.
  7. Type gpedit.msc in the Run dialogue again, and the gpedit.msc not found problem should be fixed.

2. Upgrade to Windows Pro or Enterprise

Another go-to option would be to upgrade from Windows Home to Windows Pro or Enterprise editions since the latter are shipped with the Local Group Policy Editor.

If you need help with the upgrade, please refer to Microsoft’s post here: Upgrade Windows Home to Windows Pro

3. Repaired damaged system files

If your Group Policy Editor still refuses to open, and the gpedit.msc not found error remains even after the above two methods, or your computer problems weren’t fixed after certain changes you made to your Group Policy Editor, you may have some corrupted or damaged system files to fix.

Conflicts, missing DLL issues, registry errors, and other problems can also contribute to applications problems like this one. Tools like Fortect can automate the repair process by scanning system files and replacing corrupted ones.

  1. Download and install Fortect.
  2. Open Fortect. It will run a free scan of your PC and give you a detailed report of your PC status.
  3. Once finished, you’ll see a report showing all the issues. To fix all the issues automatically, click Start Repair (You’ll need to purchase the full version. It comes with a 60-day Money-Back Guarantee so you can refund anytime if Fortect doesn’t fix your problem).
Fortect comes with a 60-day Money-Back Guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with Fortect, you can contact support@fortect.com for a full refund.

(Tips: Still unsure if Fortect is what you need? Check this Fortec Review! )

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