A policy is a method for
enforcing Registry settings and making sure that users can’t change
those settings. Policy settings are most often enforced for a group of
users, thus the term “group policy” is used.
Policy settings can be applied to a single computer by using GPEDIT.MSC, or to a group of computers by using GPMC.MSC.
The MSC extension indicates that this is a Microsoft Management Console
Snap-in application. It appears inside the Computer Management
application, which you can open from the Management menu on Windows 8.
There are hundreds of policies that you can
set for Windows 8, although many more settings are available to network
administrators than to a user who is an administrator on a local Windows
device. You can turn system menus on or off; control how the Desktop
looks; manage access to programs, to the network, to storage, and to
browser settings; run startup, shutdown, and logoff scripts; and more.
Policy settings create a special policy file (POLICY.POL) that can be merged into the Registry and thereby block access to keys.
The Local Group Policy Editor can be used to
set a policy for all users on a system. However, most common policies
are available as settings in the control panels.
To view the Local Group Policy Editor
1. Press 
+R, and type gpedit.msc. Press Enter.
2. The User Access Control dialog box opens and asks you to elevate your privileges; click OK.
The Local Group Policy Editor appears .
The Local Group Policy Editor displays a setting that lets you disable
the Ctrl+Alt+Delete keystroke and thus deny access to the Lock screen.
3. Tap or click the Action menu, and select the Filter Options command.
4. Select the Enable Requirements Filters check box, and click OK.
The Local Group Policy Editor shows you all policies associated with Windows 8.
