When you apply Local Group Policy on a PC, you may not want it to affect every user. The solution is to apply Local Group Policy to just one user or a specific group of users. That way, you control which features specific user accounts can access.
It also makes it easier to apply and change controls and interface settings for individual users, and you can see at a glance which policies apply to which users. Here is how to apply Local Group Policy to specific user accounts on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
What Is Local Group Policy?
Group Policy is a Windows feature that gives you more control over what user accounts can do and what they can access. Changing a group policy changes how the system behaves for different groups of users.
How to Apply Local Group Policy to a Specific User Account
First, you need Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education to access the Local Group Policy Editor. Here is how to set up what is called a Microsoft Saved Console (MSC) for a specific user.
1. Press Win + R, type "mmc" in the box, and click OK. This opens the Microsoft Management Console.
2. A UAC prompt will appear. Click Yes.
3. In the Microsoft Management Console window that opens, go to File > Add/Remove Snap-in.
4. Find and select Group Policy Object Editor, click the Add button to move it to the Selected snap-ins pane, and click OK.
5. Next, you will be asked to select a Group Policy Object. Click Browse.
6. Switch to the Users tab in the pop-up window.
7. Select the user account you want to create a custom Local Group Policy for, then click OK.
8. Click the Finish button, then in the Add or Remove Snap-ins window, click OK at the bottom right.
9. The group policy for the specific user will appear in the console window.
10. Go to File > Save As and choose where you want to save the MSC. You can rename it here.
11. When you are done, click the Save button.
You have now created a user-specific Local Group Policy MSC. Whenever you need to configure policy settings that apply only to this particular user, double-click the file you just created and make the policy changes you need. Don't forget to save the console settings when you finish.
With Local Group Policy, you get finer control over which functions you give to a specific user or group of users. A simple change at this level can make your job much easier when you need to impose restrictions on Windows users or grant them more freedom.
