What ‘gpupdate /force’ Does on Windows Systems

If you’ve ever worked in an office where IT handles everything — from your desktop wallpaper to your Wi-Fi permissions — you’ve probably been told at some point, “Hey, just run gpupdate /force.” Maybe you did it, maybe you didn’t. But you probably wondered: What does that command even mean?

Let’s clear it up. In this article, we’re going to explain what gpupdate /force actually does, why it’s helpful, and when you should (or shouldn’t) use it — all in plain, easy-to-understand language.

Let’s Start with Group Policy — What Is It, Anyway?

Think of Group Policy like a list of rules your IT team writes for every computer in the network. These rules cover all kinds of stuff, like:

Who can install software
What your desktop background looks like
Which drives show up in File Explorer
What passwords need to look like

Instead of setting up each computer manually, IT just creates these rules once on a server and they automatically get sent out to all the machines in the company.

Okay, So Where Does gpupdate /force Come In?

Your computer doesn’t check for those rules constantly. By default, it only refreshes them about once every 90 minutes. So if IT just made a change, you might not see it right away.

That’s where the gpupdate command comes in. It tells your computer:

“Hey, check in with the server and get any new rules right now.”

But there’s a twist.

When you just run gpupdate, your PC only grabs the new or updated rules. If nothing’s changed, it doesn’t bother doing anything.

If you run gpupdate /force, though, it tells your system:

“Forget waiting. Reapply everything — whether it’s new or not.”

And that’s why this command is such a go-to for fixing weird computer issues.

Real-Life Example: Why It Matters

Let’s say IT just set up a new shared folder on the server and told all employees they should now see a new “Z:” drive in File Explorer.

You wait. Nothing shows up.

Instead of calling the help desk, someone says, “Try running gpupdate /force.” So you open Command Prompt, type it in, hit Enter… and boom! The Z: drive appears.

What happened?
Your computer re-downloaded and reapplied all its Group Policy settings — including the rule that adds the Z: drive. Problem solved.

What Actually Happens When You Run It?

Let’s break down the behind-the-scenes steps — in simple terms:

Your PC contacts the domain server, asking for all the latest rules.
It checks which policies apply to:
- The computer itself (like system-level settings)
- The user (like desktop or network drive settings)
It downloads everything — even if nothing has changed.
It applies the rules one by one.
If any of the settings need a restart or logoff to take effect, you’ll see a message telling you.

Example output might look like this:

Updating policy…

User Policy update has completed successfully.

Computer Policy update has completed successfully.

Some settings may require a logoff/restart.

Simple and straightforward.

Why Would You Run gpupdate /force?

Here are a few situations where this command is really helpful:

You just joined your computer to a domain and want to load all the policies right away.
IT just rolled out a change (like blocking USB drives), and you want to test if it’s active.
Something’s not working (like a drive isn’t showing up), and you want to give your system a little “nudge.”
You’re troubleshooting and want to rule out whether policies are the problem.

Is It Safe to Run?

Absolutely. It doesn’t damage anything, slow down your PC permanently, or cause weird bugs. It’s just a way of refreshing things.

However, keep in mind:
If everyone in the office ran it at the same time — say, 500 employees — it might put a little strain on the network because they’re all pulling policies from the same server.

So, don’t overuse it unless there’s a reason.

Let’s Bust a Few Myths

There’s a lot of confusion floating around about gpupdate /force. Let’s quickly tackle a few:

Myth: It reboots your computer
Truth: Nope — not unless a specific setting needs it. And even then, it’ll just ask you first.
Myth: It fixes everything magically
Truth: It helps when your system isn’t picking up policy changes — but if the problem is deeper (like network issues), you’ll need to dig more.
Myth: It only works on domain-joined machines
Truth: Mostly true. If you’re not on a domain (say, your home PC), this won’t really do anything useful.

How to Run It (Step by Step)

It’s easy. Just do this:

Click the Start Menu and type cmd.
Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.
In the black window that pops up, type:

bash

CopyEdit

gpupdate /force

Press Enter, and wait a few seconds while it processes.
If it says something about needing to log off or reboot, go ahead and do that when you’re ready.

Done!

Need to Use It Remotely or on Many PCs?

If you’re in IT and managing dozens (or hundreds) of computers, doing this manually would take forever. So here are a few options:

Use PowerShell with Invoke-Command to run it on remote PCs.
Use PsExec to push commands across a network.
If you’re using Group Policy Management Console, you can also trigger updates via GPMC tools.

These methods are more advanced, but super handy in large environments.

Bonus Tip: Troubleshooting Group Policy

If gpupdate /force doesn’t fix your issue, here are a few next steps:

Run gpresult /h report.html to generate a super detailed policy report.
Check the Event Viewer under System and Application logs for any errors.
Make sure your PC can talk to the Domain Controller (check your DNS settings).

Visual Summary: What’s Going On When You Run It

Here’s a quick diagram that shows the process visually:

Final Thoughts

At first glance, gpupdate /force might look like just another geeky command — but now you know what it really does. It’s like hitting “refresh” on your computer’s rulebook. When settings don’t seem to stick or changes aren’t showing up, it’s the IT version of “turn it off and on again” — quick, easy, and often very effective.

FAQ: Understanding gpupdate /force in Windows

1. What is gpupdate /force?

gpupdate /force is a Windows command that refreshes all Group Policy settings on a computer, both user-specific and computer-wide, regardless of whether they’ve changed. It forces the system to reapply every policy immediately.

2. When should I use gpupdate /force?

You should use it when:

You’ve changed Group Policy settings and want them to take effect immediately.
You’re troubleshooting issues caused by outdated or incorrect policies.
A system isn’t responding to expected policy changes.

3. How is it different from just gpupdate without /force?

Using gpupdate without the /force switch only refreshes policies that have changed.
With /force, all policies get reapplied—whether they’ve changed or not. It’s more aggressive and thorough but can take longer.

4. Does gpupdate /force restart my computer?

No, it doesn’t restart your computer automatically. However, some policies (like certain security settings or software installations) may require a reboot or logoff to be fully applied. The command will notify you if this is needed.

5. Can I run gpupdate /force as a standard user?

Technically yes, but only user policies will refresh.
To update both computer and user policies, you need to run it from a Command Prompt with administrator privileges.

6. Does gpupdate /force affect system performance?

Not in a major way. It may cause a temporary spike in CPU and memory usage as it processes policies, especially in large domain environments. But it typically finishes in under a minute.

7. Will it apply changes made in Active Directory?

Yes. If your computer is joined to a domain, gpupdate /force pulls and applies any new or updated Group Policies pushed from your domain controller.

8. What are some common use cases?

Enforcing password policies immediately
Updating mapped drives or desktop restrictions
Rolling out software via Group Policy
Refreshing printer or network access settings
Troubleshooting login script failures

9. What’s the output message I should expect?

When the command runs successfully, you’ll typically see: