How to apply Windows group policy using .NET?

Question

Is it possible to apply (and remove) Windows group policy settings using .NET?

I am working on an application that needs to temporarily put a machine into a restricted, kiosk-like state. One of the things I need to control is access to USB drives which I believe I can do through group policy. I'd like my app to set the policy when it starts and revert the change when it exits... is this something I can do through .NET framework calls?

These are my primary requirements:

• Apply group policy settings when my console app is started.
• Identify when a user action is denied by the policy and log it.
  • Logging to the system security log is acceptable.
• Revert my policy changes when my app stops.

Answer 1

NOTE: I use two GroupPolicy assembly references: C:\Windows\assembly\GAC_MSIL\Microsoft.GroupPolicy.Management\2.0.0.0__31bf3856ad364e35\Microsoft.GroupPolicy.Management.dll and C:\Windows\assembly\GAC_32\Microsoft.GroupPolicy.Management.Interop\2.0.0.0__31bf3856ad364e35\Microsoft.GroupPolicy.Management.Interop.dll This framework 2.0, so there are mixed code, and you must use app.config: http://msmvps.com/blogs/rfennell/archive/2010/03/27/mixed-mode-assembly-is-built-against-version-v2-0-50727-error-using-net-4-development-web-server.aspx

I made it like that.

using System.Collections.ObjectModel;
using Microsoft.GroupPolicy;
using Microsoft.Win32;

/// <summary>
/// Change user's registry policy
/// </summary>
/// <param name="gpoName">The name of Group Policy Object(DisplayName)</param>
/// <param name="keyPath">Is KeyPath(like string path=@"Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer")</param>
/// <param name="typeOfKey">DWord, ExpandString,... e.t.c </param>
/// <param name="parameterName">Name of parameter</param>
/// <param name="value">Value</param>
/// <returns>result: true\false</returns>
public bool ChangePolicyUser(string gpoName, string keyPath, RegistryValueKind typeOfKey, string parameterName, object value)
    {
        try
        {
            RegistrySetting newSetting = new PolicyRegistrySetting();
            newSetting.Hive = RegistryHive.CurrentUser;
            newSetting.KeyPath = keyPath;
            bool contains = false;
            //newSetting.SetValue(parameterName, value, typeOfKey);
            switch (typeOfKey)
            {
                case RegistryValueKind.String:
                    newSetting.SetValue(parameterName, (string)value, typeOfKey);
                    break;
                case RegistryValueKind.ExpandString:
                    newSetting.SetValue(parameterName, (string)value, typeOfKey);
                    break;
                case RegistryValueKind.DWord:
                    newSetting.SetValue(parameterName, (Int32)value);
                    break;
                case RegistryValueKind.QWord:
                    newSetting.SetValue(parameterName, (Int64)value);
                    break;
                case RegistryValueKind.Binary:
                    newSetting.SetValue(parameterName, (byte[])value);
                    break;
                case RegistryValueKind.MultiString:
                    newSetting.SetValue(parameterName, (string[])value, typeOfKey);
                    break;
            }
            Gpo gpoTarget = _gpDomain.GetGpo(gpoName);
            RegistryPolicy registry = gpoTarget.User.Policy.GetRegistry(false);
            try
            {
                ReadOnlyCollection<RegistryItem> items = gpoTarget.User.Policy.GetRegistry(false).Read(newSetting.Hive, keyPath);
                foreach (RegistryItem item in items)
                {
                    if (((RegistrySetting) item).ValueName == parameterName)
                    {
                        contains = true;
                    }
                }
                registry.Write((PolicyRegistrySetting) newSetting, !contains);
                registry.Save(false);
                return true;
            }
            catch (ArgumentException)
            {
                registry.Write((PolicyRegistrySetting)newSetting, contains);
                registry.Save(true);
                return true;
            }
        }
        catch (Exception)
        {
            return false;
        }
    }