|
| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +slug: system-wide-policies |
| 3 | +title: System-Wide Policies for Enterprise Deployments |
| 4 | +authors: [borntoberoot] |
| 5 | +tags: [policies, enterprise, settings, new feature] |
| 6 | +--- |
| 7 | + |
| 8 | +NETworkManager now supports system-wide policies, giving administrators centralized control over application settings across all users on a machine. This feature is available since the [pre-release version 2026.02.19.0](https://github.com/BornToBeRoot/NETworkManager/releases) and can now be tested. |
| 9 | + |
| 10 | + |
| 11 | + |
| 12 | +<!-- truncate --> |
| 13 | + |
| 14 | +## What Are System-Wide Policies? |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | +System-wide policies allow administrators to enforce specific settings for all users on a machine. These policies override user-specific settings and provide centralized control over application behavior in enterprise environments. |
| 17 | + |
| 18 | +When a policy is active, the corresponding setting is locked in the UI and displays a shield icon along with a message indicating that the setting is managed by an administrator. Users can see the enforced value but cannot change it. |
| 19 | + |
| 20 | +## How to Configure Policies |
| 21 | + |
| 22 | +Policies are defined in a `config.json` file placed in the application installation directory (the same folder as `NETworkManager.exe`). When this file exists, the application loads the policies at startup and applies them with precedence over user settings. An example file (`config.json.example`) is included in the application installation directory for reference. |
| 23 | + |
| 24 | +**File location:** |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +- **Installed version**: `C:\Program Files\NETworkManager\config.json` (or your custom installation path) |
| 27 | +- **Portable version**: Same directory as `NETworkManager.exe` |
| 28 | + |
| 29 | +**File format:** |
| 30 | + |
| 31 | +```json |
| 32 | +{ |
| 33 | + "Policy_Name": true |
| 34 | +} |
| 35 | +``` |
| 36 | + |
| 37 | +Property names follow the pattern `Section_SettingName`. You can find the available policy names and values in the corresponding [setting's documentation](https://borntoberoot.net/NETworkManager/docs/category/settings). |
| 38 | + |
| 39 | +### Example Policy |
| 40 | + |
| 41 | +For example, the [`Update_CheckForUpdatesAtStartup`](https://borntoberoot.net/NETworkManager/docs/settings/update) policy controls whether the application checks for new program versions on GitHub when the application is launched. |
| 42 | + |
| 43 | +**Values:** |
| 44 | + |
| 45 | +- `true` — Force enable automatic update checks at startup for all users |
| 46 | +- `false` — Force disable automatic update checks at startup for all users |
| 47 | +- Omit the property — Allow users to control this setting themselves |
| 48 | + |
| 49 | +**Example `config.json`:** |
| 50 | + |
| 51 | +```json |
| 52 | +{ |
| 53 | + "Update_CheckForUpdatesAtStartup": false |
| 54 | +} |
| 55 | +``` |
| 56 | + |
| 57 | +:::note |
| 58 | + |
| 59 | +- The file must be named exactly `config.json` |
| 60 | +- The file must contain valid JSON syntax |
| 61 | +- Changes to the file require restarting the application to take effect |
| 62 | +- If the file doesn't exist or contains invalid JSON, it will be ignored and user settings will apply |
| 63 | + |
| 64 | +::: |
| 65 | + |
| 66 | +## Deploying Policies |
| 67 | + |
| 68 | +1. **Create the configuration file** — Use the `config.json.example` as a template, rename it to `config.json`, and set your desired policy values. |
| 69 | + |
| 70 | +2. **Deploy to installation directory** — Place the `config.json` file in the same directory as `NETworkManager.exe`. For MSI installations, this is typically `C:\Program Files\NETworkManager\`. |
| 71 | + |
| 72 | +3. **Deploy methods:** |
| 73 | + - Group Policy — copy the file to the installation directory (use Group Policy preferences or a startup script) |
| 74 | + - Configuration management tools — SCCM/ConfigMgr, Microsoft Intune, Ansible, etc. |
| 75 | + - Scripts and deployment toolkits — PowerShell scripts, PSAppDeployToolkit |
| 76 | + - Manual deployment — hand-copy for small-scale rollouts |
| 77 | + |
| 78 | +4. **Verification:** |
| 79 | + - Launch the application |
| 80 | + - Navigate to Settings > Update (e.g., "Check for updates at startup") |
| 81 | + - Verify the shield icon and the administrator message appear and that the control is disabled |
| 82 | + |
| 83 | +:::warning |
| 84 | + |
| 85 | +Ensure the `config.json` file has appropriate permissions so that regular users cannot modify it. On standard installations in `Program Files`, this is automatically enforced by Windows file permissions. |
| 86 | + |
| 87 | +::: |
| 88 | + |
| 89 | +## Request More Policies |
| 90 | + |
| 91 | +Additional policy options will be added in future releases to provide more granular control over application behavior. If you have specific requirements for system-wide policies in your organization, please submit a feature request via the [GitHub issue tracker](https://github.com/BornToBeRoot/NETworkManager/issues/new/choose) to help us prioritize. |
| 92 | + |
| 93 | +More information is available in the [official documentation](https://borntoberoot.net/NETworkManager/docs/system-wide-policies). |
| 94 | + |
| 95 | +If you find any issues or have suggestions for improvement, please open an [issue on GitHub](https://github.com/BornToBeRoot/NETworkManager/issues). |
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