There are often times that shortcuts are needed on all users or a specific subset of user’s desktops, which is where Group Policy Preferences Desktop Shortcuts come in. Here is how to create a simple internet shortcut for a particular website:

Create a Group Policy Preferences Desktop Internet Shortcut

1. Login as an administrator.
2. Go the the start screen and type “Server Manager”.
3. In the Tools menu select “Group Policy Management”
4. Find / Create the Organizational Unit (OU) in the domain containing the target computers
5. Right click on the OU and select “Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here…” to create a policy and link in to that OU.
6. Right click on the new policy and select “Edit..”
7. Navigate through the tree structure as follows:
   

   Computer Configuration — > Preferences — > Windows Settings — > Shortcuts

8. Highlight Shortcuts and on the right pane, right click and select New then select Shortcut
9. In the ‘New Shortcut Properties’, make the following changes so the values look like below:

   Action: Update
   Target type: URL
   Location: All Users Desktop
   Target URL: [Full Website Address]

10. Close the “Group Policy Editor”
11. Restart the client and once logged in with a domain user, the desktop would have the new Internet shortcut

If your company is needs help creating Group Policy Preferences Desktop Shortcuts or help with Group Policy in general, then contact us for assistance.