title: Group Policy completely failing on a few domain-joined client computers
body: <p>I've recently run into an issue where group policy is failing to apply on a few computers. When I run <code>GPUPDATE /FORCE</code>, this is the output:</p>
  <pre><code>Updating policy...
  Computer Policy update has completed successfully.
  The following warnings were encountered during computer policy processing:
  Windows failed to apply the Group Policy Folders settings. Group Policy Folders settings might have its own log file. Please click on the &quot;More information&quot; link.
  Windows failed to apply the Group Policy Files settings. Group Policy Files settings might have its own log file. Please click on the &quot;More information&quot; link.
  Windows failed to apply the Group Policy Registry settings. Group Policy Registry settings might have its own log file. Please click on the &quot;More information&quot; link.
  User Policy update has completed successfully.
  The following warnings were encountered during user policy processing:
  Windows failed to apply the Group Policy Folders settings. Group Policy Folders settings might have its own log file. Please click on the &quot;More information&quot; link.
  Windows failed to apply the Group Policy Files settings. Group Policy Files settings might have its own log file. Please click on the &quot;More information&quot; link.
  Windows failed to apply the Deployed Printer Connections settings. Deployed Printer Connections settings might have its own log file. Please click on the &quot;More information&quot; link.
  Windows failed to apply the Group Policy Folder Options settings. Group Policy Folder Options settings might have its own log file. Please click on the &quot;More information&quot; link.
  Windows failed to apply the Group Policy Scheduled Tasks settings. Group Policy Scheduled Tasks settings might have its own log file. Please click on the &quot;More information&quot; link.
  For more detailed information, review the event log or run GPRESULT /H GPReport.html from the command line to access information about Group Policy results.
  </code></pre>
  <p>I've done the following to troubleshoot, but I keep hitting walls and dead ends:</p>
  <ol>
  <li>Removed and readded the faulting computers to the domain</li>
  <li>Confirmed domain connectivity by successfully pinging domain controllers</li>
  <li>Confirmed DNS settings haven't been changed on NICs</li>
  <li>Used <code>ProcMon</code> to see if new files/folders are being added, but saw no references to these files/folders</li>
  <li>Investigated Event Viewer, but only see generic errors like, &quot;<code>Windows failed to apply the Group Policy Files settings. Group Policy Files settings might have its own log file. Please click on the &quot;More information&quot; link.</code>&quot; Diving deeper into <code>Event Viewer -&gt; Applications and Services Logs -&gt; Microsoft -&gt; Group Policy -&gt; Operational</code> gives me errors with descriptions like, &quot;<code>Completed Group Policy Shortcuts Extension Processing in 62 milliseconds.</code>&quot;</li>
  <li>Checked RSOP on the faulting computers, and while I see the policy I'm trying to push listed in the General tab, the Error Information tab shows that Group Policy Registry, Folders, and Files all failed. The Details section simply states, &quot;<code>Group Policy [Registry/Files/Folders] failed due to the error listed below</code>&quot;, yet no error is listed.</li>
  <li>Ran <code>GPRESULT /H GPReport.html</code> and examined, but only receive generic messages like, &quot;<code>Additional information may have been logged.  Review the Policy Events  tab in the console or the application event log for events between  2/18/2021 12:29:39 PM and 2/18/2021 12:29:39 PM.</code>&quot; This additional information referenced is reflected in point 5 above and is obviously unhelpful.</li>
  <li>Tried <code>GPUPDATE /SYNC</code>, but I receive the error, &quot;<code>Failed to set the policy mode. Error - The system cannot find the file specified.  Exiting...</code>,&quot; and I have no idea what file this error is referencing.</li>
  <li>Checked Event Viewer on domain controller, but found no relevant information about these failures</li>
  <li>Checked for FS corruption via <code>SFC /SCANNOW</code> and <code>DISM /ONLINE /CLEANUP-IMAGE /RESTOREHEALTH</code></li>
  </ol>
  <p>I'm really pulling my hair out over this one. If anyone could point me in the right direction or provide a fix, that would be incredible. Thank you so much!</p>