Recently I had to add several URL’s as trusted sites to Internet Explorer (IE) for a doctor’s office for a new software application they were implementing. I had two options: (1) go to every workstation and add the URL’s, or (2) add the URL’s once via Group Policy from the server (SBS 2008), and let the server do the work! I chose option #2.
WARNING: It is advisable to warn you that modifying Group Policies is similar to modifying Windows Registry settings — you can quickly take down the system you are working on if you don’t know what you are doing. There are several great articles and books on working with Group Policy. Most will recommend creating a Test OU first, and use a set of selected users/computers to test your group policy changes first.
If you are not comfortable with Group Policies (and I will admit that I fall into that category!), here are the specific steps I followed to deploy (with thanks to a Spicework forum post on this topic):
Step 1: From the SBS console, click Start > Administrative Tools > Group Policy Management (GPM)
Step 2: Drill down Forest > Domain > your domain > My Business > Users > SBS Users
Step 3: Right click on SBS Users, then click on ‘Create a GPO in this domain, and link it here..’
Step 4: Give your new group policy object (GPO) a name, such as ‘IE Trusted Sites’
Step 5: Right click on your new GPO to edit it, and drill down User Configuration > Windows Settings > Internet Explorer Maintenance > Security
Step 6: In the right hand pane, right click on ‘Security Zones and Content Rating’ and then click Properties
Step 7: Click on the radio button to select ‘Import the current security zones and privacy settings’, then click ‘Modify Settings’
Step 8: The Internet Properties window displays. Click Security tab > Trusted Sites and then click the Sites button.
Step 9. Add your URL(s) to be trusted, and then close