Have you ever encountered a message that says “Some settings are managed by your organization” when you try to change something on your Windows PC?
If you have, you’re not alone. Many users have reported seeing this annoying “Some settings are managed by your organization” message that prevents them from changing their settings.
But don’t worry, there’s a way to fix it.
In this article, I’ll show you what causes this error message to appear, and how to get rid of it for good.
By the end of this article, you’ll be able to customize your Windows settings without any restrictions.
Let’s get started!
What causes the error message to appear?
The message “Some settings are managed by your organization” usually appears when you have a work or school account connected to your device.
Or when you have some group policy settings applied by an administrator.
These settings protect your device and data from unauthorized changes. But they can also interfere with your personal preferences and choices.
This message can also appear due to a glitch in the system, a corrupted registry, or a third-party application that modifies your settings.
In any case, this message can be very frustrating and limiting. Especially if you’re using your own device and not a work or school one.
So, how can you fix it?
What you should do first
Before you try any of the methods below, there are some things you should do first to prevent data loss:
- Back up your data: Have a backup of your important files and documents before making any changes to your system settings. You can use an external hard drive, a cloud service, or a backup software to do this.
- Back up your registry.
- Create a system restore point: A system restore point is a snapshot of your system settings and configuration at a certain point. You can use it to restore your system to a previous state if something goes wrong.
Now that you’ve done these steps, you’re ready to try the methods below.
How to fix Some settings are managed by your organization
1. Ask for permission (If your organization gave you your computer)
Some settings are usually restricted if your organization gave you your computer. Such as a laptop provided by your school or a desktop computer in your office at work.
You need to have permission to change certain aspects of your computer controlled by the organization’s policy.
Contact your organization’s administrator and explain why you want to change some settings on your computer.
Be polite and respectful and provide a clear and reasonable explanation for your request.
Wait for the administrator to respond to your request. They might approve it, deny it, or ask for more information. Follow their instructions and provide any additional details if needed.
If approved, the administrator will permit you to change some settings on your computer. They might also provide you with some guidance or instructions on how to do it.
Follow their advice and make sure you don’t violate any organization’s rules or policies.
2. Restart your computer
Sometimes, the simplest solution is the best one. Restarting your computer can fix many minor issues and glitches that might cause the error message to appear.
Once you’ve restarted your system, check if the error message is gone.
If not, don’t worry. There are more methods to try.
3. Check for updates
Sometimes, the “some settings are managed by your organization” error message can appear due to a bug or an issue in your Windows version. Updating your Windows can fix these problems and improve your system performance and security.
To check for Windows updates, follow these steps:
- Click on the Start button and select Settings.
- Click on Update & Security and then on Windows Update.
- Click on Check for updates and wait for Windows to scan for available updates.
- If there are any updates, click on Download and install and follow the instructions.
- Restart your computer after the update is complete.
- Check if the error message is gone.
4. Disable or uninstall your antivirus
Your antivirus software can sometimes interfere with your system settings and cause the error message to appear.
This is because some antivirus programs have their own policies and rules that override your Windows settings.
To disable or uninstall your antivirus, follow these steps:
- Type “control panel” in the search box and click on the result.
- In the Control Panel window, click on Uninstall a program under the Programs category.
- You’ll see a list of programs installed on your device. Look for your antivirus program and select it. Click on Uninstall or Change.
- Follow the instructions to disable or uninstall your antivirus program from your device.
- Restart your computer after disabling or uninstalling your antivirus program.
- Check if the error message is gone.
If not, let’s move on to the next method.
5. Uninstall 3rd-party applications
Some third-party applications can change your system settings without your knowledge or consent. This can cause the error message to appear on your device.
It is best to uninstall the third-party apps you installed before you started seeing the error.
To uninstall third-party applications, follow the same steps as in the Disable or uninstall your antivirus method. But this time uninstall the third-party apps you recently installed.
6. Remove work or school accounts
If you have a work or school account connected to your device, it might be the reason why you get the error.
These accounts usually have some policies and restrictions that apply to your device as well.
To remove a work or school account from your device, follow these steps:
- Click on the Start button and select Settings.
- Click on Accounts and then on Access work or school.
- You’ll see a list of accounts connected to your device. Select the one you want to remove and click on Disconnect.
- Confirm your choice by clicking on Yes.
- Check if the error message is gone.
7. Create a new administrator account
Another possible way to fix the error message is to create a new administrator account and use it instead of your current one.
This can help if your current account has some corrupted files or settings that cause the error message to appear.
To create a new administrator account, follow these steps:
- Click on the Start button and select Settings.
- Click on Accounts and then on Family & other users.
- Under Other users, click on Add someone else to this PC.
- Click on I don’t have this person’s sign-in information and then on Add a user without a Microsoft account on the next screen.
- Enter a username and a password for the new account and click on Next.
- Select the new account and click on Change account type.
- Under Account type, select Administrator and click on OK.
- Sign out of your current account and sign in with the new one.
- Check if the error message is gone.
If not, let’s try something else.
8. Change system properties
Another possible way to fix the error message is to change some system properties that might be causing it.
These properties relate to your computer name, domain, and workgroup settings.
To change system properties, follow these steps:
- Type “advanced system settings” in the search box and click on the result.
- In the System Properties window, click on the Computer name tab.
- Now click on the button of “Network ID…” button.
- You will see 2 options. Select the check option: “This is a home computer; it’s not part of a business network” and click Next.
- You will get a prompt to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
- Restart your computer.
- Check if the error message is gone.
9. Change diagnostic and usage data settings
Diagnostic data is information that Windows collects about your device and how you use it. This data helps Microsoft improve Windows and provide you with better services and features.
Some of these settings may cause this error. To change diagnostic data settings, follow these steps:
- Click on the Start button and select Settings.
- Click on Privacy and then on Diagnostics & Feedback.
- Under Diagnostic data, make sure Optional data is selected.
- Check if the error message is gone.
10. Edit and reset the Local Group Policy Editor
The Local Group Policy Editor is a tool that allows you to configure and manage settings for your device and user accounts.
You can use it to enable or disable certain features and options in Windows. However, some of these settings can also cause the error message to appear on your device.
To edit the local group policy editor, follow these steps:
- Type ”gpedit.msc” in the search box and click on the result.
- In the Local Group Policy Editor window, navigate to the following path: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > All Settings
- You’ll see a list of settings that are available for your device.
- Click on the State column heading. This will allow you to sort the settings so that those Enabled or Disabled appear at the top.
- These are the settings that have been modified by an administrator or a group policy object.
- To reset a setting to its default value, double-click on it and select Not Configured. Click on OK to save the changes.
- Repeat this process for any other settings that you want to reset.
- Close the Local Group Policy Editor window.
- Check if the error message is gone.
If not, let’s try another method.
11. Enable telemetry
- Type “services.msc” in the search box and click on the result.
- In the Services window, look for a service called Connected User Experiences and Telemetry.
- Right-click on this service and select Properties.
- Under Startup type, select Automatic. This means that this service will start when you boot up your device.
- Under Service status, click on Start if it’s not already running.
- Click on Apply then OK to save the changes.
- Close the Services window.
- Check if the error message is gone.
12. Check the Task Scheduler
One more thing you can do is to check the scheduled tasks that run on your device. These tasks are programs or scripts that are set to run at a specific time or event.
Some of these tasks can change your system settings and cause the error message to appear on your device.
This method can work only if you have the Safer-Networking and Spybot Anti-Beacon directories in your Task Scheduler.
To check the scheduled tasks, follow these steps:
- Type “task scheduler” in the search box and click on the result.
- In the Task Scheduler left pane, expand Safer-Networking
- Select Spybot Anti-Beacon.
- Now in the right panel, right-click on the task and select Delete.
- Check if the error message is gone.
13. Tweak the Registry
The registry is a database that stores information and settings for your device and applications. It contains many keys and values that control how Windows and other programs work.
However, some of these keys and values can also cause the error message to appear on your device.
The registry is very sensitive to changes. Changing the values can damage your system. So proceed with caution.
To tweak the registry, follow these steps:
- Type “regedit” in the search box and click on the result.
- In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate
- In the right pane, find Wuserver
- Right-click on it and select Delete.
- A pop-up will appear asking to confirm. Click Yes.
- Check if the error is gone.
14. Remove the domain-applied group policies from the Registry
The last method to fix the error message is to remove the policies stored in the registry. This is a surefire way to remove and get rid of the “some settings are managed by your organization” error.
To remove the policies from the registry, follow these steps. And so you don’t get confused, all the folders on the left pane of the Windows registry editor are keys and the folders within them, subkeys:
- Type “regedit” in the search box and click on the result.
- Delete the “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft” Key (looks like a folder).
- Delete the “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft” Key
- Delete the “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy Objects” Key.
- Delete the “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies” Key.
- Exit the registry editor and restart your system.
If this works, awesome! 😃
Otherwise, follow the steps below (this method is by the Windows Report):
- Open Notepad and paste the commands below:
reg delete “HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies” /f
reg delete “HKCU\Software\Microsoft\WindowsSelfHost” /f
reg delete “HKCU\Software\Policies” /f
reg delete “HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Policies” /f
reg delete “HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies” /f
reg delete “HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsStore\WindowsUpdate” /f
reg delete “HKLM\Software\Microsoft\WindowsSelfHost” /f
reg delete “HKLM\Software\Policies” /f
reg delete “HKLM\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Policies” /f
reg delete “HKLM\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies” /f
reg delete “HKLM\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsStore\WindowsUpdate” /f
- Click on File and select Save as.
- Select your preferred location.
- Change the file name to ResetPolicies.bat
- Change the Save as type to All Files (*.*)
- Click on Save.
- Right-click on the file and select Run as administrator.
- A command prompt window will open and run the file. It will delete the necessary registry keys.
- Restart your PC.
Conclusion
In this article, I’ve shown you how to fix the error message “some settings are managed by your organization” that appears on your Windows device.
By following these methods, you should be able to customize your Windows settings without any restrictions. And you will no longer see the annoying error.
If none of these methods worked for you, you might have a more serious problem with your device or Windows installation.
In that case, you might need to use software that fixes system issues like these. Or seek help by contacting Microsoft support or a professional technician.
I hope this article was helpful and informative for you. You should now be able to change your settings with no problems.