What is a .POL file?
A .pol file holds Windows Group Policy registry settings pushed to managed PCs.
- Did you know
- Registry.pol files are how Windows domains enforce settings on company computers.
- Windows stores one Registry.pol for computer settings and another for user settings under the GroupPolicy folder.
- Inside, registry instructions are written as bracketed, semicolon-separated fields in UTF-16 little-endian text.
- What Analyser reads
- Inspect OS and system files: OPML subscription lists, RSS/Atom feeds, Linux .desktop launchers and systemd .service units, Apple .crash reports, Android .ab backups, Windows Task Scheduler .job, Group Policy Registry.pol, and .scr screensaver PE headers, plus identification of .DS_Store, Thumbs.db, dSYM/DWARF and shim .sdb. Scene .nfo ASCII art now opens in a CP437 viewer - see Text art above.
- Depth of analysis
- .POL is an identification-grade format: Analyser recognises it from its bytes and decodes the header metadata it carries, rather than opening it in a full viewer. Formats that do get a full viewer are marked "Full" on the formats page.
- Open a .POL file
- Drag a .POL file onto the Analyser home page (or tap to pick one). It is identified entirely in your browser - nothing is uploaded, there is no account, and it works offline once installed.