Security Templates Define and Enforce the Rules

The Configuration Task: Activating a Security Template
Using a template to configure a system is as easy as performing an audit. For example, let's say that you want to reset a system to installation defaults so that you have a known starting point for testing a custom template. If you have a different template loaded in the Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in, you need to create or open the Setup Security database I referred to in the previous section.

After the database is loaded, right-click the Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in, then select Configure Computer Now. The same progress screen the snap-in displays when it's auditing a system will appear. Because the Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in is implementing changes, configuring a system takes slightly longer than analyzing one with the same template. When the Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in finishes configuring the system, the system's security settings duplicate settings from the original installation. . . .