When you want to test new setting(s) in a Settings catalog policy without making changes to the production policy, you may require creating and modifying a duplicate policy. Then, you can test it on test devices to ensure the new setting doesn’t cause any issues.
Please note, when you duplicate a settings catalog policy, it will have the same settings as the original policy without the assignments.
This feature was introduced with Intune service release 2111. Duplicate context menu option, available for a Settings catalog type of device configuration profile, duplicates an existing profile, will create a copy of it and save you all the trouble of manually selecting each setting.
Contents
Which Platforms are Supported for Duplicating Policy?
- Windows
- iOS
- macOS
- Android
There are various types of device configuration profiles within the Intune admin center. However, it’s important to note that, currently, you can only duplicate a device configuration profile of the Settings Catalog type.
What Happens If You Duplicate an Intune Settings Catalog Policy?
Duplicating an Intune Settings Catalog policy creates a copy of the profile. This is particularly useful when creating a new policy with identical settings to the original one. After duplicating a Settings Catalog policy, you can modify it, rename it and assign it to a different Entra security group containing users or devices.
If you want to perform significant changes in the new settings catalog policy, then it’s better to create a brand-new policy rather than copying the existing one. This is mostly suited for the scenarios when you want to test one or two changes in the policy before making a change in the production policy.
Duplicate Settings Catalog Policy
To show an example/demo of duplicating a Settings catalog policy, I would use an existing device configuration profile called Prevent Registry Editor access for all Users. This policy blocks registry editor access for all users on target devices.
- Sign in to the Intune admin center > Devices > Configuration.
- Find the Profile you want to copy and click on the ellipses context menu.
- Select the Duplicate option to create a copy of the Settings Catalog profile.
- You will see a Duplicate policy window after you click on the Duplicate option. Provide a unique name and helpful description of this policy.
- Click on the Save button to create a copy of the profile.
You will also find some Information on Duplicate policy window, which says: Duplicating a policy creates a new and distinct policy containing the same settings and values as the original policy. Assignments will not be copied.
Note
- After duplicate policy is created, you can find it on under Devices > Configuration page.
Unable to Duplicate Settings Catalog Policy
Duplicate option is unavailable in the context menu for device configuration profiles other than the Settings Catalog. This feature is exclusive to the Settings Catalog type of profile.
Below example illustrates that when I click on the ellipses icon next to a Device configuration profile based on Templates, the duplicate option is not visible in the menu.
FAQs
Can I Duplicate All Types of Device Configuration Profiles?
Currently, this feature is only available for duplicating a Device configuration profile based on the Settings Catalog. Microsoft may introduce similar features for other types of profiles in the future.
Is there an alternative way of duplicating the device configuration profile?
There are other ways to duplicate a device configuration profile, regardless of whether it has been created using Settings Catalog or Templates. You can use Microsoft Graph API or Powershell scripts at Github Powershell Intune samples.
[Please note: I haven’t tested these PowerShell scripts yet, and I’m not entirely sure if they work as intended. Before running them in a production environment, it is advisable to test them in a controlled test environment to ensure their functionality.]
I want to read more about Settings Catalog Policies.
You can read more about Settings Catalog on MS Learn using the below link:
Create a policy using the settings catalog in Microsoft Intune | Microsoft Learn
