If I have a GPO that contains a handful of settings - let' say, configured to implement WSUS configuration, some random registry entries, some other Control Panel settings etc.
If I unlink the policy, and reboot a machine which used to have this GPO linked to it, will that machine have it's settings revereted back to the default? Or will it retain what the GPO applied?
If so, is there a way around that? i.e. to revert back to how it was?
Removing a GPO from an OU containing machines and/or users that its affecting (or moving the objects into a new OU) will stop the settings in it being enforced.
Whether or not it will change the settings isn't quite so clear-cut. It is possible for the setting being affected by the GPO to become "tattooed" by the settings in the GPO. Consider a change to a service start settings or a change to file or folder permissions being applied via gpo; these will almost certainly not be changed just simply by removing the GPO.
