When multiple Group Policy Objects (GPOs) are linked to the same Organizational Unit (OU), Windows follows a strict processing order to resolve conflicts:

1. GPOs are processed in reverse link order (LSDOU)
2. Later processed GPOs override earlier ones
3. The GPO closest to the computer/user object wins

In your example with autoplay settings, the GPO processed last will determine the final setting. Consider these technical specifics:

# Example GPO processing sequence
Get-GPResultantSetOfPolicy -ReportType Html -Path "C:\GPO_Report.html"

The output would show the exact processing order and which GPO settings were applied.

To verify which GPO prevails in your environment:

# PowerShell command to check applied GPOs
gpresult /r

# Alternative with more detail:
gpresult /h report.html /f

For mission-critical environments, implement these strategies:

# Example of enforcing precedence
Set-GPLink -Name "Security GPO" -Target "OU=Workstations,DC=domain,DC=com" -Enforced Yes

Remember that Enforced GPOs (formerly called "No Override") always win, even over conflicting settings in GPOs processed later.

Here's how to script GPO link order management:

# PowerShell to set GPO link order
$ou = "OU=Workstations,DC=domain,DC=com"
$gpos = Get-GPLink -Target $ou | Sort-Object -Property Order

foreach ($gpo in $gpos) {
    Write-Host "GPO $($gpo.DisplayName) has order $($gpo.Order)"
}

# To move a GPO to top priority:
Set-GPLink -Name "Priority GPO" -Target $ou -LinkOrder 1

This ensures your critical security policies always take precedence.

When troubleshooting:

# Generate detailed GPO report
gpresult /scope computer /v > gp_computer.txt
gpresult /scope user /v > gp_user.txt

Cross-reference these with the actual settings in Group Policy Management Console (gpmc.msc) to identify exactly which GPO is winning each setting conflict.

When multiple Group Policy Objects (GPOs) are linked to the same Organizational Unit (OU) with conflicting settings, the processing order follows these principles:

1. The GPO with the highest link order (lowest numerical value in the GPO list) takes precedence
2. Settings are applied in last-writer-wins fashion
3. Computer configurations override user configurations when conflicts occur within the same GPO

Consider this scenario in PowerShell where we examine two conflicting GPOs:

# Get GPOs linked to an OU
$OU = "OU=Workstations,DC=domain,DC=com"
Get-GPInheritance -Target $OU | Select-Object -ExpandProperty GpoLinks | Sort-Object Order

# Sample output:
# DisplayName      : Workstation Security Policy
# Enabled          : True
# Order            : 1
#
# DisplayName      : Default Workstation Policy
# Enabled          : True
# Order            : 2

In this case, if both GPOs modify the autoplay setting:

• Workstation Security Policy (Order 1): Disables autoplay
• Default Workstation Policy (Order 2): Enables autoplay

The setting from Workstation Security Policy will prevail because it has higher precedence (lower link order number).

To verify the resultant set of policies (RSOP) on a specific computer:

# Generate RSOP report
gpresult /h gpo_report.html /scope computer

# Or using PowerShell:
Get-GPResultantSetOfPolicy -ReportType Html -Path "C:\temp\rsop.html" -Computer "WORKSTATION01"

For administrators managing large environments, these WMI queries can help identify policy conflicts:

$query = "SELECT * FROM RSOP_GPO WHERE Id LIKE '%AutoPlay%'"
Get-WmiObject -Namespace "root\rsop\computer" -Query $query | 
    Select-Object GPOID, Name, precedence

• Use Enforced (No Override) flag for critical policies that must take precedence
• Apply the Block Inheritance option sparingly and only when necessary
• Document GPO dependencies and conflicts in your change management system
• Consider using GPO comments to explain why certain precedence orders were chosen

Here's how to programmatically set the link order using PowerShell:

# Set GPO link order
$OU = "OU=Workstations,DC=domain,DC=com"
$GPO1 = "Workstation Security Policy"
$GPO2 = "Default Workstation Policy"

Set-GPLink -Name $GPO1 -Target $OU -Order 1
Set-GPLink -Name $GPO2 -Target $OU -Order 2

Remember that changes to GPO link order may take up to 90 minutes to propagate or require manual gpupdate /force on affected systems.