Admin controlled desktop settings for users

[viciousdogs]

Is there a way for the administrator to set up different display profiles for each user who logs on to a machine without the individual user having any access to the display properties?

For example:
User A has a screen resolution of 1024x768
User B has a screen resolution of 800x600
Administrator sets both of the above.

thanks

 

[golflover]

Do you mean locally or on a network basis? Are you trying to set different settings for two people locally on one PC, or are you trying to set this for many users across a network?

 

[bcastner]

SYMPTOMS
When you log on as a user and set a screen resolution, and then log off from and then back on to the computer as another user by either using Fast User Switching (FUS) or by logging off, the screen resolution remains the same for each user.
CAUSE
This behavior occurs because when you modify the screen resolution and the color depth settings in the Display Properties dialog box, the changes that you make are applied to all users on the computer; The screen resolution is a system-wide setting and is not related to individual user profiles.
STATUS
This behavior is by design.

Source:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;281565

One possible route

1. Start/Run/Regedit and Navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\VIDEO\{3A2C2EBE-ECDB-4A7B-99EC-
58117AFDC5E2}\0000\Mon22446688

2. Find 'DefaultSettings.XResolution'. That is your y axis. Edit as a Decimal to what you want it to be. IE 1152.
3. Find 'DefaultSettings.YResolution'. That is your x axis. Edit as a decimal to what you want it to be. IE 863.
4. Reboot.

Or...

Start/Run/Regedit: HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\Display\Settings. In the right pane, right click Resolution, modify, 800,600.

Finally, there is a terrific freeware utility by Doug Knox, MVP called 'Keep User display settings' found on his site under XP Utilities:

http://www.dougknox.com/

This allows per user settings for display settings.

 

[viciousdogs]

Golflover,

I want to do this on a single machine.

 

[ttterk]

Just found an answer, thanks to WinXPNews (

http://www.winxpnews.com/issues.cfm).

A site with freeware to do just what you want is at

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_userdisplay.htm

Doug must have been listeining to you.

Sloth is the mother of invention. Necessity is just a mother...