Control Panel files

[tvbruwae]

Hi

Can someone tell me where the settings from Control Panel objects (such as the modem or display properties) are stored on the harddisk? I need to write a small program with administrative rights that non-administrators can use to change certain hardware settings on their computers.

Thanks.

 

[cnorris517]

If you are running windows 2000 you can just create an mmc console and set it to user mode this will prevent the users altering the mmc while still allowing them to make changes to the system settings you included in the console

 

[tvbruwae]

This could work... Is there a snap-in that contains control panel settings?

 

[tvbruwae]

I just tried it out. With device manager it could work, if it weren't for the security priveleges... As a user (power user to be more specific), I still get the "unsufficient rights" popup when starting the MMC console and all (modem) properties are disabled for change. Can the user rights for MMC snap-ins be changed to alow (power) users access to device manager?

 

[jjgraf]

how about turning the user or group of users into LOCAL ADMINISTATORS.

 

[tvbruwae]

No, I considered that option before but the threat would be too large. I really need those people to be (power) users with the ability to change the hardware settings...

 

[jjgraf]

what is the threat on the local machine. Turning them into local admins does not make them Domain Admin. the AD is still secure from users.

 

[tvbruwae]

Still, I'm not allowed to do that (my boss won't let me). It probably has something to do with the ability to change settings other than those allowed by the snap-in. Our customer doesn't want users to tamper with all kinds of settings, even local, except for the modem properties.

 

[jjgraf]

Well you have problem then. You need to allow the user to change the Registry Settings to change settings of the modems and in some case load an unload device drivers which is normal an Admin prevelidge.

This gives user pretty much admin preveldges on the computer except for the file system. You can set it up that they can edit settings in the registry but deny them from taking control over the file system.

Once you give them registry control you pretty much turn them into admins on the local computer.