Is there a group policy setting that will change the desktop settings?

[cherisc]

We just installed a Windows 2003 Server Domain. We are upgrading from Novell servers. When we join a computer to the domain, a new profile is created on the workstation (Windows XP). This new profile is defaulted to use the Windows XP dekstop and Start Menu settings.

Is there a way that I can make changes to the group policy on the domain controller so that when a new user logs on to a different computer, they automatically get the Windows Classic View of the Desktop and Start Menu?

We need this done so that a web page that the users use will display correctly.

Thanks,
Cheri

 

[anawrocki]

There are a million things you can tweak out of the box and a gajillion more though added templates or custom templates. Because you are asking this question I am assuming your are a GP novice. You use Group Policy Editor to modify Group Policies. However unless you are in a small low-risk environment I highly suggest you do you homework and perhaps training of some sort prior to making changes. A good book to check out is Admin 911's Group Policy Book.

 

[cherisc]

I am a Group Policy Novice. I had some training at a technical school a couple of years ago, but we only touched on GPs and if I don't use it, I lose it. I will check out that book, but I need to get this set up ASAP.

I have browsed the default Group Policy. Should I create a new group policy, or edit the default one? In the default one, I found a setting that makes users log on using the classic logon screen, but I cannot find a setting that makes their desktop and start menu the classic view. We also want the XP firewall turned off when a new profile is created on the computer. I will continue to search the Internet. I do have an article from microsoft: Article ID: 314478, How to Create and Copy Roaming User Profiles in Windows XP. We are considering this, but I am looking for a way to do this that is done with a group policy.

Any help would be great.

 

[anawrocki]

It is generally advisable to never modify the default Group Policy for the domain for anything except perhaps password policies and such that you know you will want applied domain wide forever. It make senses to creat policies that corespond to logicly grouped containers. Much less risk and more flexibility for your domain in the long run.

You will need to probably add the XP Templates to get the additional policy settings you are looking for.

 

[cherisc]

Alright, I figured out the group policy thing. Sorry I asked such a newbie question without researching it first. Now, here is another question that someone is asking of me on the same network.
Here's what I did:
Created group policies for using the classic desktop and start menu and keeping the windows firewall turned off.
Here's what the customer wants:
For users to be able to log into the Windows 2003 Domain, but use the Administrator profile located on the Local Machine, Instead of creating a new profile on the local machine. He wants this so that the groupwise configurations (and other configurations) do not have to be configured for every user who logs on. This is his idea, as I have other ideas that will create the proper configurations in the default user profile on each computer.
Or, is there a way to what he wants from the domain controller?
Any suggestions might be helpful.
Thanks,
Cheri