Windows 2K PROFESSIONAL and Locking down the desktop help

[skimmilk]

Hey Folks,
We are updating all our Workstations to Windows 2000 from Win95. Clean installs not upgrades. Since our security and privledges have been fairly basic due to the limitations of WIN 95 we have decided to look into less privledges for the users, meaning we would like to stop folks from changing:
ScreenSavers, Desktop appearance / background, hide taskbar and maybe a few others. The only way I can understand to do this is by using the MMC and Snap-ins. Is there a different way using registry hacks or does anyone know of good books on how to actually use the MMC. We are using Windows NT 4.0 on our Servers and do not use Group Policy's etc...
Thanks in advance.
Andy

 

[NickS]

Milkey,
You can always hide desktop, which in turn removes right-click on desktop, thru system policies. And by default i remove desktop icon from
control panel (Tweak UI). Unless the users know about cpl's and are able to locate them, you should be good. Why would you want to remove taskbar anyway?

Nick

 

[skimmilk]

One of my personal annoyances are hidden taskbars. I guess to speak more clear I would like to remove the option of hiding (Auto-hide) the taskbar. Too understand your reply better are you stating to use TweakUI to "hide" basically all desktop references? Thanks for the reply.
Andy

 

[NickS]

OKay so than again you can use policies to "Disable context menu on taskbar".
TweakUI can be used to hide Icons from the control panel, but you would need to use policies to "Hide the desktop"

Nick

 

[Stevehewitt]

Group Policies are very easy to use. As long as eveything else in the network is running fine (DHCP and DNS are well know problem makers with GP's!) then you shouldn't have a problem.

If you need more help let me know.

If theres one piece of advice, its that create a test user in a test OU in AD and try out new policies on that test user.

Have fun! Steve Hewitt
Systems Manager

Windows 2000 Microsoft Certified Professional (75 - 215)

http://welcome.to/stevehewitt

 

[GlenJohnson]

Stevehewit knows much more about this than I do, but I do agree on a test user. I don't muck around with anything out ot the ordinary without test users and groups. Good luck. Glen A. Johnson
Microsoft Certified Professional
gjohn76351@msn.com

"Man is not weak; knowledge is more than equivalent to force."
Samuel Johnson (1709-84), English author, lexicographer.