User Name Password Register
DaniWeb IT Discussion Community
All
What is DaniWeb IT Discussion Community?
You're currently browsing the Windows NT / 2000 / XP / 2003 section within the Tech Talk category of DaniWeb, a massive community of 426,022 software developers, web developers, Internet marketers, and tech gurus who are all enthusiastic about making contacts, networking, and learning from each other. In fact, there are 1,654 IT professionals currently interacting right now! Registration is free, only takes a minute and lets you enjoy all of the interactive features of the site.
Please support our Windows NT / 2000 / XP / 2003 advertiser: Programming Forums
Views: 9413 | Replies: 9
Reply
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 6
Reputation: Mr Andy is an unknown quantity at this point 
Rep Power: 0
Solved Threads: 0
Mr Andy Mr Andy is offline Offline
Newbie Poster

Help required locking down desktop display properties

  #1  
Mar 1st, 2005
Can any Win2K/WinXP whizzkid help - I'm pulling my hair out here.

I'm a network admin in a school responsible for building a new system and as part of the desktop lockdown I need to entirely restrict access to the display properties for all pupils (all Win2k clients). I've used group policy in Win2K to stop access to most display properties but there doesn't seem to be any policy settings to stop users accessing the graphics properties, which appear as separate options when right-clicking the desktop.

I've looked through every GPO setting available (and I am using updated winXP templates) but there's nothing to allow me to enable graphics restrictions.

My questions:

1) Does anyone know if graphics properties can be restricted through group policy (Win2K)?

2) If not, does anyone know if the right-click function for the desktop can be totally disabled?

3) Any other ideas. I can't be the only person who's ever needed to do this!

Thanks in advance.
AddThis Social Bookmark Button
Reply With Quote  
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Australia
Posts: 3,735
Reputation: Catweazle is a jewel in the rough Catweazle is a jewel in the rough Catweazle is a jewel in the rough Catweazle is a jewel in the rough 
Rep Power: 15
Solved Threads: 139
Colleague
Catweazle Catweazle is offline Offline
Grandad

Re: Help required locking down desktop display properties

  #2  
Mar 1st, 2005
I'd suggest a read of this page:
http://programmerworld.net/win/winsecret.htm

I'm sure you'll find some useful tips there
Reply With Quote  
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 6
Reputation: Mr Andy is an unknown quantity at this point 
Rep Power: 0
Solved Threads: 0
Mr Andy Mr Andy is offline Offline
Newbie Poster

Re: Help required locking down desktop display properties

  #3  
Mar 1st, 2005
Thanks for that website which looks useful for future reference.

I have already tried various registry hacks without joy so far. I'll keep looking but if anyone has actually solved this problem in the past I would be happy to hear from you...
Reply With Quote  
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Australia
Posts: 3,735
Reputation: Catweazle is a jewel in the rough Catweazle is a jewel in the rough Catweazle is a jewel in the rough Catweazle is a jewel in the rough 
Rep Power: 15
Solved Threads: 139
Colleague
Catweazle Catweazle is offline Offline
Grandad

Re: Help required locking down desktop display properties

  #4  
Mar 1st, 2005
Seemed to me, Mr Andy, that by following some of the Registry changes on that site you could even pick and choose which facets of display properties you want displayed, or simply disable the whole lot of it and the Control Panel as well!
Reply With Quote  
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 6
Reputation: Mr Andy is an unknown quantity at this point 
Rep Power: 0
Solved Threads: 0
Mr Andy Mr Andy is offline Offline
Newbie Poster

Re: Help required locking down desktop display properties

  #5  
Mar 1st, 2005
Yes, I have actually disabled the control panel entirely. Everything else is locked nicely down, including the normal display properties - however the graphics options are NOT disabled - hence the reason I'm pulling my hair out! I cannot find a reg key relating to this.

Believe me when I say I have spent far too long in the registry trying to sort this myself. That's why I'm looking for inspiration here!
Reply With Quote  
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 2,333
Reputation: alc6379 has a spectacular aura about alc6379 has a spectacular aura about alc6379 has a spectacular aura about 
Rep Power: 11
Solved Threads: 102
Colleague
alc6379's Avatar
alc6379 alc6379 is offline Offline
Cookie... That's it

Re: Help required locking down desktop display properties

  #6  
Mar 1st, 2005
This group policy doesn't work?
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...b_cdk_zhvj.asp

There might be a way that you can script it, and add it to the logon/logoff scripts to change the resolution, too. A combination of locking down the settings tab and scripting the display resolution at startup/shutdown should do the trick.
Alex Cavnar, aka alc6379
Reply With Quote  
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Australia
Posts: 3,735
Reputation: Catweazle is a jewel in the rough Catweazle is a jewel in the rough Catweazle is a jewel in the rough Catweazle is a jewel in the rough 
Rep Power: 15
Solved Threads: 139
Colleague
Catweazle Catweazle is offline Offline
Grandad

Re: Help required locking down desktop display properties

  #7  
Mar 1st, 2005
My apologies, as I appear to have misread your question. It was kinda late when I was responding to it last night.

In fact, not having had 'hands-on' with Win2000, I can't even comprehend what you mean by 'graphics properties' which are separate to 'display properties' in the desktop context menu. They do not appear to be present in any Windows version I've used
Reply With Quote  
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 6
Reputation: Mr Andy is an unknown quantity at this point 
Rep Power: 0
Solved Threads: 0
Mr Andy Mr Andy is offline Offline
Newbie Poster

Re: Help required locking down desktop display properties

  #8  
Mar 2nd, 2005
Aha! You've discovered the crux of my problem entirely. The graphics card installed in our lovely new Dell PCs installs its own little programs which allow users to manipulate the properties of said card, such as colours, rotation, hot keys and so on. Obviously we don't want pupils becoming "creative" with these functions - hence the need to disable them. Windows GPOs don't allow admins to do this.

Whilst typing this I've just had a thought - maybe I can set the the NTFS security settings for the individual programs to disallow access. I just need to discover what and where they are. Back later...
Reply With Quote  
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Australia
Posts: 3,735
Reputation: Catweazle is a jewel in the rough Catweazle is a jewel in the rough Catweazle is a jewel in the rough Catweazle is a jewel in the rough 
Rep Power: 15
Solved Threads: 139
Colleague
Catweazle Catweazle is offline Offline
Grandad

Re: Help required locking down desktop display properties

  #9  
Mar 2nd, 2005
Why not simply uninstall the Dell drivers and use reference drivers for the card instead?
Reply With Quote  
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 6
Reputation: Mr Andy is an unknown quantity at this point 
Rep Power: 0
Solved Threads: 0
Mr Andy Mr Andy is offline Offline
Newbie Poster

Re: Help required locking down desktop display properties

  #10  
Mar 2nd, 2005
Yes, that could work, although I think I would need to individually visit each machine (70+) to make the change. I intend to setup a reference machine and clone it using RIS, I can set all the security changes as required and I'm hoping this will do the trick.

Thanks for your suggestions thus far.
Reply With Quote  
Reply

Only community members can participate in forum threads. You must register or log in to contribute.

DaniWeb Windows NT / 2000 / XP / 2003 Marketplace
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

 

Thread Tools Display Modes

Similar Threads
Other Threads in the Windows NT / 2000 / XP / 2003 Forum

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 1:39 am.
Forum system based on vBulletin Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
©2003 - 2008 DaniWeb® LLC