System Policies

The system policies listed here are there to restrict the functionality of your Windows operating system or that of certain applications. If you want to discard the current settings and return to the default settings, click on the 'Default' button.

Protect Desktop

Hide 'My Computer' On Desktop And Explorer
Refers to the desktop icon for 'My Computer' as well as the one to be found in the file manager "Explorer". The checkbox is turned off by default because your users would otherwise not be able to view or select the shared drives you defined under file system. If you want to grant access to 'My Documents' only rather than to additional drives such as floppies or CD-ROMs, you should turn this checkbox on.

Hide 'My Documents' On Desktop And Explorer
Refers to the desktop icon for 'My Documents' as well as to the one to be found in the file manager "Explorer". The option is disabled by default because your users will otherwise be unable to view or select the folder 'My Documents' which you might have set up for sharing under file system.

Hide Remaining Desktop Icons
Refers to all other icons usually to be found on your desktop and in the "Explorer" (e.g. the recycle bin).

Disable Screen Display Options
Refers to the possibility of calling the option "(Display) Properties" by right-clicking anywhere on the desktop. This option would allow users, for example, to alter the settings for monitor resolution or screensavers.

Discard Changes On Exit
This option prevents the saving of any changes the user applies to the desktop layout (e.g. the position of icons).

Disable Active Desktop
This option prevents users from making any changes to the settings for the so-called 'Active Desktop'. Also, some advanced Windows functions such as the Active Desktop, Web view, thumbnail views, Quick Launch toolbar, etc. will be disabled as well.

Enable Further Restrictions
This option allows you to enable/disable the following restrictions:

Changes to the position of the folder 'My Documents'
Changes to the Active Desktop's toolbar
The Desktop Cleanup Wizard will be disabled and cannot be launched manually, either

Limit Start Menu And Task Bar Options

Prevent Setting Changes

Locks the task bar and prevents the user from moving it around (WindowsXP)
Prevents the user from moving icons within the Start menu
Removes the menus 'task bar' and 'Start menu' from the control panel as well as from the 'properties' menu of the task bar (right-click on task bar)
Disables the context menu of the tray bar
Disables 'Control Panel' and 'Printers and Faxes' in the Start menu and the Explorer

Hide 'Documents'
Hides the folder 'Documents' in the Start menu and the Explorer.

Hide 'Programs' (WindowsXP only)
Hides the folder 'Programs' in the Start menu and the Explorer.

Hide 'Recently Used Programs' (WindowsXP only)
The most recently used applications under WindowsXP will no longer be displayed in the Start menu.

Hide 'Run'
Hides the button 'Run' in the Start menu.

Hide 'Search'
Hides the 'Search' button in the Start menu.

Hide 'Help'
Hides the 'Help' button in the Start menu.

Show Only My Start Menu Entries
Hides all entries to be found under 'Programs'. The limited user will then only be able to access his or her own programs.

Hide Customized Tool Bars
This restriction will remove the various different toolbars from the task bar (e.g. Quick Launch, Tray, etc.). Users will be unable to turn them back on.

Hide 'Logout' (WindowsXP only)
Hides the 'Logout' button in the Start menu. This option is turned off by default to allow first-time users of SiteKiosk to log off without a problem. You might just as well turn this option back on again because administrators will also be able to log off via the Exit dialog box within SiteKiosk (after password entry).

Hide 'Shut Down'
Hides the 'Shut Down' button of the Start menu. Administrators will also be able to call this function by opening the Exit dialog box in SiteKiosk.

Enable Further Restrictions

Removes the list of added programs from the Start menu
Removes 'Internet' and 'E-mail' from the Start menu
The user name in the Start menu of WindowsXP will no longer be displayed
Disables the clock in the task bar
Disables the automatic Windows update function
Clears the list of recently used documents when Windows is shut down (note that the documents themselves will not be deleted!)
Disables "user tracing". Windows will no longer keep track of user actions recorded in programs, paths, or documents
Removes the option 'Use Personalized Menus'
Shortcuts to only partly installed applications (e.g. programs installed by a system administrator using the Windows Installer and that will be installed and configured completely when a user runs them for the first time) will be displayed as disabled links (gray)
Disables the option 'Hide inactive icons' (WindowsXP)
Disables 'popups' in the Start menu (WindowsXP)

Windows Explorer

Prevent Setting Changes

Allows you to hide the Folder Options function from the folder Tools menu
Prevents users from making additional network connections by removing the Map Network Drive and Disconnect Network
Removes the context menu that would normally appear when the user right-clicks in the Explorer
Disables the function "permissions and security"
Prevents users from changing the hardware device properties (e.g. users will not be able to install additional drivers from the CD-ROM drive)
Removes the Distributed File System (DFS) tab from Windows Explorer. This prevents users from viewing or changing the properties of local DFS shares
Prevents users from introducing any changes to the display of windows or menus

Disable Autoplay
Disable 'auto run' for all drives.

Delete Files Immediately (Don't Move To Recycle Bin)
Files will be deleted immediately rather than moved to the trash can (recycle bin) first. Restoring deleted files will be impossible.

Disable Built-In CD Recording Functions Of Windows XP
Prevents a limited user from making use of WindowsXP's built-in CD burning ability.

Enable Further Restrictions

Removes the list of recently used programs and eliminates the Back button from the dialog boxes
Removes the File option from the Explorer's toolbar
Removes the Search button from the 'Standard Buttons' toolbar in Windows Explorer
Removes the Network Neighborhood in Windows Explorer
Hides the Welcome Screen that is normally displayed each time the user logs on to Windows 2000 or XP Professional

Restrict Printer Usage

Prohibit Addition & Deletion Of Printers

Disable Printer Settings
Prevents the dialog box containing printer settings (such as printer sharing, ports, security ...) from being displayed.

Prohibit Printing
Prevents users from printing documents. If you want to allow your users to print in SiteKiosk, you should disable this option.

Protect System Settings

Disable Control Panel

Disable Internet Options
Prevents users from accessing the Internet Options in the Internet Explorer.

Prevent Software Uninstall
Prevents users from uninstalling any applications by doing the following:

the icon and menu entry 'software' in the Control Panel are hidden
the button 'change or remove programs' is removed from the pane 'add/remove programs'
eliminates the button 'Add New Programs' from the pane under 'Add/Remove Programs'
the button 'add/remove Windows components' under 'software' is eliminated
the option 'add a program from CD or floppy disk' in the category 'add new programs' under software is disabled
the option 'add programs from Microsoft' in the category 'add new programs' under 'software' is disabled
the programs listed on the page 'change or remove programs' may contain a hyperlink called 'support information'. This link will be eliminated

Disable System Tools

Disable Task Manager

Disable Windows Registry Tools
Prevents the limited user from executing 'REGEDIT.EXE' or 'REGEDT32.EXE'.

Disable Microsoft Management Console
Prevents the limited user from being able to launch 'Microsoft Management Console' (mmc.exe).

Command Line Interpreter (command.com)

Allow
Use of Command Console is allowed
Allow Batch Files
The user will be allowed to open .bat and .cmd files from within Explorer. However, he or she won't be able to open the Command Console manually
Always Disable
Prevents the user from being allowed to use the Command Console, i.e. he or she will not be able to open any .bat or .cmd files from within Explorer, either

Restrict Task Scheduler

hides all existing scheduled tasks
disables the menu option 'Advanced' in Task Scheduler
prevents addition and deletion of tasks

Dialup Networking & Network (Doesn't Apply To SiteKiosk)

Prevent Manual Dialup
Prevents user from establishing a connection manually.

Prevent Changes To Dialup Settings
Disables the 'Settings' button for dialup connections in the status dialog box as well as in the context menu for the dialup connection itself.

Prevent Changes To Network Settings
Disables the 'Settings' button for the network connections in the network-status dialog box as well as in the context menu for the network connections themselves.

Hide Status Display Of Network Connection
Prevents the status of the network connections from being displayed.

Ignore Offline Files

disables the tab Offline Files in Explorer under Tools -> Folder Options
removes the menu option 'Settings' from the context menu for the offline files
disables button 'View Files'
disables 'Settings' button in the dialog box 'Offline File Status'
disables the option 'Make available offline' in the 'File' menu as well as in all context menus of Windows Explorer
Disables option 'Enable Reminders' and related symbols under the tab 'Offline Files'

Enable Further Restrictions

prevents the addition and deletion of network components
removes the tab 'Advanced' under the properties of the network components
prevents adjustments to protocol settings
disables Internet Connection Wizard

Additional Applications

Restrict Windows Media Player

Restrict Windows Installer
Limits MSI's special default user rights to access the hard drive as well as the registry. This option ensures that MS Installer will merely have the same rights as its user.

Restrict Internet Explorer
This option restricts the use of Internet Explorer as much as possible:

disables the menu option 'Internet Options' under Tools
prevents files from being opened or saved
disables right-click option anywhere inside Internet Explorer

Disable Right Mouse Button
With this option enabled, the use of the right mouse button has no effect.

Disable Windows Messenger
By default, Windows Messenger automatically starts up on system boot. This option prevents the application from being launched automatically as well as manually. Please do not confuse Windows Messenger with Microsoft's similarly sounding application MSN Messenger!

Disable Windows Update Dialogs
Prevents users from accessing the 'Windows Update' function through Microsoft's online update page. Instead, the user will see an 'Access Denied' message on this page.

Advanced Security Settings

Prevent Blocking Of Work Station

Prevent Password Changes
Prevents users from being able to alter any passwords.

Suppress Messages On Bootup
Prevents messages from being displayed during bootup.