Tag: User Configuration
Prevent changing theme
This setting disables the theme gallery in the Personalization Control Panel. If you enable this setting users cannot change or save a theme. Elements of a theme such as the desktop background color sounds and screen saver can still be changed (unless policies are set to turn them off). If you disable or do not configure this setting there is no effect. Note: If you enable this setting but do not specify a theme using the “load a specific theme” setting the theme defaults to whatever the user previously set or the system default.
Prevent changing color scheme
This setting forces the theme color scheme to be the default color scheme. If you enable this setting a user cannot change the color scheme of the current desktop theme. If you disable or do not configure this setting a user may change the color scheme of the current desktop theme. For Windows 7 and later use the “Prevent changing color and appearance” setting.
Prevent changing sounds
Prevents users from changing the sound scheme. By default users can use the Sounds tab in the Sound Control Panel to add remove or change the system Sound Scheme. If you enable this setting none of the Sound Scheme settings can be changed by the user.
Prevent changing desktop background
Prevents users from adding or changing the background design of the desktop. By default users can use the Desktop Background page in the Personalization or Display Control Panel to add a background design (wallpaper) to their desktop. If you enable this setting none of the Desktop Background settings can be changed by the user. To specify wallpaper for a group use the “Desktop Wallpaper” setting. Note: You must also enable the “Desktop Wallpaper” setting to prevent users from changing the desktop wallpaper. Refer to KB article: Q327998 for more information. Also see the “Allow only bitmapped wallpaper” setting.
Screen saver timeout
Specifies how much user idle time must elapse before the screen saver is launched. When configured this idle time can be set from a minimum of 1 second to a maximum of 86400 seconds or 24 hours. If set to zero the screen saver will not be started. This setting has no effect under any of the following circumstances: – The setting is disabled or not configured. – The wait time is set to zero. – The “Enable Screen Saver” setting is disabled. – Neither the “Screen saver executable name” setting nor the Screen Saver dialog of the client computer’s Personalization or Display Control Panel specifies a valid existing screen saver program on the client. When not configured whatever wait time is set on the client through the Screen Saver dialog in the Personalization or Display Control Panel is used. The default is 15 minutes.
Password protect the screen saver
Determines whether screen savers used on the computer are password protected. If you enable this setting all screen savers are password protected. If you disable this setting password protection cannot be set on any screen saver. This setting also disables the “Password protected” checkbox on the Screen Saver dialog in the Personalization or Display Control Panel preventing users from changing the password protection setting. If you do not configure this setting users can choose whether or not to set password protection on each screen saver. To ensure that a computer will be password protected enable the “Enable Screen Saver” setting and specify a timeout via the “Screen Saver timeout” setting. Note: To remove the Screen Saver dialog use the “Prevent changing Screen Saver” setting.
Force specific screen saver
Specifies the screen saver for the user’s desktop. If you enable this setting the system displays the specified screen saver on the user’s desktop. Also this setting disables the drop-down list of screen savers in the Screen Saver dialog in the Personalization or Display Control Panel which prevents users from changing the screen saver. If you disable this setting or do not configure it users can select any screen saver. If you enable this setting type the name of the file that contains the screen saver including the . scr file name extension. If the screen saver file is not in the %Systemroot% -> System32 directory type the fully qualified path to the file. If the specified screen saver is not installed on a computer to which this setting applies the setting is ignored. Note: This setting can be superseded by the “Enable Screen Saver” setting. If the “Enable Screen Saver” setting is disabled this setting is ignored and screen savers do not run.
Enable screen saver
Enables desktop screen savers. If you disable this setting screen savers do not run. Also this setting disables the Screen Saver section of the Screen Saver dialog in the Personalization or Display Control Panel. As a result users cannot change the screen saver options. If you do not configure it this setting has no effect on the system. If you enable it a screen saver runs provided the following two conditions hold: First a valid screen saver on the client is specified through the “Screen Saver executable name” setting or through Control Panel on the client computer. Second the screen saver timeout is set to a nonzero value through the setting or Control Panel. Also see the “Prevent changing Screen Saver” setting.
Prevent changing screen saver
Prevents the Screen Saver dialog from opening in the Personalization or Display Control Panel. This setting prevents users from using Control Panel to add configure or change the screen saver on the computer. It does not prevent a screen saver from running.
Prevent changing color and appearance
Disables the Color (or Window Color) page in the Personalization Control Panel or the Color Scheme dialog in the Display Control Panel on systems where the Personalization feature is not available. This setting prevents users from using Control Panel to change the window border and taskbar color (on Windows 8) glass color (on Windows Vista and Windows 7) system colors or color scheme of the desktop and windows. If this setting is disabled or not configured the Color (or Window Color) page or Color Scheme dialog is available in the Personalization or Display Control Panel. For systems prior to Windows Vista this setting hides the Appearance and Themes tabs in the in Display in Control Panel.