Category: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems with SP1 or Windows XP Professional with SP2

This policy setting specifies whether users can perform a Microsoft Knowledge Base search from the Help and Support Center. The Knowledge Base is an online source of technical support information and self-help tools for Microsoft products and is searched as part of all Help and Support Center searches with the default search options. If you enable this policy setting it removes the Knowledge Base section from the Help and Support Center “Set search options” page and only Help content on the local computer is searched. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting the Knowledge Base is searched if the user has a connection to the Internet and has not disabled the Knowledge Base search from the Search Options page.

This policy setting specifies whether the Windows Registration Wizard connects to Microsoft. com for online registration. If you enable this policy setting it blocks users from connecting to Microsoft. com for online registration and users cannot register their copy of Windows online. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting users can connect to Microsoft. com to complete the online Windows Registration. Note that registration is optional and involves submitting some personal information to Microsoft. However Windows Product Activation is required but does not involve submitting any personal information (except the country/region you live in).

This policy setting specifies whether to show the “Did you know?” section of Help and Support Center. This content is dynamically updated when users who are connected to the Internet open Help and Support Center and provides up-to-date information about Windows and the computer. If you enable this policy setting the Help and Support Center no longer retrieves nor displays “Did you know?” content. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting the Help and Support Center retrieves and displays “Did you know?” content. You might want to enable this policy setting for users who do not have Internet access because the content in the “Did you know?” section will remain static indefinitely without an Internet connection.

This policy setting specifies whether to automatically update root certificates using the Windows Update website. Typically a certificate is used when you use a secure website or when you send and receive secure email. Anyone can issue certificates but to have transactions that are as secure as possible certificates must be issued by a trusted certificate authority (CA). Microsoft has included a list in Windows XP and other products of companies and organizations that it considers trusted authorities. If you enable this policy setting when you are presented with a certificate issued by an untrusted root authority your computer will not contact the Windows Update website to see if Microsoft has added the CA to its list of trusted authorities. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting your computer will contact the Windows Update website.

This policy setting specifies whether to allow printing over HTTP from this client. Printing over HTTP allows a client to print to printers on the intranet as well as the Internet. Note: This policy setting affects the client side of Internet printing only. It does not prevent this computer from acting as an Internet Printing server and making its shared printers available via HTTP. If you enable this policy setting it prevents this client from printing to Internet printers over HTTP. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting users can choose to print to Internet printers over HTTP. Also see the “Web-based printing” policy setting in Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Printers.