[RESOLVED] preventing wallpaper changes

[ahernbrode]

How do I prevent wall paper from being cahnged. I run a computer department at a local school and my older students are saving images from the Internet as wallpaper. Some of these images are not appropriate for younger students.
I have a program that is supposed to lock changes to the desktop but apparently the Internet Wallpaper saves are not included.
Also, how do I delete the images already saved. I can restore the desktop to the appropriate settings, but when the log in screen comes up, some of these images are briefly shown before the standard desktop loads.

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when at the bottom, you can always look up!

[MacGyver]

You should lock the display properties control panel applet. You can do with the system policy editor on the windows CD (In the \admin\reskit\poledit directory I think).

Also, www.tweakfiles.com has lots of stuff that can help you in this endeavor.

TIP: If you are dealing with computers in a school, you also should remove the Marquee screen saver from all computers since it can be used to display inappropriate messages.

Use the Windows Find command to find all BMP (wallpaper) files on the computer. Then select them all in the resulting list and delete 'em!
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sHIFT hAPPENS

[This message has been edited by MacGyver (edited February 28, 2001).]

[jrwilson]

the existing files are at
c:\windows\system\
do a detailed view, sorted by file type and you should be able to weed them out.

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"Don't hate the media....BECOME the media!!" Jello Biafra - Dead Kennedys

[NTTECH1]

Use Policy editor file nmae is POLEDIT.EXE.
This will allow you to control the total windows eviroment for the end users.
More info at http://search.support.microsoft.com/...SD=GN&LN=EN-US
Search the knowledgeBase for info on POLEDIT.EXE and read all examples. Run the program from a floppy disk A:\ so that hte end users can not run POLEDIT.

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Computer Shop Owner A+ COMPTIA Lifes a Beach

[This message has been edited by NTTECH1 (edited February 28, 2001).]

[Lowland]

Mmmm
Computer department - networked machines?
If so. NT them NOW

You can also check out the anti-virus guys, They've got the gear for you, but you'll have to pay. I think I remember Network Associates has some good kit. Specially for drop-in centres, so designed for multi-user, unsupervised use.

BUT....
Your problem is accessing unsuitable sites. You should check your corporate policy on letting your students see adult material, and get a blocker programme on your system now. If you don't already have one, I guess you should also think about your anti-virus strategy, 'cos if they're getting images, they'll be downloading other stuff, and mailing.

Let me know if you want information - I'm not a re-seller.


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Any clanvestites? Or looking for Scotland sites?
Come visit www.lowlandgroup.co.uk and see what we do - jump to our community site from us

[bdunn]

I work at a university and we use a program caled Fortres, http://www.fortres.com , in the labs. It keeps things straight.

[Blackhawk]

Instead of installing additional software or monkeying with POLEDIT, you can remove IE's "Set as Wallpaper" feature by tweaking the Registry.

Run Regedit, and drill down to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop.

Modify or created the DWORD value "NoChangingWallPaper" and set the data to "1", and restart Windoze. Note that your wallpapering options on the Background tab of the Display Options window are nuked, as well.

Bada boom, bada bing.

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Blackhawk
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Illegitimis non carborundum.
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[email protected]

[This message has been edited by Blackhawk (edited March 02, 2001).]

[ahernbrode]

yu told me to to edit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop

what if the "active desktop" key is not found?

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when at the bottom, you can always look up!

[condor]

use Poledit (install it from the O/S cd-rom)

you can then Specify a wellpaper.

if you want to prevent changes in open regedit

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Pol icies\ActiveDesktop

(create this key if you don't have it)

then create a string called

NoChangingWallpaper

give it a value of "1"

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Computers do exactly what you tell them to do - not exactly what you want them to do ...

[KoWind7]

For a quick simple fix, make a batch file, add it to the autoexec.bat as such, and a hidden, read only copy of the win.ini named something like admin.tts

@echo off
cd\
cd windows
del *.bmp
attrib win.ini -s -r
copy admin.tts win.ini
attrib win.ini +s +r

that should work for a simple, quick fix...

and of course, the admin.tts should have your prefered background set. =)
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-- What? No more Jolt!?!?

[This message has been edited by KoWind7 (edited March 07, 2001).]