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AT A GLANCE
If you support shared computers, you know it's a challenge to keep them protected. Fortunately, with Microsoft's new Shared Computer Toolkit, you can quickly and easily secure public PCs.
To help you protect a shared computer, we'll:
* Explain the functions of the Shared Computer Toolkit.
* Provide you with the steps you need to prevent users from changing the configuration of shared computers.
* Demonstrate how you can protect the Windows XP operating system and applications by enabling Windows Disk Protection.
* Application: Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit
* Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows XP SP2, Microsoft Windows Server 2003
You can find shared computers in the workplace, at a library, in a school, or set up in other public places as kiosks. If you support one, you know what it takes to shore up security: limiting general permissions, creating shares, and customizing many registry settings. To help streamline the process, Microsoft offers the Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP. With this utility, you can quickly and easily lock down your shared computers, with special options for domain member computers and standalone workgroup computers.
What does the Shared Computer Toolkit do?
The Shared Computer Toolkit actually consists of a several tools to help you protect shared computers. Specifically, Microsoft designed these tools to help you secure computers in libraries, schools, internet cafés, business centers, kiosks, and so on. To help you with this task, the Shared Computer Toolkit includes the following graphical utilities:
* Getting Started window. Follow step-by-step checklist for securing a shared computer.
* Windows Restrictions. Prevent users from modifying the computer's configuration settings, programs, and the Start menu. Prevent users from making permanent changes to user profiles.
* Windows Disk Protection. Prevent users from permanently modifying the Windows partition (usually, the C: drive). You can use this tool to configure the computer to automatically delete all user changes on the disk whenever it restarts. For those of you whose shared computers are members of domains, this feature is the reason why you should consider using the Shared Computer Toolkit. Group policy simply doesn't offer an option to perform the equivalent procedure.
* User Profiles. Use to create and delete user profiles. You can also use this utility to move...