Windows Server 2012 MMC Administration (part 6) - Building custom MMCs - Setting the console mode before saving

Step 3: Saving the finished console

When you are finished with the design, you are ready to save your custom console tool. Before you do this, however, there are a couple of final design issues you should consider:

• What you want the initial console view to be

• Which user mode you want to use

• Which icon you want to use

• What you want to name the console tool and where you want it to be located

Setting the initial console view before saving

By default, the MMC remembers the last selected node or snap-in and saves this as the initial view for the console. In the example tool created, if you expand the General folder, select Active Directory Users And Computers, and then save the console, this selection is saved when the console is next opened.

Keep in mind that subsequent views depend on user selections.

Note

Only the folder with the selected snap-in is expanded in the saved view. If you use folders and select a snap-in within a folder, the expanded view of the folder is saved with the snap-in selected. If you expand other folders, the console is not saved with these folders expanded.

Setting the console mode before saving

When you are finished authoring the console tool, select Options on the File menu. In the Options dialog box, as shown in Figure 11, you can change the console mode so that it is ready for use.

Figure 11. On the Console tab of the Options dialog box, you select a console mode and determine whether users can change the console.

In most cases, you’ll want to use User Mode—Full Access. Full access has the following characteristics:

• Users have a Window menu that allows them to open new windows, and they can also press and hold or right-click a node or snap-in and choose New Window From Here to open a new window.

• Users can press and hold or right-click and choose New Taskpad View to create a new taskpad view.

With user mode set to Limited Access, Multiple Window, the console has the following characteristics:

• Users have a Window menu that allows them to arrange windows, and they can also press and hold or right-click a node or snap-in and choose New Window From Here to open a new window.

• Users cannot press and hold or right-click and choose New Taskpad View to create a new taskpad view.

User mode set to Limited Access, Single Window has the following characteristics:

• Users do not have a Window menu and cannot press and hold or right-click a node or snap-in and choose New Window From Here to open a new window.

• Users cannot press and hold or right-click and choose New Taskpad View to create a new taskpad view.

To prevent user selections from changing the view, you’ll find two handy options when you select Options from the File menu:

• Do Not Save Changes To This Console Select this option to prevent the user from saving changes to the console. Clear this option to change the view automatically based on the user’s last selection in the console before exiting.

• Allow The User To Customize Views Select this option to allow users to add windows focused on a selected item in the console. Clear this option to prevent users from adding customized views.