Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista : Group Policy Preferences: Control Panel Settings (part 1)

The following sections describe each of the Group Policy Preferences settings that fall under the Computer Configuration and User Configuration sections. If the setting falls under only one section, that is specified. If nothing is mentioned, the setting appears under both sections.

Data Sources

The Data Sources preference provides a way to centralize the configuration of Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) data sources. The data sources can be created, replaced, updated, and deleted for both users and computers. Figure 1 illustrates the interface for the Data Sources preference and the options that can be configured.

Figure 1. The Data Sources preference allows you to modify data source connections on any target computer.

Devices

The Devices preference allows you to centrally control one or more devices that connect to the computer. You can enable or disable devices, including USB ports, floppy drives, removable media, and more, by using this preference. For this policy setting to function properly, the device must be active on the computer. This policy setting does not control devices or prevent devices from being installed. Figure 2 illustrates the interface for the Devices preference and the options that can be configured.

Figure 2. The Devices preference allows you to enable or disable devices on a target computer.

Folder Options

The Folder Options preference is divided into two parts to control two types of items. The first part includes the folder options themselves, which is further split to control settings separately for Windows XP and Windows Vista. The other part is the Open With configurations, which control file extensions and the applications that open them. Figure 3 illustrates the interface for the Folder Options preference and the options that can be configured.

Figure 3. The Folder Options preference allows you to centralize the configuration of the folder options on a target computer.

Internet Settings

The Internet Settings preference provides control over Internet Explorer 5, Internet Explorer 6, and Internet Explorer 7. Some settings overlap with the Internet Explorer Maintenance settings, but these preference settings are not enforced. Figure 4 illustrates the interface for the Internet Settings preference and the options that can be configured.

Figure 4. The Internet Settings preference allows you to configure security, connection, and other important settings for Internet Explorer on a target computer.

Note

The Internet Settings preference is available only in the User Configuration section.

Local Users and Groups

The Local Users and Groups preference is one of the most powerful and useful of all of the Group Policy Preferences settings. This preference can control local accounts on desktops and servers that have joined a domain. It covers the creation and modification of existing accounts, including resetting the password for local accounts. This preference also controls local group accounts, including the membership of the account. Although seemingly similar to the standard Restricted Groups policy setting, the Local Users and Groups preference does not “delete and replace” the group membership. Figure 5 illustrates the interface for the Local Users preference and the options that can be configured.

Figure 5. The Local Users and Groups preference allows control over local user accounts on a target computer.