Ranger and XP theme

[starscream]

Does anyone know how to change it so that pupils get the XP theme rather than the legacy style theme for the start menu and windows? It is annoying and looks pants. I much prefer the XP blue style one or even the add on royale one but I can't find an option anywhere to enable this. Should I bypass ranger and define it in a group policy? Can this be set in a gpo?

[Zoom7000]

I dunno about Ranger, but you can definately set the theme in GPO.

User Config > Admin Templates > Control Panel > Display > Desktop Themes > Load a specific visual style of force Windows Classic

[starscream]

cheers for the reply mate. I think I will try that and see if it has any effect. I don't understand how ranger applies it's policies as it doesnt seem to affect AD at all. So far changes I make in GPOs override any ranger settings so I don't see why this wouldn't work.

[webman]

Windows Classic uses less resources than the tellytubby theme so computers will respond quicker, and screens won't look like cartoons. I fail to see how it is 'annoying'.

[snrweb]

Hi

Ranger processes its own policy settings after any GPOs so if there is an identical GPO setting, this will get overwritten. However, if the GPO setting is not in Ranger (such as the one you describe) then the two will quite happily get processed together during the logon.

You can import .ADMs into Ranger to provide more settings but most people just use a GPO for a setting not in Ranger as

a. they are easier to find
b. can be processed at an OU level
c. are easier to revoke
d. people know a lot more about GPOs these days

[Geoff]

Which promotes the question, why bother with Ranger? :P

[starscream]

Windows Classic uses less resources than the tellytubby theme so computers will respond quicker, and screens won't look like cartoons. I fail to see how it is 'annoying'.

It's down to personal preference buddy. If it annoys me then it annoys me, I didn't say it annoyed you, that was the whole point in this thread. I also can't say that it doesn't annoy me because you said it shouldn't.

I like eye candy, what more can I say?

Windows classic just feels old to me. And what with the spec of modern machines I think the reponse times between luna and classic are negligible.

[starscream]

Which promotes the question, why bother with Ranger? :P

I would love to not bother with ranger but I had to set up the domains in 3 schools on my own. I don't have the time to become adept enough at AD to manage 3 schools without assistance. I feel ranger gives me just about the right level of support to do what I need to do fast and without third party software. The software deployment feature is one of the better time saving ideas. I don't have time to sit there all day making MSIs or ghosting machines to deploy software cross sites etc.

So for some of us Ranger is a god send. For others it is probably a big fat waste of money. I'd like to think that in a few years, if I am still in this position, I would be able ditch ranger and go 100% vanilla. But for now busy busy busy and ranger eases the pain.

Oh and my second reason for it is that my wages are so poor that I could jump ship at any given point, so they system needs something that can be picked up or supported by the LEA should I go and ranger is standard now in our LEA.

[snrweb]

[

I would love to not bother with ranger but I had to set up the domains in 3 schools on my own. I don't have the time to become adept enough at AD to manage 3 schools without assistance. I feel ranger gives me just about the right level of support to do what I need to do fast and without third party software. The software deployment feature is one of the better time saving ideas. I don't have time to sit there all day making MSIs or ghosting machines to deploy software cross sites etc.

So for some of us Ranger is a god send. For others it is probably a big fat waste of money. I'd like to think that in a few years, if I am still in this position, I would be able ditch ranger and go 100% vanilla. But for now busy busy busy and ranger eases the pain.

Oh and my second reason for it is that my wages are so poor that I could jump ship at any given point, so they system needs something that can be picked up or supported by the LEA should I go and ranger is standard now in our LEA.

Good points, well put.

[user_2010]

I thing snrweb summed it all up.

Ranger saves you time and energy. If you have the time to delve into AD and GPO then lucky you.

Some people just have more work than they can handle and these tools help considerably.