Colour of the start/task bar

[eastlondon]

I want to set up a different desktop for the different year groups we have in the school the main thing I want to change are the wallpaper & the colour of the start/task bar (sorry if that’s not the right name) at the bottom of the desktop.
I have read a few about trying to stop the kids from changing the wallpaper but the kids keep finding ways round it, but the kids cant change the start/task bar & the teacher can see straight away if someone is using a different account by looking at the bottom of the screen, well that’s the idea anyway.

Thanks.

[mrforgetful]

I'm going to make some big assumptions here.

You're using Windows XP clients
You're using Windows Server 2000/2003 servers.

If your kids can change the wallpaper then your policies aren't tight enough so take a look in Group Policies:

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Control Panel > Display

In there is a Prevent changing wallpaper setting.

Also look in User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Desktop for more desktop settings.

As for the taskbar, I can't remember if you can change that with a policy, you could with a mandatory profile though.

[E1uSiV3]

To stop the kids changing the wallpaper you cant just set the policy to stop them changing it, you also have to assign a wallpaper otherwise it does not work.

Yeh best thing to do is to force a wallpaper via policies. There are so many ways in which a user can change the wallpaper and poilicies dont stop them all.

[mrforgetful]

Since I've been using policies, there's never been any wallpaper change by a kid, used to happen every day under Windows 98.

You could even change it so only .bmp's are allowed, then it limits massively the amount of images they'd be able to even try, as there's no notice of why it doesn't set any other file type, it just doesn't...if you follow?

[BooBoo]

We have the wallpapers loaded onto each machine localy (C:\windows\web\wallpaper) different one for Teachers, Pupils, Techies..etc That way when we walk into a room we can see if someone is sat where they shouldn't be.
By having it stored locally it saves on pulling it down each time especialy if you have three classes or more logging on at the same time.

[john]

Nice idea BooBoo, I must remember that one for future plotting

[Ric_]

This setting may do the trick...

Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Display\Desktop Themes\Load a specific visual style file or force Windows Classic

Never played with it myself though.

Yeh that will set the theme but IIRC you cant select which colour varient. It will default to XP blue. Don't know if you can force Silver / Olive.

[tarquel]

We have the wallpapers loaded onto each machine localy (C:\windows\web\wallpaper) different one for Teachers, Pupils, Techies..etc That way when we walk into a room we can see if someone is sat where they shouldn't be.
By having it stored locally it saves on pulling it down each time especialy if you have three classes or more logging on at the same time.

This sounds good, except, what stops them from changing those pictures? Do you have a script in place for copying the wallpapers to the machine? etc..

I just have it "from the network" which gives the old "distorted picture" effect sometimes - not sure why, but no matter, as they cant change it hehe

Nath

Cheers
Nath.

[BooBoo]

No, sorry. I built the whole network fromt the ground up last summer so the images backgrounds where included in the image building.

Martin

[tarquel]

ahhh i see

Good job

I've stopped using images now with using GP for mostly everything - great for installing overnight in multiple rooms

Cheers
Nath