Screen Rotation...

[localzuk]

So some little angel has figured out the key combo needed to make windows rotate the display on our computers. For the life of me I can't find it via google and can't remember it.

Can anyone remember what the keys would be to rotate it back to normal. Also, can anyone advise me how to lock it so they can't do this?

Cheers
Tony

[saundersmatt]

Normally it's a combination of ctrl+alt+[up/down/left/right] on the intel graphics chips. However sometimes you have to be logged in to do it.

To disable go to display properties -> advanced and look for anything to do with hotkeys and disable it.

Matt

[mrforgetful]

If it's the Intel thing log in and press Ctrl+Alt+Up

Then turn off rotation and Hot Keys using the icon in the System Tray.

[mrforgetful]

Simultaneous posts! My first ever and I've been using the Internet since 1997!

[projector1]

you may also want to disable hot keys as well (if it is an intel graphics card) this will stop them rotating the screen

[localzuk]

Indeed. I have switched them back and disabled them on those machines. Is there any central way I can disable the keys for 3 room fulls of PC's? I don't like the idea of doing it by hand

[TechMonkey]

We had a regFrag so gimme a min and I'll dig it out.

EDIT:
As long as it is one of the more recent Intel on board jobbies the frag is:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\INTEL\Display\igfxcui\ HotKeys]
"Enable"=dword:00000000

THat should disable all the keys completely. Though if they can get at the app this won't help.

[pinemarten]

I did this but they bring a copy of the app on pendrives and run it from there grrrr

[binky]

I placed a patch for this in the downloads area.

[Busybub]

Are you sure they are bringing it in on USB?

Another way for the miscreants to enable it is to use the APPS key on the keyboard while they have the desktop showing. This key (between right WINkey and right Ctrl on standard Dell keyboard) brings up the context menu in the same way that right-click does, and bypasses that group policy, giving them access to graphics properties to enable the shortcuts, and access to any rotation menu that may be installed with the chipset.

A second way is to press shift+f10 which does the same thing.

The only way I've found to get around this is to enter a new scancode map in registry which disables those keys:

We use the following which you can save as a .reg and run on login:
----------------------------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,06,00,00,00,00,00 ,5D,E0,00,00,44,00,00,00,58,00,2A,00,3A,00,2A,00,3 6,00,00,00,00,00
----------------------------------------------------

Description:
0000 0000 header flags
0000 0000 header version
0600 0000 no. of following entries inc null terminator
0000 5de0 maps nothing to apps (disables it)
0000 4400 maps nothing to f10 (disables it)
0000 5800 maps nothing to f12 (disables graphics shortcut)
2a00 3a00 maps left shift to caps lock (changes caps to shift)
2a00 3600 maps left shift to right shift (changes function of right shift)
0000 0000 null terminator

Changing the right shift to a left shift removes access to the filter keys shortcut (hold down right shift for 8 seconds) which is a part of accessibility options. There are various other shortcuts in accessibility which are a serious pain to maintaining computers and will cause no end of nuisance to other users if somebody fiddles with them. These options work on the current_user reg key and I've not yet found a way to script anything on a per user basis which can disable them entirely. We disable ALL shortcuts, then remove the shortcut from the start menu as well as applying this.

We use the caps lock change as our older kids have a habit of leaving caps lock on which confuses the younger ones in the next class when they try to log on and keep getting password problems. To remove it, remove the entry and edit the number of entries from 0600 0000 to 0500 0000.

The headers and null terminator are compulsory.

[Gambit]

has anyone created a script to prevent this from happening,? The little darlings have just figured this out at my school, and thats all they are doing now. I fix it, 2hrs later I have to go back to fix it again. This is starting to get out of hand

[mark]

That's what I call thorough Busybub!!!

[localzuk]

One of the things I thought of with this is 'is it really a problem?' If everyone knows about it, and knows how to change it back and forth then they will just do it. If it is kept a secret or obscure methods to hide it are used, isn't that just security through obscurity?

[_Bat_]

One of the things I thought of with this is 'is it really a problem?' If everyone knows about it, and knows how to change it back and forth then they will just do it. If it is kept a secret or obscure methods to hide it are used, isn't that just security through obscurity?

I was thinking that last night. In my opinion the feature hasn't been thought out well at all, but thats just what it is - a feature. It is easy enough to change back. I personally would just tell all the staff in an e-mail how to change it back and next time the kids have difficultly, the staff can change it back for them.

[DaveP]

I have disabled access to the application through Active Directory, restricted their [the Students] access to drive letters [they cannot see c:\], again an Active Directory policy and the Navigation Pane in Windows Explorer is blank using a Registry fragment. If they have access to the Navigation Pane they can open USB pen drives as 'Portable Media Devices' That should do it.