Minecraft in AppData

[TechSupp]

Just been looking at the local profiles on a PC and noticed one class had a 325Mb profile so investigated and found that in the Application Data folder was a .minecraft folder with 135Mb in it. Can I,

a) just get rid of it

b) stop it from happening again.

[AngryTechnician]

a) Yes, though the user may be upset about it. There will be no impact on anything other than Minecraft.

 

b) There are several ways you could go about it, ranging from savage beatings to instil fear in your userbase, to using something like AppLocker to prevent Minecraft from running.

[TechSupp]

Yes, both those options will be implemented! Am I bothered about user being upset...No!

[slugshead]

Delete the ".minecraft" folder and all of its contents. You might have a shortcut on the culprit users desktop.

 

You can get onto the game two ways.

 

Using a standalone EXE which would have had to be installed.

Visiting the minecraft website and running it on the site in java.

 

Might want to think about blocking access (Excuse the pun)

[qcomer]

We block it by hash with Group Policy from running.

[TechSupp]

How do you do that in group policy? Could you give some details?

[Arthur]

using something like AppLocker to prevent Minecraft from running.

How do you do that when Mojang don't digitally sign the files (due to some strange ideological reason Markus Persson has) and the EXE contains practically zero information? The only things you could use are path and hash rules which are less than ideal.

 

http://i.imgur.com/0aX5vbA.png

Edited March 26, 2013 by Arthur

[Grey-gear]

Is that the offical exe or a pirated version? I'm seeing alot of students using something called Minecraft SP.

[Arthur]

Is that the offical exe or a pirated version?

100% official! I purchased my copy on 13th August 2011.

 

I'm seeing alot of students using something called Minecraft SP.

I think SP is the pirated version.

Edited March 26, 2013 by Arthur

[Grey-gear]

Normal the pirated version has no information

[Arthur]

This is what I downloaded (directly from the Minecraft website)...

 

https://s3.amazonaws.com/MinecraftDownload/launcher/Minecraft.exe

[Geoff]

Yes, modded clients will have different hashes. Also what happens if they get the jar file version instead? That's not even an .exe?

[Guest Guest]

Script it to deny permissions to the .minecraft folder

[jhothersall]

I've blocked it via Application Control in Sophos Enterprise Console. Works great

[jimmy_2k]

I'd try a software restriction policy with a path rule to the location where it is stored. If the same user does it again, just create them a personalised restriction policy which only allows notepad to be opened.. mo hahaha!

[qcomer]

We have noticed the hash rule works better using Software Restriction policies rather than path. Hash keeps it from opening regardless of where it is stored.

[localzuk]

The hash rule will only really work with the launcher exe. What happens if they run the FTB or Tekkit launcher? Or use a macro in excel to execute java and the jar directly?