Making Windows 7 Desktop Read Only

[edutechman751]

Hi,

 

We migrated to Windows 7 over the summer and are ironing out a few niggles in it at the moment.

 

We redirect students My Document and AppData to a network like \\dfs\student\user.name\ but have noticed that they are able to save documents to the desktop and other various windows libraries.

The students then complain that they cant find documents when they logon to another workstation.

 

Can anyone share their experiences with Windows 7 and what they have done to ensure that students cannot save data anywhere but on their userarea.

[MrEprise]

Our student desktops are redirected to a locally stored folder which contains a standard set of shortcuts and is marked as read-only to students. We have a master network share and a script which copies this (and Start Menu) to the local folder during each windows startup which ensures we can change the desktop easily if need-be.

 

Also worth looking at Software Restriction Policies which you can also use to set which folders students can have access to.

 

There is also a way to disable the Libraries in Windows 7 which may help too, as this will then allow you to only provide shortcuts to areas you want students to access.

[FishCustard]

If you just want to prevent students losing their files, why not redirect the desktop to their home folder (%userhome%\Desktop) - that way everything ends up in there.

[Miscbrah]

There is also a way to disable the Libraries in Windows 7 which may help too, as this will then allow you to only provide shortcuts to areas you want students to access.

 

One tasty-assed thread from this post onwards on the subject of redirecting them, rather than removing them as I'm convinced something in the future will depend on them and blow up if they're actually gone.

 

I wrote a step-by-step and posted it a while back also off the back of the above. If I find that I'll link it. Basic "story" to it is the libraries are actually .xml files which you can't strictly edit as they are (they're "library-ms" files IIRC) so you knock them into shape with the tool - probably going to be JUST the home area location you'll want in there, then leave them somewhere like netlogon, and copy them over at logon/logoff. This then bins any changes made to them if the kids/staff are savvy enough to do so each time, so every new logon you just get the locations specified when you made them up with the tool. If you get me.

 

Although in server 2012 you can configure libraries with GP I think. That right or am I telling lies? I heard a rumour...

Edited September 20, 2013 by Miscbrah