Removing icons at the computer level but not user level with GPO

[olivermarshall22]

Hi chaps

 

I need to knock together an exam account which can be used on any suite of PCs here for pupils sitting exams. The requirement is that the user can log on, get access to a precise list of applications (ideally via desktop icons) and nothing else.

 

The problem is that we install everything at a computer level and so all the icons tend to be delivered by the all-user desktop. This makes removing the icons at a user level difficult.

 

Via a GPO I can hide all desktop icons but this hides everything and prevents me from adding several back via a User GPO.

 

Does anyone know a good way to achieve this? It's made harder by the fact that we need to support the use of *any* desktop rather than a suite of machines dedicated to exams.

 

I did think about knocking together an html file which gives the user a list of apps to choose from, and set this as the shell. This would work but I'm aware that it's....not...standard lets say.

 

Olly

[sted]

just redirect the desktop to a read only shared area. Instead of hiding all desktop icons you want the gpo setting

 

user config\policies\admin templates\start menu and taskbar\remove common program groups from the start menu {enabled}

 

that will also hide the all user desktop

[dapaulio]

just redirect the desktop to a read only shared area. Instead of hiding all desktop icons you want the gpo setting

 

user config\policies\admin templates\start menu and taskbar\remove common program groups from the start menu {enabled}

 

that will also hide the all user desktop

 

I agree with sted. Redirected desktop and or start menu will give you the exam environment you need.