customize and eliminate windows 7 components

[watzmann]

Hi All ,

i'm a system administrator and have around 50 PCs to control, some of them are common PCs ... i need a software to use in order to hide some windows componentns , for example i'd like to hide taskbar and control panel and hope also to prevent users from copying specifc file types to the local hard disk .... i don't want to use GPO for this - please advice with the suitable software.

Thanks

M Farag

 

[maddangerous]

Why don't you want to use group policy editor? Its pretty handy.

You say most are common pcs, are they not all the same/similar?

 

[watzmann]

i don't want to use a GPO because DNS is not configured on these PCs for a reason. i'd like to do it with a software.
they are common PCs and they are similar in specs but differant in purpose of usage.

hope if i can find a software to do this job

 

[Yevrag35]

The only other I know would be to remove the components in the install image before you deploy it.

 

[Lexluethar]

They can be added to the domain - yet still keep the standard settings. IE you don't have to include those PC's in the default GPO, that way all they get is a standard image.

You could even create standard accounts that can only log into those PC's so that guests or whomever is using those PC don't have to have domain credentials.

GPO is your best and easiest / cheapest solution. Join the PC's to the domain, use GPO to lock down what you want locked down and create guest accounts in your domain that are only allowed to log into those PC's.

 

[office politics]

dns is going to be a requirement for joining the domain. i don't understand why the OP doesn't want to setup DNS. This is a red flag to me. I would look to get this added ASAP. Perhaps, they are trying to make it harder to connect to websites with dns names? A webfilter or firewall rules should accomplish the same thing.

Is it possible to copy and deploy a local gpo to workgroup pcs?

 

[KSoD]

Download The Windows® Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows® 7 from Official Microsoft Download Center

you are looking at the Automated Install Kit. this will allow you to customize an Image for deployment.