Windows Logon Scripts

pclancy

Wheres the best place on the web to find out about logon scripts? Setting up an internet cafe and only want the users to see internet explorer and word when they log on and not have any other access to files or folders and have totally forgotten my win2k mcp course!

ColmOT [MSFT]

Logon scripts won't do that for you.

What you want is Group Policy

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/management/gp/default.asp

Have a read here and it'll tell you everything you ever wanted to know - and more!!

pclancy

I have read about that but thought it was for server 2003 not 2K?

ColmOT [MSFT]

Hi pclancy - they're alive and kicking in W2K as well :-)

Infact, they're a major component of Enterprise Management in W2K.

You'll need a Windows 2000 Domain Controller and the make your clients members of the domain.

Then assign the group policy to the clients and away you go.

vibe666

you would probably be better off with one of the many cyber café management solutions out there. you can get both freeware and commercial software to do the job, along with pci cards that restore all your systems to a previous state every time they are rebooted, so you don't have to worry about reghosting your PC's repeatedly. mind you, if the café is only small you might be as quick reghosting them every now and again.

google came up with loads of results for cyber cafe management software http://www.google.ie/search?q=cyber+caf%C3%A9+management+software&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&meta=

pclancy

nah they only have four machines at the back of the cafe so it wouldnt be worth their while.

Colm: you're saying the group policy management snap in is in 2000 server as well is it?

GPMC System Requirements
GPMC helps you manage both Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003-based domains with the Active Directory® service. In either case, the computer on which GPMC runs must be running one of the following operating systems:
• Windows Server 2003.
• Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 1 (SP1) and the Microsoft .NET Framework. In addition, a post-SP1 hotfix (QFE Q326469) is required. This QFE updates your version of gpedit.dll to version 5.1.2600.1186, which is required by GPMC. This QFE is included with GPMC, and GPMC setup will prompt you to install it. However, if the language of GPMC does not match the language of your operating system, GPMC will not install the QFE, and you will need to separately obtain and install this QFE. This QFE will be included in Windows XP Service Pack 2.

ColmOT [MSFT]

Yes - group policy is a major component of W2K.

You manage group policies via Active Directory.

If you have W2K Server, go to here in the Help Files:
mk:@MSITStore:C:\WINNT\Help\spconcepts.chm::/EXEC=,dsa.msc,%20CHM=ntshared.chm%

It's all built into W2k.
The link I gave you earlier is for the GPMC - this is a better one for an overview:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/evaluate/featfunc/introgp.asp

pclancy

ah thats the one. I knew it was there somewhere and couldnt find me old 2000 MCSE book! Cool Colm, cheers for the help!

Capt'n Midnight

Any ideas on how to get XP PRO to always try to run login script on boot up. It seems to be related to XP thinking it's on a slow network connection. Happens on some PC's but not others - all sysprep'd and cloned !

ColmOT [MSFT]

Why not put a shortcut to the script in the Startup folder in the All User's Start menu?(for a non-domain scenario)

Alternatively, use the local machine's group policy (or domain group policy if in a domain) to kick start the logon script.

One final solution would be to have the necessary users have the login script specified in their Active Directory properties.

Capt'n Midnight

Originally posted by ColmOT [MSFT]
Why not put a shortcut to the script in the Startup folder in the All User's Start menu?(for a non-domain scenario)

Thanks.
Background:
It's a domain and users belong to groups which have a group login script (BAT - not Kix) - so is there any way to ID which group a person belonged to in a generic login script.[/quote]

Alternatively, use the local machine's group policy (or domain group policy if in a domain) to kick start the logon script.

I don't want to have to edit policies on machines especially since they are clones - hmm Editing an NT4 domain policy to get the login scipt to run - How ?

One final solution would be to have the necessary users have the login script specified in their Active Directory properties.

No AD.

I'm even thinking of a dummy login - so on the first boot a local guest user autologs on and immediately gets logged out - as it only happens to the first user.

Ah well looks like I'll have to upgrade to windows 2000 or get in XP Home - why pay for features you can't use