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s.mihai
Asked: 2010-03-24 02:28:54 +0800 CST

windows server 2003 - terminal server - hide taskbar

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We've got arround 25users connecting to our terminal server (remote desktop) - no active directory is used. How can i hide the taskbar from the bottom of the page, not to auto-hide it. i want the users not to be able to use it (except the administrators of course).

Mike

windows terminal-server windows-server-2003

2 Answers

  1. Without an Active Directory Domain to apply Group Policy from creating policy settings on the Terminal Server computer that apply only to "normal users" but not to "Administrators" is going to be a hack. (You'll have to deny "Administrators" rights to read the "%SystemRoot%\System32\GroupPolicy" folder-- the location where "local group policy" is stored.)

    You can probably accomplish what you're looking for by using a different shell (the "Custom user interface" policy, located in the "System" node under "Administrative Templates" under "User Configuration"), but what shell you decide to use is going to be your next problem. There were a proliferation of replacements for "Program Manager", the Windows 3.1 shell, but after Explorer came along in Windows 95 the alternative shell "market" dried up significantly. Do some digging and see what you can come up with.

    Personally, I have some disagreement with what you're trying to do. Unless this is a kiosk environment it's probably not really necessary to highly constrain the user interface. My guess is that your users will get their work done and things will go fine w/o requiring massive changes and "locking down" the user interface on the Terminal Server computer. Assuming your users don't have "Administrator" privileges on the Terminal Server computer and you haven't made any sweeping changes to the default security settings (file system, registry ACLs, etc) then the machine is fairly well "armored" against user attack "out of the box".

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  2. Best Answer

    Follow the instructions that Microsoft has here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/278295.

    I have my TS locked down using their suggestions and haven't had any problems. IMO, the 2 biggest security holes you'll have will be email attachments and if you allow web browsing.

    If you do not want them using iexplore.exe, then you can deny access to the executable or have any internet traffic directed to a fake proxy server that doesn't work.

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