INF: How to Protect Windows NT Desktops in Public Areas

ID: Q143164

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

In certain environments it is necessary to prevent workstation users from harming the system. For example, you may want to limit the number of applications a user can use.

This article shows you how to protect a workstation intended for use with Internet Explorer 3.0. Most of the procedures in this article also apply to other applications.


MORE INFORMATION

To protect a workstation that will be used with Internet Explorer:

WARNING: Using the Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system- wide problems that may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of the Registry Editor can be solved. Use this tool at your own risk.

  1. It is the best that the user works with the guest account. You should not allow password changes for this account. Don't allow local shutdown (User Manager: Policies/User Rights). It is also required that all local drives are formatted in NTFS. Steps 7 and 8 also require the workstations to be member of a domain.


  2. Replace Explorer.exe as a shell with Internet Explorer (HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon : Shell). Be sure to place the full path to Iexplore.exe in this entry. For other applications, place the main executable file or a launcher application here.


  3. Change the permissions for %Systemroot%\System32\Taskmgr.exe so the guest account does not have any privileges for this file (no access). This prevents the user from running Task Manager off the security dialog.


  4. Rename the administrative account and specify a password so users have a hard time hacking it.


  5. Use AutoAdminLogon so only experienced users know how to specify a different name for logon (hold shift while logging off). Even if they manage to get to the logon dialog box, they still have to know about an account.


  6. Disable ShutdownWithoutLogon. It's also located in the Winlogon key mentioned above.


  7. Create a Default System Policy that only allows Iexplore.exe to run and place it on the NETLOGON share of all DCs. It's in Default User Properties, System\Restrictions\Run only allowed Windows applications. Instead of Iexplore.exe, you can also specify the application(s) of your choice. The main executable file or launcher application does not need to be part of this set.


  8. Enable all policy restrictions in Shell\Restrictions so the user only sees the computer and files to be saved end up in the %Systemroot%\Profiles\<user>\desktop directory.


  9. You can also restrict access to %Systemroot%\Profiles\<user>\desktop so the user only can read files from there. This is the only folder the user will be able to see if you checked all items in step 8.


With Internet Explorer 3.0 you can prevent the user from seeing the Address Toolbar and thus prevent the user from manually entering URLs:
  1. You remove the address toolbar in Internet Explorer ("View\Option", "General" tab, bottom half of dialog box).


  2. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe). In the HKEY_CURRENT_USER window, open the key


    Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar


  3. With the focus on Toolbar, select the menu item Security\Permissions. Make sure that the guest account is only allowed to read the key.


When you open the dialog box in Internet Explorer, you will be shown the wrong settings but changes will not take effect. It may be possible to do similar things with other registry keys of Internet Explorer, but only the key mentioned in Step 2 above was tested for this article.

Additional query words: prodnt msiexplore SP2 


Keywords          : kbinterop ntsecurity ntregistry NTSrvWkst 
Version           : winnt:4.0
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: July 19, 1999