Category: Group Policies

Schedule automatic client shutdown with Group Policy

To schedule automatic client shutdown create a new group policy or edit an existing group policy

Start editing the policy and navigate to: Computer Configuration > Preferences > Control Panel Settings >Scheduled Task

Right click on ‘Scheduled Tasks’ and select ‘New’ > ‘Scheduled Task (At least Windows 7)’

New Scheduled Task

On the General tab give the task a name. Use the account ‘NT AUTHORITY\System’ to run the task, and run the task whether the user is logged on or not.

Edit General tab

On the Triggers tab create a new trigger setting required frequency and times.

Edit new trigger

On the Actions tab create a new action. Browse to the shutdown.exe and add the arguments /f /s /t 60

Action to be carried out by scheduled task

Add conditions if you want to avoid shutting down a computer while it’s still in use by a user.

Disable Airplane Mode / WiFi Keyboard Button on Laptops using Group Policy

To disable Airplane Mode first create a new group policy or edit an existing group policy.

Start editing the policy and navigate to: Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings > Security Settings > System Services

Open the ‘Radio Management Service’ properties, tick ‘Define this policy’ and select ‘Disabled’ from the select service startup mode.

Disable Radio Management Service

Windows 10: Disable Mobile Hotspot – Internet Connection Sharing, with Group Policy

Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) is a Windows service that enables one Internet-connected computer to share its Internet connection with other computers on a local area network.

Users can easliy turn on this feature from the immersive control panel in Windows 10.

Enabling mobile hotspot

To disable Internet Connection Sharing create a new group policy or edit an existing group policy

Navigate to:

  • Computer Configuration
  • Policies
  • Administrative Templates
  • Network
  • Network Connections
  • Double-click “Prohibit use of Internet Connection Sharing on your DNS domain network” and select Enable
Disabling ICS
Disabling access to Mobile hotspot

Windows 10 Remote Desktop – No Connection

Our Remote Desktop connection settings are applied with Group Policies, and have previously worked with Vista, Windows 7 & 8 clients. On the rollout of Windows 10 we were unable to access these clients.

On checking Inboard Rules of a Windows 10 client ‘Remote Desktop (TCP-In)’ had been renamed to ‘Remote Desktop – User Mode (TCP-In)’

Changes were also noticed to the ‘Programs and Services’ tab.

I created a new group policy for testing where a changed ‘Programs and Services’ tab > Programs > ‘This program’ from ‘System’ to ‘%SystemRoot%\system32\svchost.exe’. I also added termservice to ‘Programs and Services’ tab > Services > ‘Apply to service with this short name’

Deny or allow client logons with Group Policy

As part of our GDPR implementation we have decided to deny staff from logging onto student clients, and vice versa.

The required policies can be found in – Computer Configuration > Policies > Security Settings > Local Policies > User Rights Assignment.

The “Deny log on locally” specifies the users or groups that are not allowed to log into the local computer.

The Group Policy has been tested on Windows 7 and Windows 10 clients successfully.

Prevent users from changing wallpaper via Internet Explorer

Issue
Users can set the desktop wallpaper via Internet Explorer even if Prevent changing wallpaper property is set in Group Policy.

Cause
Desktop wallpaper can be changed if Display Properties is not involved.

Solution
Enable ‘Prevent changing wallpaper’ (in User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Display) settings.