All Kinds of Restrictions for Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008 and 7

Following is a list of some important restrictions, which can be made in Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista, Server 2008 and 7. For example, you can restrict Display properties, Taskbar properties, folder options, etc.

All tricks are based on Registry editing, you just need to open Registry Editor by providing regedit command in RUN and then create the mentioned key and set its value as given below:

NOTE: If you want to remove the restriction, simply delete the DWORD value or set its value to 0

1.) Restrict Display Properties:

create DWORD value NoDispCPL and set its value to 1

2.) Restrict Taskbar Properties:

create DWORD value NoSetTaskbar and set its value to 1

3.) Restrict Folder Options:

create DWORD value NoFolderOptions and set its value to 1

4.) Restrict Locking/Unlocking the taskbar:

create DWORD value LockTaskbar and set its value to 1

5.) Restrict Active Desktop:

create DWORD value NoActiveDesktop and set its value to 1

6.) Restrict adding/deleting items from Toolbars:

create DWORD value NoToolbarCustomize and set its value to 1

7.) Restrict adding/deleting toolbars:

create DWORD value NoBandCustomize and set its value to 1

8.) Restrict right-click in Start Menu:

create DWORD value NoChangeStartMenu and set its value to 1

9.) Restrict Desktop Cleanup Wizard:

create DWORD value NoDesktopCleanupWizard and set its value to 1

10.) Restrict notification at low disk space:

create DWORD value NoLowDiskSpaceChecks and set its value to 1

11.) Restrict Taskbar Context Menu:

create DWORD value NoTrayContextMenu and set its value to 1

12.) Restrict Programs to run:

create String value with any name, like 1 and set its value to the program's EXE file.

e.g., If you want to restrict msconfig, then create a String value 1 and set its value to msconfig.exe. If you want to restrict more programs, then simply create more String values with names 2, 3 and so on and set their values to the program's exe.

13.) Restrict Registry Editor:

create DWORD value DisableRegistryTools and set its value to 1

14.) Restrict Task Manager:

create DWORD value DisableTaskMgr and set its value to 1

15.) Restrict Writing to USB Drives:

Create DWORD value WriteProtect and set its value to 1

16.) Restrict New option in context menu:

And delete the value of Default, e.g., empty it.

17.) Restrict Send To in context menu:

And delete the value of Default, e.g., empty it.

18.) Restrict Balloon Tips:

Create DWORD value EnableBalloonTips and set its value to 0

19.) Restrict Users to enable New XP StartMenu:

Create DWORD value NoSimpleStartMenu and set its value to 1

20.) Restrict Command Prompt:

Create DWORD value DisableCMD and set its value to 2

21.) Restrict Drives in My Computer:

In right-side pane, create a new DWORD value NoViewOnDrive and change its value as following:

And if you want more specific restrictions, like you want to restrict a combination of other drives, then you can use decimal no. instead of hexadecimal no. Following is a list for all drives decimal no.:

So if you want to disable a combination of drives, just sum their numbers and give the same value to NoViewOnDrive. e.g., for restricting C, D, E and F drives, give the value: 4+8+16+32 = 60

NOTE: You can also hide the drives using NoDrives DWORD value. The location and its value remain same as the above trick.

22.) Restrict RUN in New XP StartMenu:

Create DWORD value NoRun and set its value to 1

23.) Restrict Control Panel:

Create DWORD value NoControlPanel and set its value to 1

Above are some common restrictions, if you want to know about any specific restriction, please let us know.

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This article was posted in Security Zone, Troubleshooting, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP.

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163 Comments

henri

can you please share some tips on how to restrict from downloading?
and if its possible to work even on admin user? coz i didnt set up other users

and aslo, i tried to do one of your tips (restrict drive c:) but didnt work even if i restarted the pc, please help

thanks
VG

^^ Which Windows are you using? You can use 3rd party Parental control software to restrict net usage like what to visit, what to download, etc.
Henri

XP service pack 2
can i still restrict drive c: even in admin user? coz i didnt set up other users
and also, is it possible to disable file downloading in settings from microsoft management console?
thanks!!
VG

^^ Yep. You can restrict even for Admin user.
abu

I have Vista Business at work. So far there is no problem. From last week, when I insert USB flash drive the autorun gives the wizard, but in My Computer (Computer in Vista) the drive is listed. Only the hard disk drives and the dvd drives are listed.
Tangmeister

Oh. Never mind. Should have read one more comment first. Sorry.
SL

I want to lock down a notebook that it will only run 1 or 2 applets over the internet, have it accept applet updates, windows updates - oh and be able to turn it off. I was thinking of a couple differnet ways of doing this. One has an password protected admin login (for trouble shooting purposes), and another user (not password protected) that would only be able to run the applets. I would even like to have all but the one or two programs avaialable in the start menu.

Ideas?
VG

^^ You can manually remove the programs shortcuts from startmenu by right-click on start button and select "Open" and "Open All Users" options.
SL

I got that far, but need to disable right click, the notification area, heck I would like to have just the program, log off, and shut down in the start menu, maybe the user name.
Also, where can I find out what "specifically" the above commands do? Is there a way just to restrict one user and not another (e.g. have the admin login fully functional and another user locked down?
SL

Maybe that was a bit too large a question to ask here. I got it narrowed down. If I remove the Run and CntrlAltDel access in Vista Home Basic for one user, is there a way to get either one of them back? The computer does not have gpedit.msc.