Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista : Group Policy Preferences: Windows Settings (part 2)

Folders

The Folders preference gives the administrator control over folders that reside on the target computer. The ability to create, replace, update, and delete with custom settings makes this preference very powerful. You can leverage this preference with environment variables to target specific computers and folders. Figure 4 illustrates the interface for the Folders preference and the options that can be configured.

Figure 4. The Folders preference can control folders and the content of the folders on the target computer.

Ini Files

The Ini Files preference controls the creation and contents of .ini files on the target computer. The preference allows you to create, update, replace, and delete entire files or the properties within a file. Figure 5 illustrates the interface for the Ini Files preference and the options that can be configured.

Figure 5. The Ini Files preference can control .ini files and the content of the files on the target computer.

Network Shares

The Network Shares preference allows you to control shares, hidden shares, and administrative shares on target computers. The shares can be created, deleted, updated, or replaced by the settings you configure in the dialog box for the preference. The dialog box also allows you to control whether the share will support Access-based Enumeration, as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6. The Network Shares preference can control shares, hidden shares, and administrative shares on computers that apply Group Policy Preferences settings.

Note

The Network Shares preference is available only in the Computer Configuration section. This setting is valid only when applied to computers that are running Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 SP1, or Windows Server 2008.

Registry

The Registry preference is highly useful for modifying nearly any setting in the registry. This preference is wizard based, allowing you to find and configure the registry value and data without having to code anything into a file, like you must do with .adm templates or ADMX files. This preference also allows for collections, which provide a mechanism for you to place numerous registry entries into a single location without having to keep the hierarchy needed by the registry. Finally, a remote connection wizard allows you to browse for registry values on other machines, again making it unnecessary for you to know the exact path. Figure 7 illustrates the interface for the Registry preference and the options that can be configured.

Figure 7. The Registry preference is GUI based and can control nearly any registry value on the target computer.

Shortcuts

The Shortcuts preference allows you to create, replace, update, and delete shortcuts from nearly anywhere on the computer. Shortcuts can include file system objects, URLs, or shell objects. The shortcuts can be placed in almost any location, including the desktop, Start menu, Favorites folder, Quick Launch toolbar, and more. Figure 8 illustrates the interface for the Shortcuts preference and the options that can be configured.

Figure 8. The Shortcuts preference allows you to create any type of shortcut, in nearly any location on the target computer.