Registry Guide for Windows Registry Guide for Windows
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Registry tweaks, tricks & hacks to optimize, enhance and secure Microsoft Windows.

Active Desktop Restrictions (All Windows)
Category: Home > Security > Active Desktop

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Features of the Windows Active Desktop can be selectively controlled by modifying options in the Windows registry. Following the instructions in this tweak.

Open your registry and find the key below.

Create a new DWORD value based on the options below, and set the new value to equal "1" to enable the restriction or "0" to disable the restriction.

  • NoChangingWallpaper - Disable the ability to change wallpapers.
  • NoComponents - Disable components.
  • NoAddingComponents - Disable the ability to add components.
  • NoDeletingComponents - Disable the ability to delete components.
  • NoEditingComponents - Disable the ability to edit components.
  • NoCloseDragDropBands
  • NoMovingBands - retrict adjustments to desktop toolbars
  • NoHTMLWallPaper - only allow bitmaps (BMP) as wallpaper

These restrictions can be used either on a user by user basis by adding it to HKEY_CURRENT_USER or on a computer wide basis by adding it to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

Registry Editor Example
|NameTypeData|
|(Default)REG_SZ(value not set)|
|NoChangingWallpaperREG_DWORD0x00000001 (1)|
|NoComponentsREG_DWORD0x00000001 (1)|
|NoAddingComponentsREG_DWORD0x00000001 (1)|
|NoDeletingComponentsREG_DWORD0x00000001 (1)|
|NoEditingComponentsREG_DWORD0x00000001 (1)|
|NoCloseDragDropBandsREG_DWORD0x00000001 (1)|
|NoMovingBandsREG_DWORD0x00000001 (1)|
|NoHTMLWallPaperREG_DWORD0x00000001 (1)|
-
|HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Act...|
-

Settings:
User Key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
ActiveDesktop]

System Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
ActiveDesktop]

Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value: (0 = disable restriction, 1 = enable restriction)

Disclaimer: Modifying the registry can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. We cannot guarantee that problems resulting from modifications to the registry can be solved. Use the information provided at your own risk.

Last Modified: April 18, 2002

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