Group Policy Editor
[Note: Group Policy Editor is only
available in XP Professional]
I suspect that moments after the
first copy of Windows was fired up on a desktop way back in
19-whatever, someone was already thinking about how it could be
changed. An entire industry has grown around the desire to tweak and
personalize the user interface. The advent of the registry made
tweaking not only more possible, but also dangerous. One of the
least touted but most useful tools for tweaking is found in XP
Professional; The Group Policy Editor.
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>>> >> CAUTION
<< <<<
Group Policy Editor is a very powerful tool.
Improper use may turn your computer into a paperweight.
On the bright side, paperweights don’t need feeding or a
litter box. |
Warning admonitions
aside, to fire up the GPE, click [Start] [Run] and type [gpedit.msc]
in the data input line. If all is well. you’ll see the GPE as shown
below.
Items to note are
the left pane which gives you access to the Local Computer Policy
for both Computer Configuration and User Configuration. The right
panel follows normal explorer protocols, displaying the folder
views. At the bottom of the right pane are tabs for [Extended] and
[Standard] views.
Drilling down to the
[Desktop] folder in the left pane displays the options in [Standard]
view in the right pane which may be altered. There are two methods
to arrive at the screen where the actual modifications to the
individual settings are accomplished. Click on the [Extended] tab in
the right pane and the screen shown below will open with an
explanation of the individual setting you have highlighted. For this
illustration I have highlighted [Remove Recycle Bin Icon from
Desktop]. To display the properties sheet where the actual changes
to the setting are made, click the [Properties] link in the upper
left hand side of the right pane.
Immediate access to the property sheet from [Standard] view is
available by double clicking on the property you wish to change in
the right pane.
The [Extended] view
shown above lists the operating system minimum requirements to
facilitate the intended change. Along with a description of what the
change will accomplish, there may be notes which give further info
such as if a reboot is required to make the change effective.
If you had double
clicked the item you wanted to change rather than click the
[Extended] tab on the previous screen, this is what would have
opened. Whatever method of arrival you choose, this is where the
change is made and finalized. If you didn’t click the [Extended] tab
to see the explanation, use the [Explain] tab above to see a
description of the change you are considering. (See screenshot
below)
Three choices are
available for your selection
Not Configured: No change to the current setting.
Enabled: The setting will be applied to users of this computer
group.
Disabled: The setting is not applied to users of this computer
group.
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