Auto locking workstations without using password protected screens

[lewis]

In a W2K3 domain, with XPsp2 workstations, how can I setup a domain wide
Group Policy to lock XP workstations after 10 min of non activity? We don't
want to use group policy: Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control
Panel\Display for password protecting screensavers. Not all of our users have
a screensaver enabled on their PCs and we do not want to force them to use a
standard one. We just want the workstation to lock after inactivity, no
screensaver. Thanks so much!

 

[Mark Heitbrink [MVP]]

Hi,

[...] Not all of our users have a screensaver enabled on their PCs
and we do not want to force them to use a standard one.

Just activate ScreenSaver and ScreenSaveIsSecure. If a user has
configured "none" then the logon.scr will be used.

"None" is in XP no longer a way to get around your settings, which has
been in 2K SPsomething.

So, you do not need to set a screensaver by GPO, just activate it
and say it is secure. The user is able to change the screensaver
and he even can choose none. But as I said, none is now: logon.scr

Mark

 

[lewis]

Thank you so much for the information! I just tested it on a pc with no
screensaver setup...and it simply locked the pc after the set inactivity
time. Perfect!

Hi,

[...] Not all of our users have a screensaver enabled on their PCs
and we do not want to force them to use a standard one.

Just activate ScreenSaver and ScreenSaveIsSecure. If a user has
configured "none" then the logon.scr will be used.

"None" is in XP no longer a way to get around your settings, which has
been in 2K SPsomething.

So, you do not need to set a screensaver by GPO, just activate it
and say it is secure. The user is able to change the screensaver
and he even can choose none. But as I said, none is now: logon.scr

Mark
--
Mark Heitbrink - MVP Windows Server - Group Policy

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