How to customize Guest Menu?

[Agent86]

Hello, I enabled the Guest User. How can I customize the Guest Menu? Thank-you

 

[Malke]

Hello, I enabled the Guest User. How can I customize the Guest Menu?
Thank-you

The Guest user account that you see in Control Panel>User Accounts isn't a
regular user account. The Guest account is a special system account, not
one meant for when you are feeling hospitable. It is disabled by default in
Windows XP, Vista, Linux, Unix, and OS X for a reason.

From TechNet:

"The Guest account is intended for users who require temporary access to the
system. However, if this account is enabled, a security risk may exist
because an unauthorized user could gain anonymous access to the system
through this account."

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb418978(TechNet.10).aspx

So if you enabled Guest, disable it now and create a Standard/Limited
(Vista, XP Pro/XP Home) for your visitors. Call the new user account
something like "Visitor".

Then you can arrange that account's Start Menu as you like, by
right-clicking on the Start button and choosing "Explore All Users".

Malke

 

[VanguardLH]

The Guest user account that you see in Control Panel>User Accounts
isn't a regular user account. The Guest account is a special system
account, not one meant for when you are feeling hospitable. It is
disabled by default in Windows XP, Vista, Linux, Unix, and OS X for a
reason.

From TechNet:

"The Guest account is intended for users who require temporary access
to the system. However, if this account is enabled, a security risk
may exist because an unauthorized user could gain anonymous access to
the system through this account."

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb418978(TechNet.10).aspx

So if you enabled Guest, disable it now and create a Standard/Limited
(Vista, XP Pro/XP Home) for your visitors. Call the new user account
something like "Visitor".

Then you can arrange that account's Start Menu as you like, by
right-clicking on the Start button and choosing "Explore All Users".

The Guest account is also described at the Microsoft KB article
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/300489. Here they conflict with their
advice above by recommending to NOT disable the Guest account. However,
almost every security scanner checking for hardness of your host will
tell you to disable this account because of default of not having a
password to login. All tell you to create a normal user account (i.e.,
a limited user account) instead of using the Guest account.

Also read:
http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/49437/windows-guest-account-best-practices.html
http://www.ghacks.net/2007/12/03/disable-the-windows-xp-guest-account-correctly/
http://www.lockergnome.com/windows/2005/01/14/the-guest-account-is-the-hackers-holy-grail/


Until I read the above, I couldn't figure out why file sharing ceased
to function between my host OS and a guest OS in a virtual machine (and
I had to resort to using VirtualPC's shared folder feature which is
part of the VM Additions install).

If you decide to enable the Guest account and turn it on, be sure to
set a strong password on it.

 

[Agent86]

The Guest user account that you see in Control Panel>User Accounts isn't a
regular user account. The Guest account is a special system account, not
one meant for when you are feeling hospitable. It is disabled by default in
Windows XP, Vista, Linux, Unix, and OS X for a reason.

From TechNet:

"The Guest account is intended for users who require temporary access to the
system. However, if this account is enabled, a security risk may exist
because an unauthorized user could gain anonymous access to the system
through this account."

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb418978(TechNet.10).aspx

So if you enabled Guest, disable it now and create a Standard/Limited
(Vista, XP Pro/XP Home) for your visitors. Call the new user account
something like "Visitor".

Then you can arrange that account's Start Menu as you like, by
right-clicking on the Start button and choosing "Explore All Users".

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

Hello, thanks, that helped some. However, I logged on using the visitor userid and tried to delete some menu items which I did not want the visitor to see. This returned an error like item is read only or in use. Next, switched to the admin userid and edited the All Users Menu but this seem to effect all the menu for both my admin userid and my visitor userid. How can I just effect the visitor userid? Thanks in advance.....

 

[Malke]

From an account with administrative privileges, right-click on the Start
button and choose "Explore All Users". Now you will have the familiar
two-paned interface. The Start Menu for All Users has shortcuts common to
everyone. Find Visitor's Start Menu and remove what you want from it. Leave
shortcuts in All Users for programs you want everyone to have. Arrange each
user account's Start Menu individually as you like.

Malke