Set Desktop Backgound Picture, how

[Dave Niemeyer]

How can I set the desktop of users in a OU to have the same desktop
background on their 2k and xp machines? Before you answer, read on: I can
do it for my technical assistants, users that have full rights to the
machine, by using "active desktop" in the group policy and force a certain
desktop background, even a picture on the server. But for users that have
no rights to the desktop, folks who have "hide all desktop items" enabled,
they don't get any background no matter what I do. I can't force a desktop
background at all unless I enable the items, including desktop icons, on the
desktop, which I don't want to do. (I want my cake and eat it too,
especially since I used to be able to accomplish this with the old system
policies on winNT and 2k before we went to AD.) Is there another admin
template or a way to customize the existing admin template?

Same question for forcing a certain color scheme to the "windows classic
style"? I can only set it to the xp LUNA style and don't know how it to set
others.

Dave Niemeyer

 

[Guest]

If you do not want Active Desktop, you can use this to prevent users to
change wallpaper.

User Config\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Display\Prevent changing
wallpaper

"Prevents users from adding or changing the background design of the
desktop. By default, users can use the Desktop tab of Display in Control
Panel to add a background design (wallpaper) to their desktop. If you enable
this setting, the Desktop tab still appears, but all options on the tab are
disabled. To remove the Desktop tab, use the Hide Desktop tab setting. To
specify wallpaper for a group, use the Active Desktop Wallpaper setting.
Also, see the Allow only bitmapped wallpaper setting."

If you want to specify wallpaper for a group, then use

User Config\Administrative Templates\Desktop\Active Desktop\Active Desktop
Wallpaper

"Specifies the desktop background (wallpaper) displayed on all users'
desktops. This setting lets you specify the wallpaper on users' desktops and
prevents users from changing the image or its presentation. The wallpaper you
specify can be stored in a bitmap (*.bmp), JPEG (*.jpg), or HTML (*.htm,
*.html) file. To use this setting, type the fully qualified path and name of
the file that stores the wallpaper image. You can type a local path, such as
C:\Windows\web\wallpaper\home.jpg or a UNC path, such as
\\Server\Share\Corp.jpg. If the specified file is not available when the user
logs on, no wallpaper is displayed. Users cannot specify alternative
wallpaper. You can also use this setting to specify that the wallpaper image
be centered, tiled, or stretched. Users cannot change this specification. If
you disable this setting or do not configure it, no wallpaper is displayed.
However, users can select the wallpaper of their choice. Also, see the Allow
only bitmapped wallpaper in the same location, and the Prevent changing
wallpaper setting in User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control
Panel. Note: You need to enable the Active Desktop to use this setting.
Note: This setting does not apply to Terminal Server sessions."

BR,
Denis