Using GPO to restrict USB devices?

[Guest]

We have a windows 2003 domain with a mixture of 2000 and XP clients

Nearly all users are local admins due to the nature of the business.

I’m having trouble finding away to restrict users installing storage devices \ CD burners to there machines by way of the USB ports! Is it possible to use GPO for this? There are some USB mice and modems so completely disabling the USB ports is not ideal

Also It would be ideally to restrict CD ROMs to music CD’s only so they couldn’t install software!

Any help would be much appreciated

Cheer
Stephe

 

[Simon Geary]

You can use Group Policy to set deny permissions on the usbstor files as per
this kb. http://support.microsoft.com/?id=823732
This will prevent USB devices from being loaded although being local
administrators they will be able to go in and change the permissions back if
they know what they are doing.

It is not possible to restrict a CD-ROM to music only CD's. The best way to
stop users installing software is to remove them from the local
administrators group.

We have a windows 2003 domain with a mixture of 2000 and XP clients.

Nearly all users are local admins due to the nature of the business.

I'm having trouble finding away to restrict users installing storage

devices \ CD burners to there machines by way of the USB ports! Is it
possible to use GPO for this? There are some USB mice and modems so
completely disabling the USB ports is not ideal!

 

[Simon Geary]

I forgot to mention, this 3rd party tool might help you as well.
http://www.protect-me.com/dl/

We have a windows 2003 domain with a mixture of 2000 and XP clients.

Nearly all users are local admins due to the nature of the business.

I'm having trouble finding away to restrict users installing storage

devices \ CD burners to there machines by way of the USB ports! Is it
possible to use GPO for this? There are some USB mice and modems so
completely disabling the USB ports is not ideal!