How can you set policies or restrictions on Windows XP home on a peer to peer network?

[Battousai001]

Hi! I just made a peer to peer network with 10 workstation and 1 file and printer "server". All workstations are running Windows XP Home. I would like to ask how can I set policies or restriction to each workstations? I just learned that win xp home has no gpedit.msc and my network is peer to peer and no server so it will be impossible to set policies over the server, so policies or restrictions will definitely be configured on each workstation right?

What I mean about policies or restriction is that for all the workstation, for example users will not be allowed to install any application, has restricted access to control panel, cannot view restricted files, cannot delete files and each startmenu is customized (like no run button, no my computer button etc.). BTW the workstations will have no user log in as the network setup is just peer to peer and no users set.

Thanks in advance for any replies!

 

[jlazzaro]

 

[nweaver]

pretty much no...you are using a home version OS that has had those features removed, and asking how you can do those features? at a bare minimum, you need to create user accounts, with restricted rights for the average user (should get you close to what you want to do)

 

[sieistganzfett]

no gpedit.msc... your screwed then. and someone should smack you very hard for putting 10 xp home computers on a network and get a makeshift server running.. having this many xp home or MCE computers on a "network" running peer to peer is nothing but random problems waiting to happen. I have seen it quite a few times in the business world when I do onsites. :disgust: google "install group policy in Winxp HE" and open www.geocities.com/kilian0072002/GPEditHome.htm via google's cached verson to learn how to do it and keep in mind, your playing with fire, even if this works out or seems like it works, your looking at a nightmare with xp home or random unexplainable, hard to troubleshoot problems for anything dealing with the networking.

 

[JackMDS]

Might be that you can find some 3rd party application that are able to institute some of this restrictions on each computer.

 

[Battousai001]

Hi! thanks for the replies! i finally found the exact software i am looking for, actually the network that was setup is for an internet cafe (mostly used for network gaming rentals, legal and legitimate that is). I was just surprised with the software i found at www.handycafe.com and www.icafeboss.com, using such a software you can control other workstations using one machine within your network (one subnet), put policies and restrictions to other computers even if you are running xp home, the good thing is that you don't have to put up client/server setting. Only peer to peer.

Just install the "server" version on one computer then install the "client" version to all the other workstation and the computer you assigned as "server" can now easily control others workstations, put policies/restrictions, lock workstations, remote management etc.

I also checked out deepfreeze from www.faronics.com its quite interesting too but very different from an internet cafe management software

 

[JackMDS]

You deserve a Big thanks.

If more people like you would bother to post back and tell us (for good or bad) the conclusion of the ?Saga? life might be easier for every one.:thumbsup:

However, be careful with the Free programs mentioned above, they are Free, but Not Totally Clean.

Read carefully all the information on the site's pages.

Deepfreeze from faronics.com is a much better product.

However it is $35 for work station.

 

[Battousai001]

Hi JackMDS! yes i agree... some free programs like the ones above are not totally clean... anyway thanks again for the advice.