Possible to prevent users from changing desktop color?

[scottws]

We have a Citrix environment, with a published full desktop that most users use. The background of this desktop has no image, and is gray in color. My manager has it in her head that if it is any other color other than this gray, then it will cause server memory and CPU utilization to increase and therefore slow down everyone somewhat.

The users cannot add or change the desktop wallpaper due to restrictions set in Active Directory; however, apparently they are free to change the color of the background.

Is there any way to prevent users from doing this without resorting to using mandatory profiles?

Edit: Forgot to mention that the Citrix servers run on Windows Server 2003. Active Directory is on a Windows 2000 domain controller.

 

[bsobel]

First, I presueme you know this, but there is no truth to the more memory or cpu usage statement the manager said. Second, you should be able to ACL the key in the registry for the desktop color so the change won't be recorded (might last until logoff/logon). Don't know the key off hand, but grab regmon and see what the shell writes when you change colors.

 

[scottws]

Thanks for the idea, I'll look into that.

Yeah, I know that is bogus, but the guy that set up our Citrix servers told her that for some reason (or at least, that's how she interpereted it), and now she thinks it's gospel.

She also never listens to anything I say. I've told her like 10 times that when a thin client user forgets their password, you can't set a temporary user password and mark the box to ask for a new password because we use the web interface to log onto Citrix, and the prompt for the new password never comes up with the web interface. Instead, an error is displayed on the web page. Even though I've told her a bunch of times (to which she always says I'm wrong), I always hear her on the phone going "That's wierd... It should be doing this..." and I look over and see the error.

Anyway, sorry for the side-story, but this color thing is just par for the course.

 

[TG2]

If your already using GPO's, cant you restrict the display settings entirely?

User Settings\Administrative templates\Control panel\Show Only Specified control panel applets
User Settings\Administrative templates\Control panel\Display\Hide Appearance and themes tab
User Settings\Administrative templates\Control panel\Display\hide desktop tab

Id tyhink they wouldnt even be able to do anything with the colors if they cant get there~

 

[scottws]

Originally posted by: bsobel
First, I presueme you know this, but there is no truth to the more memory or cpu usage statement the manager said. Second, you should be able to ACL the key in the registry for the desktop color so the change won't be recorded (might last until logoff/logon). Don't know the key off hand, but grab regmon and see what the shell writes when you change colors.

Just tried RegmonNT at home to see what it's all about. In a minute's time, there were just shy of 14,000 registry calls. Is that normal? It seems that lsass and explorer constantly are polling the registry.