Software Permissions

[MoFunk]

Not sure if this is the right place but here we go...... This is for Win2K Pro

Here at work I use a standard ghost image to create new pc's that we get. This has all our normal software like Office and the like. Well we are rolling out PC's to 20 people that are normally on dumb terminal to as a test run. We do not want them to have access to MS Office just yet. We do not want to uninstall office on these and then have to reinstall but we want them to NOT be able to use it. What is the best way? Is there some setting under regedt32 to let us not make office run when a standard user signs on? I know that we had an issue befire with the MS photo editor not being able to run for a standard user until I changed a securtiy setting in regedt32, that is why I am thinking that there should be a way to do this for office, but where?

Thanks in advance.....

 

[MoFunk]

P.S. let me just add that the lead IT guy here has made all the systems fat32! And I tried a couple of tweaks with regedt32 and it will still let the program launch, but requires a serial number then if you dont have it it closes. Any other thing I can try to deny office from even launching?

 

[SoulAssassin]

Fire your lead IT guy, reformat as NTFS and remove the everyone users group from c:\progra~1\microsoft office, then get promoted to lead IT guy.

Why not just delete the winword.exe/msexcel.exe/etc files and replace when you're ready to? Simple, mostly effective, and very little admin overhead. Yes, they might be able to replace it but if you really wanted them to not be able to run it you would uninstall it.

 

[MoFunk]

Trust me I am working on taking his job........ I want to do the regedt32 thing because there is only one error prompt with officexp and that is it asks for a serial number and if you hit cancel the program closes. Renaming or deleting the winword.exe brings up an install window, then a window asking for the location of the install, then 2 other errors. He of course wants to rename the files...... Anyway if there are any other suggestions that would be great.

I asked him why we do not use ntfs for all the systems...... he kinda squirmed and got saved by a phone call.... LOL

 

[crazydave]

NTFS is not only more secure (like mentioned before, you can easily do what you want to do by changing the permissions), but it is also faster and more efficient. The only reason you'd want FAT32 is if you have some other OS on the same machine (eg. Win98/ME) that can't read NTFS.

 

[Coolkid]

I suggest just converting the partition to NTFS using this: "CONVERT C: /fs:ntfs"
Then just set the security options we talked about earlier

 

[MoFunk]

I would agree, but I am just the lowly peeon and he is the all knowing a-hole! Anyway I will suggest the ntfs conversion in the morning and then try to make it seem like it is really his idea or he will never want to do it. Fun stuff being the peeon.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

Be advised that converting FAT32 to NTFS on either W2K or XP will result in 512 byte clusters, and disk performance will suck as a result. I used to think this was just W2K, but someone recently pointed me at an article in the MS-KB that states it's also XP. I can't find the reference right now, but it's something to consider...

FWIW, I use Partition Magic to resize the clusters to the default 4kb size.

 

[soni]

Are the PC's in a domain, if so, make a computer/domain policy for the users, where they are denied access to office.
I know thats how the admins solve it @work, but Im not sure if it requires NFTS. Pretty sure it requires a domain.

 

[MoFunk]

Thanks soni. I have poked around a bit and I am not sure where to set this type of permission up. Does anyone have any other info for this, like where do I start?

 

[Peabody]

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