Customizing the Desktop

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Setting standards within your organization can reduce support and training costs. Read this section to learn about guidelines for setting standards for desktop configurations.

Every organization has unique user computing requirements. Windows 2000 allows you to create standard operating environments, including user interface standards, based on the needs of your organization.

Whether you choose to accept the Windows 2000 defaults or implement your own user interface preferences, Microsoft recommends that you evaluate Windows 2000 configuration options according to the following criteria:

  • Are they easy to learn?

  • Are they efficient to use?

  • Are they easy to remember?

  • Can they help address your top help desk issues or concerns?

  • Do they reduce the number of user errors?

Although few organizations need to research these questions in as much depth as a software manufacturer such as Microsoft, the following techniques might help you configure Windows 2000 to best meet the needs of your users:

  • Focus groups . Bring groups of users together for focused discussions about what they like and dislike about their computer configurations, and what changes could make them more productive.

  • Observational research . Watch users while they work on their computers.

  • Field research . Talk to administrators at other organizations about what they have learned.

  • Expert reviews . Study the research that exists about user interface design and user productivity.

Consider how much or how little you want to control the user interface. Basic users who have less experience with computers might need highly customized systems to maximize their productivity and to minimize their ability to make potentially harmful changes to their systems.

Advanced users who frequently run demanding programs that require special configuration options, or are disconnected from the network, might need to be given greater control over their own systems.

For more information about defining and setting configuration standards, see Defining Client Administration and Configuration Standards and Applying Change and Configuration Management in the Deployment Planning Guide , and Introduction to Desktop Management in the Distributed Systems Guide .