Appendix D: Search, Games, Windows Calendar, and Resulting Internet Communication in Windows Vista

In This Appendix

Start Menu Search and Internet Communication

Control Panel Search and Internet Communication

Games Explorer and Internet Communication

Windows Calendar and Internet Communication

Start Menu Search and Internet Communication

The Search box on the Start menu integrates multiple kinds of searches, making it easy for users to search for such items as files, programs, recently visited Web pages, and Web pages added to the Favorites list. By using Group Policy, you can exclude recently visited Web pages and Web pages added to the Favorites list from searches.

The Group Policy setting is \User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar\Do not search Internet. If you enable this policy setting, the Search box on the Start menu will not search for recently visited Web pages or favorites.

Control Panel Search and Internet Communication

In Windows Vista, Control Panel (in the default Category view) has a Search box that helps users and administrators find interfaces located within Control Panel. If Control Panel is in Category view (not Classic view) the first time someone types a query into the Control Panel Search box, the following prompt appears:

Do you want to help improve Control Panel search results?

By choosing to send your search queries to Microsoft, you can help improve search results. Information that is collected will not be used to identify or contact you.

Control Panel also displays prompts for turning the search-query option on or off after the initial choice has been made.

The prompts for changing the option for Control Panel search queries also provide the following link to the online privacy statement:

https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=34493

Whether the search-query option is turned on or off, when Control Panel is in Classic view, it does not provide search functionality and therefore, it does not send search queries across the Internet. You can use Group Policy to specify that Control Panel remain in Classic view.

Preventing Control Panel Search from Sending Information Across the Internet

You can use Group Policy to specify that Control Panel remain in Classic view, which means that no search queries are sent across the Internet.

The Group Policy setting is \User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Force classic Control Panel view. If you enable this policy setting, Control Panel remains in Classic view. Classic view does not provide search functionality and therefore does not send search queries across the Internet.

Games Explorer and Internet Communication

Games Explorer in Windows Vista (located in Start\All Programs\Games) is an interface that makes it easy to access games. Games Explorer displays games located in the built-in Games folder. Game installers often place games in this folder by default, and users can move games to this folder.

In Windows Vista Business or Windows Vista Enterprise, no games are turned on by default. However, a collection of games (for example, Solitaire) can be turned on through Control Panel\Programs\Programs and Features\Turn Windows features on or off.

Some games have game information (including game box art and ratings) that can be downloaded from a Web site maintained by Microsoft. To prevent the downloading of information about installed games, you can use the Windows interface or Group Policy.

To Prevent Downloading of Information About Installed Games by Using the Windows Interface

1. Click Start, click All Programs or Programs, click Games, and then click Games Explorer.

2. Click Options.

3. In Set up Games folder options, clear Download information about installed games.

[https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=34493](https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=34493)  
  

To Prevent Downloading of Information About Installed Games by Using Group Policy

1. See Appendix B: Resources for Learning About Group Policy for Windows Vista for information about using Group Policy. Using an account with domain administrative credentials, log on to a computer running Windows Vista, open Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) by running gpmc.msc, and then edit an appropriate Group Policy object (GPO).

2. Expand Computer Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, expand Windows Components, and then click Game Explorer.

3. In the details pane, double-click Turn off downloading of game information, and then click Enabled.

Windows Calendar and Internet Communication

In Windows Vista, the Windows Calendar feature provides users with a way to manage appointments and tasks. Users can also interact with calendars in ways that involved the Internet. Users can:

• Publish a calendar to a Web server or other location.

• View a published calendar (although the person who published the calendar can require a password).

• Subscribe to the calendar of an organization such as a sports team, television or radio show, or an academic institution.

To open Windows Calendar, click Start, click All Programs, and then click Windows Calendar.

Windows Calendar follows the established iCalendar standard. For more information about this standard, search for RFC 2445 on the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Web site at:

http://www.ietf.org

(Web addresses can change, so you might be unable to connect to the Web site or sites mentioned here.)

You can use Group Policy to turn off Windows Calendar.

To Turn Off Windows Calendar by Using Group Policy

1. See Appendix B: Resources for Learning About Group Policy for Windows Vista for information about using Group Policy. Using an account with domain administrative credentials, log on to a computer running Windows Vista, open Group Policy Management Console by running gpmc.msc, and then edit an appropriate Group Policy object (GPO).

2. If you want the policy setting to apply to all users of a computer and to come into effect when the computer starts or when Group Policy is refreshed, expand Computer Configuration. If you want the policy setting to apply to users and to come into effect when users log on or when Group Policy is refreshed, expand User Configuration.

3. Expand Administrative Templates, expand Windows Components, and then click Windows Calendar.

4. In the details pane, double-click Turn off Windows Calendar, and then click Enabled.