Appendix J: Online Ordering Wizards, Add Network Place Wizard, and New Connection Wizard

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2003 with SP1

This appendix provides information about the following:

  • Online ordering wizards and tasks

  • Add Network Place wizard

  • New Connection wizard

While these features are not primarily designed for use on servers, information about them is presented here so IT administrators can be aware of these potential capabilities within the organization’s network.

Online Ordering Wizards and Tasks

In Microsoft Windows Server 2003, you can click tasks in Windows Explorer to run several different wizards to order picture prints online, sign up for a service that offers online storage space, or publish files that can be viewed in a browser. These wizards present you with one or more service providers from which to request the online service. The task or wizard obtains the names and URLs of these service providers from two sources: a list stored locally (in the registry) and a list stored on a Microsoft Web site. By default, Windows displays providers from a list on the Microsoft Web site in addition to providers listed in the registry.

As an administrator, you can use several Group Policy settings in Windows Server 2003 with SP1 to control the way the wizards and tasks work.

Wizards and Tasks That Can Be Used for Online Ordering

In Microsoft Windows Server 2003, you can use the following tasks in Windows Explorer and the following wizards for online ordering.

  • Online Print Ordering Wizard and related tasks: In Windows Explorer, when common tasks are shown and you select either a picture or a folder that is configured as a picture folder, you can choose picture tasks including Order prints online. This starts the Online Print Ordering Wizard.

    A folder can be configured as a picture folder by right-clicking the folder, clicking Properties, clicking the Customize tab and, under Use this folder type as a template, selecting Pictures or Photo Album.

  • Add Network Place Wizard and related tasks: This wizard and the related tasks are described in “Add Network Place Wizard and Web Publishing Wizard,” later in this appendix. You can use the wizard to sign up for a service that offers online storage space.

  • Web Publishing Wizard and related tasks: This wizard and the related tasks are described in “Add Network Place Wizard and Web Publishing Wizard,” later in this appendix. You can use the wizard to publish files over the Internet or a local network so that those files can be viewed in a Web browser.

Controlling the Way Online Ordering Wizards and Tasks Communicate with the Internet

You can control the way online wizards and tasks communicate with the Internet by using Group Policy settings available in Windows Server 2003 with SP1. Because the following Group Policy settings are part of Windows Server 2003 with SP1 but were not part of the original release of Windows Server 2003, in order to use them, you must ensure that your Administrative templates have been updated before you can use these settings. For more information, see Appendix B: Resources for Learning About Group Policy.

  • To prevent the preceding wizards and tasks from accessing the Microsoft Web site for the list of providers to offer to users, configure the following Group Policy setting in Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings: Turn off Internet download for Web publishing and online ordering wizards.

    By default, the Web publishing and online ordering wizards display providers downloaded from a Windows Web site in addition to providers specified in the registry. If you enable this setting, Windows will not download providers and only the service providers that are stored in the local registry will be displayed. When Windows Server 2003 with SP1 has been installed but the Web publishing and online ordering wizards have not yet been used, no service providers are stored in the local registry. If this Group Policy setting is applied at that time, the wizards will not display links to service providers.

    For more information about the registry keys in which providers can be specified, see "Registering a Service" on the MSDN Web site at:

    https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=29134

  • To disable the Web Publishing Wizard and related File and Folder Tasks, see "Add Network Place Wizard and Web Publishing Wizard," later in this section.

  • To disable the Online Print Ordering Wizard, configure the following Group Policy setting in Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings: Turn off the "Order Prints" picture task.

    Note

    If you want the policy settings to apply to all users of a computer and come into effect when the computer starts or when Group Policy is refreshed, use the settings listed in the preceding paragraphs. If you want the policy settings to apply to users and come into effect when users log on or when Group Policy is refreshed, configure the same settings in User Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings.

For information about other settings that control the way wizards and other components communicate with the Internet, see Appendix C: Group Policy Settings Listed Under the Internet Communication Management Key.

Add Network Place Wizard and Web Publishing Wizard

In the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating systems, you can use the Add Network Place Wizard to create shortcuts to shared folders and resources on the network or on Web or File Transfer Protocol (FTP) servers. You can use the Web Publishing Wizard to publish files over the Internet or a local network so that those files can be viewed in a Web browser. If you do not have folders on a Web server already or do not have an account with a Web service provider, the Add Network Place Wizard or the Web Publishing Wizard can help you set these up.

This appendix includes the following:

  • An overview of the Add Network Place Wizard and the Web Publishing Wizard

  • How to control the use of the Add Network Place Wizard and the Web Publishing Wizard

Overview: Add Network Place Wizard and Web Publishing Wizard

The Add Network Place Wizard and the Web Publishing Wizard are enabled by default. You can use these wizards as follows:

  • Add Network Place Wizard: You can access this wizard through My Network Places\Add Network Place or in Windows Explorer through Tools\Map Network Drive (through the link labeled "Sign up for online storage or connect to a network server").

    The wizard can be used to sign up for a service that offers online storage space, or to create a shortcut to a Web site, an FTP site, or other local network connection. To add a shortcut in My Network Places to a folder on a Web server, the Web server must support network places. Supporting network places requires the Web Extender Client (WEC) protocol and Microsoft FrontPage® Server Extensions, or the Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV) protocol and Internet Information Services (IIS). You must also have read and write access to the Web server.

  • Web Publishing Wizard: In Windows Explorer, when common tasks are shown, you can access this wizard through several different tasks. These tasks are Publish this file to the Web, Publish this folder to the Web, and Publish the selected items to the Web.

You can use the Web Publishing Wizard to publish files over the Internet or a local network so that those files can be viewed in a Web browser.

You can remove access to the Add Network Place Wizard and the Web Publishing Wizard using Group Policy.

For more information about the WEC and WebDAV protocols, see "About Web Folder Behaviors" on the MSDN Web site at:

https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=29223

Controlling the Use of the Add Network Place Wizard and the Web Publishing Wizard

To control the Add Network Place Wizard and the Web Publishing Wizard, use Group Policy.

Controlling Whether the Wizards Download Information from a Microsoft Web site

To control whether the Add Network Place Wizard and the Web Publishing Wizard display a list of service providers downloaded from a Windows Web site, use the Group Policy setting Turn off Internet download for Web publishing and online ordering wizards. This setting is described in “Online Ordering Wizards and Tasks,” earlier in this appendix.

Controlling the Use of the Add Network Place Wizard

To block users and administrators from accessing the Add Network Place Wizard from the Map Network Drive command, configure the following Group Policy setting in User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer: Remove "Map Network Drive" and "Disconnect Network Drive". This policy setting does the following:

  • If you enable this policy setting, the system removes the Map Network Drive and Disconnect Network Drive commands from the toolbar and Tools menus in Windows Explorer and My Network Places. The system also removes these commands from menus that appear when you right-click the Windows Explorer or My Network Places icons.

  • This policy setting does not prevent you from connecting to another computer by typing the name of a shared folder in the Run dialog box.

  • This policy setting does not remove the Add Network Place task from My Network Places.

Controlling the Use of the Web Publishing Wizard

To control access to the Web Publishing Wizard and related tasks, configure a Group Policy setting. The File and Folder Tasks affected by this setting are Publish this file to the Web, Publish this folder to the Web, and Publish the selected items to the Web. The setting is located in Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings, and is called Turn off the "Publish to Web" task for files and folders.

If you want the policy setting to apply to all users of a computer and come into effect when the computer starts or when Group Policy is refreshed, use the setting listed in the preceding paragraph. If you want the policy setting to apply to a particular set of users and come into effect when users log on or when Group Policy is refreshed, use the same setting in User Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings.

New Connection Wizard

In Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating systems, you use the New Connection Wizard to create Internet and other types of network connections for home and small office networks. While this feature is designed for home and small office use, information about this feature is presented here so IT administrators can be aware of these potential capabilities within the organization’s network.

This appendix includes the following:

  • An overview of the New Connection Wizard

  • How to control the use of the New Connection Wizard

Overview: New Connection Wizard

The New Connection Wizard in Windows Server 2003 operating systems replaces the Windows 2000 Network Connection Wizard and Internet Connection Wizard. Administrators for a home or small office network can use the New Connection Wizard to create any type of network connection including Internet, incoming, dial-up, virtual private network (VPN), and direct connection.

You can start the New Connection Wizard in a variety of ways:

  • By starting any program that requires an Internet connection when no Internet connection has yet been configured. An example of such a program is Internet Explorer.

  • By opening Network Connections and clicking Create a new connection. Network Connections can be opened in a variety of ways, including through Control Panel\Network Connections.

  • By opening Internet Options and, on the Connections tab, clicking the Setup button. Internet Options can be opened in a variety of ways, including through Control Panel\Internet Options.

  • By clicking Start, clicking Programs or All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking Communications, and then clicking New Connection Wizard.

Controlling the Use of the New Connection Wizard

You can control how administrators and users can use the New Connection Wizard by configuring Group Policy.

Note

Some of the Group Policy settings described in this section do not affect administrators. The descriptions provide details.

  • Group Policy setting: Disable Internet Connection Wizard

    This Group Policy setting is in User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer. It affects administrators as well as users.

    If you enable this policy, the Setup button on the Connections tab in the Internet Options dialog box appears dimmed.

    Note

    Note that this policy overlaps with the Disable the Connections page policy (located in \User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Internet Explorer\Internet Control Panel), which removes the Connections tab from the interface.

  • Group Policy setting: Prohibit Access to the New Connection Wizard

    This Group Policy setting is in User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\Network Connections. It affects users but not administrators.

    This policy setting determines whether users can use the New Connection Wizard, which creates new Internet or intranet connections.

  • Group Policy setting: Enable Windows 2000 Network Connections settings for Administrators

    This Group Policy setting is also in User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\Network Connections.

    Note

    This policy setting is intended to be used in a situation in which the Group Policy object (GPO) contains computers running both Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003, and identical Network Connections policy setting behavior is required between those computers.

With this policy setting enabled, policy settings that exist in both Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 behave the same for administrators.

The set of Network Connections policy settings that exists in Windows 2000 also exists in Windows Server 2003. In Windows 2000, all of these policy settings have the ability to prohibit the use of certain features by administrators. By default, Network Connections policy settings in Windows Server 2003 do not prohibit the use of features from administrators.

For information about using Group Policy, see Appendix B: Resources for Learning About Group Policy.