Appendix G: Online Ordering Wizards and Tasks
(Note: This topic describes not just Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2, but also Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 3.)
On This Page
Introduction
Wizards and Tasks That Can Be Used for Online Ordering
Controlling the Way Online Ordering Wizards and Tasks Communicate with the Internet
Introduction
In Microsoft Windows XP Professional, users 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 the user 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 XP with SP2 to control the way the wizards and tasks work.
Wizards and Tasks That Can Be Used for Online Ordering
In Microsoft Windows XP Professional, users 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 the user selects either a picture or a folder that is configured as a picture folder, the user 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. The My Pictures folder is configured as a picture folder and cannot be configured as anything else.
Add Network Place Wizard and related tasks: This wizard and the related tasks are described in Appendix F, “Add Network Place Wizard and Web Publishing Wizard.” Users 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 Appendix F, “Add Network Place Wizard and Web Publishing Wizard.” Users 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 XP with SP2. Because the following Group Policy settings are part of Windows XP with SP2 but were not part of the original release of Windows Server 2003 nor of Windows 2000 Server with SP4, in order to use them, you must update your Administrative templates before you can use these settings. For more information, see Appendix B, "Learning About Group Policy and Updating Administrative Templates."
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 XP with SP2 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:
To disable the Web Publishing Wizard and related File and Folder Tasks, see Appendix F, “Add Network Place Wizard and Web Publishing Wizard.”
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.”