Customizing the Desktop
You can set Group Policy settings to hide desktop icons. The policies listed in Table 8.1 are located in the Group Policy snap-in under Local Computer Policy\User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Desktop.
Table 8.1 Group Policy Settings That Can Affect Desktop Icons
Group Policy Setting |
Description |
|---|---|
Hide all icons on Desktop |
Removes all menus, folders, and icons from the desktop. |
Hide My Documents icon on desktop |
Removes the My Documents icon from the desktop. Note: The My Documents folder cannot be deleted. |
Hide My Network Places icon on desktop |
Removes the My Network Places icon from the desktop. |
Hide Internet Explorer icon on desktop |
Removes the Internet Explorer icon from the desktop. |
You can use Group Policy settings to determine the method Windows 2000 Professional uses to search for the target of a shortcut. The Group Policy settings listed in Table 8.2 are located in the Group Policy snap-in under Local Computer Policy\User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu & Taskbar.
Table 8.2 Group Policy Settings That Can Affect Shortcut Search Methods
Group Policy Setting |
Description |
|---|---|
Do not use the search-based method when resolving shell shortcuts |
Prevents comprehensive search of NTFS partition to locate target file. |
Do not use the tracking-based method when resolving shell shortcuts |
Prevents system from using NTFS target file ID to search for files. |