Registry and Group Policy Object Settings

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Registry Settings
Group Policy Object Settings

Registry Settings

Table 3 describes the registry settings that Volume Activation supports.

Table 3. Registry Settings

Registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SoftwareProtectionPlatform
ValueTypeDescriptionScope
Activation\AlternateURL REG_SZ

Optionally contains an administrator-provided URL. If this key is populated, some activation dialog boxes will include a new link—Learn more about activation online—that opens in the default browser.

All

DisableDnsPublishing

REG_DWORD

Set this to a non-zero value to block auto-publishing to DNS by the KMS host.

KMS

DnsDomainPublishList

REG_MULTI_SZ

Format: domain_name, <priority>, <weight>

Optionally contains a list of fully qualified domains that KMS uses to auto-publish its DNS service (SRV) record. The KMS home domain is always used, so it is not necessary to include it here. This depends on the DisableDnsPublishing value.

The priority and weight parameters are optional. If not supplied, these are set to 0 in the SRV record.

KMS

EnableKmsLowPriority

REG_DWORD

Set this to a non-zero value to minimize contention from KMS in a co-hosted environment. Note that on a busy system, this can prevent the KMS host from maintaining a sufficient count.

KMS

KeyManagementServiceListeningPort

REG_SZ

Set this on the KMS host to force KMS to listen on the TCP port specified. The host uses TCP port 1688 if this value is not specified.

KMS

KeyManagementServiceName

REG_SZ

Set this value to force the use of a specific KMS host by the KMS client. No default.

If an App-ID or SKU-ID is specified, this is created in a subkey under which the value is stored:

..\SoftwareProtectionPlatform\APPID_GUID\KeyManagementServiceName

KMS client

KeyManagementServicePort

REG_SZ

Set this to force the use of a specific TCP port by the KMS client when it communicates with a KMS. The client uses port 1688 if this value is not specified.

If an App-ID or SKU-ID is specified, this is created in a subkey under which the value is stored:

..\SoftwareProtectionPlatform\APPID_GUID\KeyManagementServicePort

KMS client

KeyManagementServiceVersion

REG_SZ

Set this for Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) 2005 automatic discovery of the KMS. Delete this value if the KMS is no longer functional on the machine.

KMS

UserOperations

REG_DWORD

This value does not exist by default, and the default is 0, which requires elevation. Create this value and set it to 1 to enable standard users to install product keys and activate and rearm machines without requiring elevation.

This setting can also be configured by GPOs, which are stored under the \policies registry subkey.

All (not just KMS)

VLActivationInterval

REG_DWORD

This is set initially on both KMS server and client sides. The default is 120 minutes (2 hours). The KMS client initially picks up this interval from the registry but switches to the KMS setting after it receives the first KMS response. The minimum value is 15 minutes, and the maximum is 43,200 minutes (30 days).

KMS Client and Server

VLRenewalInterval

REG_DWORD

This is set initially on both KMS server and client sides. The default is 10,080 minutes (7 days). The KMS client initially picks up this interval from the registry but switches to the KMS setting after it receives the first KMS response. As a result, the client-side setting will never be used. The minimum value is 15 minutes, and the maximum is 43,200 minutes (30 days).

KMS Client and Server

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Group Policy Object Settings

Table 4 describes Group Policy settings that organizations can use to prevent the operating system from changing the desktop to black in the Notifications state.

Table 4. Group Policy Object Settings

Policy name

Description

User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Control Panel -> Personalization -> Prevent changing desktop background

Prevents users from adding or changing the background design of the desktop.

By default, users can use the Desktop Background page in the Personalization or Display Control Panel item to add a background design (wallpaper) to their desktops.

If you enable this setting, the user cannot change any of the Desktop Background settings.

To specify wallpaper for a group, use the Desktop Wallpaper setting.

Note   You must also enable the Desktop Wallpaper setting to prevent users from changing the desktop wallpaper. Refer to the Microsoft Help and Support article, “You can change the desktop wallpaper setting after administrator selects ‘Prevent Changing Wallpaper’ option in Group Policy,” at https://support.microsoft.com/kb/Q327998 for more information.

Also, see the Allow only bitmapped wallpaper setting.

User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Desktop -> Desktop -> Desktop Wallpaper

Specifies the desktop background ("wallpaper") displayed on all users’ desktops.

This setting lets you specify the wallpaper on users’ desktops and prevents users from changing the image or its presentation. The wallpaper you specify can be stored in a bitmap (*.bmp) or JPEG (*.jpg) file.

To use this setting, type the fully qualified path and name of the file that stores the wallpaper image. You can type a local path, such as C:\Windows\web\wallpaper\home.jpg, or a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path, such as \\Server\Share\Corp.jpg. If the specified file is not available when the user logs on, no wallpaper is displayed. Users cannot specify alternative wallpaper. You can also use this setting to specify that the wallpaper image be centered, tiled, or stretched. Users cannot change this specification.

If you disable this setting or do not configure it, no wallpaper is displayed. However, users can select the wallpaper of their choice.

Also, see the Allow only bitmapped wallpaper setting in the same location and the Prevent changing wallpaper setting in User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel.

Note   This setting does not apply to remote desktop server sessions.

User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Control Panel -> Personalization -> Prevent changing desktop icons

Prevents users from changing the desktop icons.

By default, users can use the Desktop Icon Settings dialog box in the Personalization or Display Control Panel item to show, hide, or change the desktop icons.

If you enable this setting, the user cannot change any of the desktop icons.

For operating systems prior to Windows Vista, this setting also hides the Desktop tab in the Display Control Panel item.