An admin changing a limited user's default printer 1

[DotNetter]

I am on an admin on my home PC and my kids have a "limited user" account. I've used "1st Security Agent" (

http://www.softheap.com/newadmin.html)

to further limit their damaging abilities Somehow, however, their default printer got set to "Fax" instead of our actual printer and they have no Control Panel to change the default printer. How can I switch their default printer?

Thanks,
Dot

 

[linney]

Control Panel/ Printer and Faxes/, right-click on the Printer and look for the menu option to Set As Default Printer.

If for some reason you don't have it in Control Panel look for Printer and Faxes on the Start Menu.

 

[DotNetter]

There's neither a Control Panel nor any Printer/Faxes in the Start Menu nor in any submenus of the Start Menu...

 

[traycee]

Open my computer and see if you can access the control panel from there...otherwise...it appears that you may have locked down your computer a little too much if you can't open it up again to make the changes.

 

[DotNetter]

Nope, can't get to it that way, either. Is there an easy registry change I could make?

 

[vacunita]

This might be a dumb question, But why don't you use the Security software, to reenable the access to the Control Panel, so you can then change the printers around, and then secure it back again?



----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[DotNetter]

Not a dumb question - but I can't get it to work! (Their tech support is just awful...)

 

[linney]

Just some ideas.

Try temporarily promoting the Limited User to an Administrator, make your changes, then demote them. While they are promoted you could even try using System Restore.

Have a look in Group Policy around User Configuration/ Administrative Templates/ Control Panel and see what you have available.

Uninstall or if possible disable the Security Agent program to make your changes. You can put it back or enable it after this.

 

[DotNetter]

Linney, thanks for the ideas!

Regarding the first idea, will promoting and then re-demoting them possibly cause any unwanted changed - like unexpected rights to folders that I've locked them out of, or administrative rights that might linger - or should that be 100% clean?

Thanks,
Dot

 

[linney]

You should be safe, it is only the user-type you are changing, not permissions for access. So once you revert to a Limited user, it is back to "as you were".

 

[DotNetter]

Thank you very much, Linney, that sounds like the easiest idea!

(star) !

Dot

 

[DotNetter]

Linney, I tried promoting the user to admin - but still was not able to change the default printers. Could you please clarify this:

Have a look in Group Policy around User Configuration/ Administrative Templates/ Control Panel and see what you have available.

I looked for that by right-clicking on My Computer | Manage - but couldn't find those options. Could you please be very specific - i.e. pretend you're explaining it to a moron.

Thanks,
Dot

 

[wcburton]

Quick Google search on
registry setting "default printer"
turned up this article:

Changing a User's Default Printer in the Registry

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=156212

The setting is in the current user hive so you need to have not locked them out of editing the registry as well.

 

[DotNetter]

Heh, heh, heh...

Is there no way for an admin to get to the "current user hive"?

[ Hoping... ]

Dot

 

[linney]

For Group Policy you must be using XP Pro. You find it by typing GPedit.msc in the Start Run box.


To look for you current default printer in another users registry settings look for keys similar to this.

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-XXxXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxx\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows


The first couple of numbers are known as Security Identifiers (Sids) read about them in the Help and Support program.

You could just search the registry for your default printer entry and try and pick it up that way. There are several HKEY_USERS keys representing different types of users.