CUSTOMISED MENU

[cheekyboo]

Does anyone know what is the best way of creating a customised menu to be deployed on Windows 2000 Pro? I don't know exactly what the proper term is, but I call it menu because it is supposed to act like a start-up screen after boot-up in which it should bear a brief introduction screen and probably a login to enable users to log into the system. Users' activities should be limited by allowing them only to select the activities they wish to carry out from a customised menu.. e.g. use MS Office, internet surfing and oracle.

Please help! Thanks!!

 

[Smudge1977]

There are lots of issues in this!
Do you want your own log on screen?
Do you want a manditory profile so all users get the same fixed desktop and start menu items?

Are you running 2000 server at the back end so can you use AD and group policies?

 

[cheekyboo]

Yes.. I would need our own logon screen as I am planning to log all users onto our domain. And would definitely want users to have the same fixed desktop and start menu items. So, taking these and other factors into account, what's the easiest (if any) way to do this?

FYI, I am running 2000 server at the backend.

 

[Smudge1977]

I am not up on AD but...

If you have a gpo that you put all your computers in you can then have a logon banner saying your must be an auth user etc etc before people logon.

If you search microsoft.com for manditory profiles you will then be able to have a standard dektop that people can NOT change.

As I said before though this question is not very percific it is like - How to I setup my windows 2000 network so it does everything I want!

 

[PeteH2]

As Smudge1977 says, what you require will probably need the use of Mandatory Profiles which modifies many areas of the desktop and 'locks down' what the users can do. It gives them a PC with applications that the business needs them to have and need not what the users want to use. (Note the subtle difference between want and need).

However, this is a very large subject. If implemented properly it will require input from all areas of your business as each one could easily require a different profile.

The best way to start is to create a spreadsheet with depts across the top and all the applications that are to be run down the side. Then find out who *needs* what. The grid will slowly develop into a definition of how many profiles need to be developed and for which business area.

Good Luck.
I've seen large organisations that have departments of people that do nothing but this, as it is *that* important to productivity.


Pete...

 

[cheekyboo]

Thank you so much for your replies. I'll look into the mandatory profile. Some more questions...

1. Currently my users are not on a domain and they are just logging locally into their pc. I wonder if there's any way to make a customised log-in screen that will appear upon boot-up. I am not into programming so is there any other way to do this.. probably using VB?

2. Next.. if I already have the customised log-in screen, how do I make it boot-up either as a replacement to the windows log-in or after the windows log-in to go into our intranet portal?

 

[PeteH2]

Most customised screens log in or otherwise are bitmap images saved in the BMP format. Using bitmap software such as Paintshop Pro, design your screen and save it in a BMP format. Details of how to customise the login screen can be found here->

http://www.winguides.com/registry/category.php/15/

Pete...