Active Desktop Tweaks - Active Desktop Restrictions

Features of the Windows Active Desktop can be selectively controlled by modifying options in the Windows registry.

To do this,  follow the next steps:

  1. Open the Registry Editor click on the Start button on your taskbar, then click on Run and type "regedit" and click on OK to start the regedit utility.
     
  2. Expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop (see picture 1).

    Picture 1
  3. Create a new DWORD value based on the options below, and set the new value to equal "1" to enable the restriction or "0" to disable the restriction.
     
    • NoChangingWallpaper - Disable the ability to change wallpapers.
    • NoComponents - Disable components.
    • NoAddingComponents - Disable the ability to add components.
    • NoDeletingComponents - Disable the ability to delete components.
    • NoEditingComponents - Disable the ability to edit components.
    • NoCloseDragDropBands
    • NoMovingBands - retrict adjustments to desktop toolbars
    • NoHTMLWallPaper - only allow bitmaps (BMP) as wallpaper
       
  4. The modifications you made will be in effect after you reboot your PC.

Note: If you don't have the value "ActiveDesktop" subkey, create it.

Note: These restrictions can be used either on a user by user basis by adding it to HKEY_CURRENT_USER or on a computer wide basis by adding it to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

 


Author:

Lex van der Horst

Date Added:

29-02-2004

Last Reviewed:

29-09-2004