Windows 7 How to create a user account, without menus or buttons - just desktop with select icons

[AtilaS]

Hello all,

I need to create a user account on a Windows 7 workstation, but with strict rules. Namely, no Start Button (and therefore no Control Panel or All Programs), no Win+R, locked or maybe even removed taskbar, etc...

I just want the user to be presented with a clean desktop showing only a few application icons he can run, at that's it.

How do I go about this??

Is there a minimum in terms of Windows 7 edition?

Regards,
Atila

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

I don't know any way to do that.
Maybe someone here has an idea, but there is a certain level of access that's just built in.

Even installing a second OS like Ubuntu, which would block access to running the Windows software or changing Windows settings would still give access to most of the data etc., on the computer.

And someone could still mess things up by deleting things etc.

If this is for a child, maybe it would be better to just buy them a inexpensive laptop and only install the things you want them to have access to.

Then make a system image of it on a DVD and you will be able to fix it easily if it gets messed up.

You can buy a laptop really cheap now days.

Maybe something like this would do what you need, I have no personal experience with these you would have to see if it can run the applications that you need.

Amazon.com: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch): Computers & Accessories

Mike

 

[AtilaS]

Hello Mike,

This is for a couple of workstations where users aren't supposed to tinker with anything, just run some programs and work inside them, but boredom is the devil's playground and sometimes they do tinker a lot.

Apparently, the easiest way to propagate suitable settings is through a domain - but this is a simple workgroup. After some research on "kiosk mode" I found some software that does turns a PC into a restriced work area, but this can also be accomplished by using a standard account and some Local Group Policy tuning:

How to turn a Windows 7 PC into a Kiosk | Jared Heinrichs

I hope this works.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

I never thought of the Kiosk idea.

I actually never gave any thought about how they do set up computers to be used like that.

But now that you mention it that makes sense.

I'll have to look at that just to see how it works.

Hope it works for you.

Note the part in the comments, about setting it up so that you can get back into Group Policy Editor yourself once you put it into effect!

Mike