Windows Policies Customization from registry

Note: Editing registry directly is not safe, it can crash your windows or it starts working abnormally, so if you have good knowledge of registry only then try this.

The various information about the policies of the Windows Explorer stored in the registry key as below:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

There is a list of values in this key that can be customized to reflect the desired behavior of the windows policies.

e.g. To Hide Disc Drive

navigate to registry key as specified above". Create a new entry by clicking on edit-> new->"Dword value". Name the value as 3fffffff.
Now each drive letter has a number. The value of the key will be the sum of the drive letter numbers. Some of the numbers are :

A:=1, B:=2,C:\4,D:=8,e:=16,f:=32,g:=64,H:=128,I:=256,j:=512,k:=1024,L:=2048 and so on. ..... Now if you want to hide "C:" and "D:" , you just have to enter value as '12'(4+8). Enter as decimal value in the dword key and restart windows.
To get back your drives just delete the key called "3fffffff".


Similarly you can enforce/disable many other policies to in addition to default policy behaviours. Some of the useful list of tricks is given as below:

Navigate to same key as given above and Under this create a DWORD-Value and name it from the list below to impose restriction.

The value of which will be

• 1 to restrict and
• 0 to remove restriction.

NoDeletePrinter: Disables Deletion of already installed Printers

NoAddPrinter: Disables Addition of new Printers

NoRun : Disables or hides the Run Command

NoSetFolders: Removes Folders from the Settings option on Start Menu (Control Panel, Printers, Taskbar)

NoSetTaskbar: Removes Taskbar system folder from the Settings option on Start Menu

NoFind: Removes the Find Tool (Start >Find)

NoDrives: Hides and does not display any Drives in My Computer

NoNetHood: Hides or removes the Network Neighborhood icon from the desktop

NoDesktop: Hides all items including, file, folders and system folders from the Desktop

NoClose: Disables Shutdown and prevents the user from normally shutting down Windows.

NoSaveSettings: Means to say, 'Don't save settings on exit'

DisableRegistryTools: Disable Registry Editing Tools (If you disable this option, the Windows Registry Editor(regedit.exe) too will not work.). So be very careful.

NoRecentDocsHistory: Removes Recent Document system folder from the Start Menu (IE 4 and above)

NoFileMenu _ Hides the Files Menu in Explorer

NoActiveDesktop - No Active Desktop

NoActiveDesktopChanges- No changes allowed

NoInternetIcon - No Internet Explorer Icon on the Desktop

NoFavoritesMenu - Hides the Favorites menu

NoChangeStartMenu _ Disables changes to the Start Menu

NoFolderOptions _ Hides the Folder Options in the Explorer

NoLogoff - Hides the Log Off .... in the Start Menu

NoViewOnDrive – Restrict a drive to open

NoTrayContextMenu - No context menu in tray.

NoStartMenuSubFolders
NoWindowsUpdate
NoViewContextMenu
EnforceShellExtensionSecurity
LinkResolveIgnoreLinkInfo
NoDriveTypeAutoRun
NoStartBanner
NoSetActiveDesktop
NoNetConnectDisconnect

ClearRecentDocsOnExit: Clears the Recent Documents system folder on Exit.

RestrictRun - Disables all exe programs except those listed in the RestrictRun subkey

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Under the same key i.e. "HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/CurrentVersion/Policies" you can create new subkeys other than the already existing Explorer key.

-Now create a new key and name it System.
-Under this new key, system we can create the
following new DWORD values

• 1 for enabling the particular option and
  
• 0 for disabling the particular option

· NODispCPL: Hides Control Panel
· NoDispBackgroundPage: Hides Background page.
· NoDispScrsavPage: Hides Screen Saver Page
· NoDispAppearancePage: Hides Appearance Page
· NoDispSettingsPage: Hides Settings Page
· NoSecCPL: Disables Password Control Panel
· NoPwdPage: Hides Password Change Page
· NoAdminPaqe: Hides Remote Administration Page
· NoProfilePage: Hides User Profiles Page
· NoDevMgrPage: Hides Device Manager Page
· NoConfigPage: Hides Hardware Profiles Page
· NoFileSysPage: Hides File System Button
· NoVirtMemPage: Hides Virtual Memory Button