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Windows 7 LGPE Part II, Security changes

December 23, 2009

Part I introduced you to the idea behind changing your Windows 7 Local Group Policies to make changes to suit your use of Windows, whatever that may be. The Local Group Policy Editor (LGPE) is a powerful tool, but also a potentially dangerous one if not used carefully. Yes, you have read that before; be careful and only make changes you understand. Of course, also make sure to do a system restore point to protect you from any missteps. This last step is much more than a recommendation; it is a life-saver.

Let’s look at making some security changes to Windows 7 and its applications. Really, this change is more than just security, it is also cosmetic and limits the ability of other users to make significant changes – which is usually a good thing in a shared-computer environment.

Internet Explorer (IE) has two useful and important tabs with which users can change the way IE browses the Internet – the Security and Privacy tabs. They can be adjusted to increase or reduce security features – things like how IE handles an add-on install, or downloads ActiveX plug-ins under the Security tab and how IE handles cookies, or changes to the Pop-up Blocker in the Privacy tab. Weakening the setting here can lead to some rather nasty problems on your system. It is easy for other parties to gain access to your data and to track where you go on the web. To keep anyone else who uses your computer for Internet access from contracting a virus or a worm, you will probably be well-suited by not letting anyone make changes to these settings.

To make these changes, do the following:

Once you have the LGPE open and running, go to User Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Internet Explorer | Internet Control Panel and double-click on Disable The Privacy Page
Change it to Enable
Next, in the same location, double-click on Disable The Security Page
Change this to Enable as well
Click OK and the policy will go into effect

If you wish to do so, you can also change policies for each ‘zone’; the zones are split among Internet, Local Intranet, Trusted Sites and Restricted Sites – each represents a different access for Internet Explorer. You can change many little settings here in this area of the LPGE.

For another security change, you can change the behavior of the Windows Security window. The Windows Security window is what greets you when you first start up the OS, or you switch users – by logging out so that someone else may login. You have probably typed your Windows password in here many times. With the LGPE you can radically change the look and feel of this window. Of the various buttons – Lock This Computer, Switch User, Log Off, Change a Password, Start Task Manager – only the Switch User button cannot be changed. So, to either clean up the look of the Security window or to limit what other users can do from this window, you can remove the buttons by doing the following.

Once you have opened the LGPE and you can use it, go to User Configuration | Administrative Templates | System | Ctrl+Alt+Del Options and double-click on one or all of the following options:
Remove Change Password – This takes away the ability to change a user’s password from the Windows Security window
Remove Lock This Computer – This will disable the Lock This Computer function on the Windows Security window
Remove Task Manager – This simply disables the Start Task Manager button and removes it from the Windows Security window
Remove Logoff – This removes the Log Off button from the Windows Security window
Enable any of those above which you wish not be removed and they will be taken away from the Windows Security window.

That’s it – it is very simple to take away options from users you may not trust to use them properly. Plus, it will make the Windows Security window look much cleaner – but, of course, you will not be able to use any of those buttons either now that they are removed. So, make sure you want them gone before you perform this operation.

Here we have two more effective changes you can make with the LGPE. Do you see how simple it is to make big changes? That should tell you just how important this snap-in is to your Windows 7 experience. It should also make you a bit afraid of making changes here – that is good as you need to be very careful here. However, as you have seen so far, this is an easy process as long as you stick to the steps herein. In part III, we will look to some changes which help you simplify and secure your Control Panel – another powerful part of the Windows 7 OS.

Filed under: Guides, Tips, Windows 7 Tweaks

Tags: active x, control panel, ie8, internet explorer, lgpe, local group policy editor, plugin, pop up blocker, privacy, security, system restore point, task manager, virus, win 7, windows 7