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Subject Author Date
restricting software installation <param 07-27-2005
Posted by <param on July 27, 2005, 10:41 am
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Hi all,

We run a single Server 2003 domain running on SBS2003. What I want to do is
restrict users from installing programs on their machine. If they want to
install a program they would have to call an Admin to do it. Ideally, it
would be nice if I can have an approved list of programs that they can
install, and anything not in the list they would have to contact an admin.
Any suggestions/best practices on this? I have tried messing with the
Software Restriction Policies in the gpedit tool, but that ended up giving
all kinds of errors on the machines including error messages when Outlook
was opened. Probably because of Adobe Professional plugins that get
installed into Outlook & Office products.

thanks!




Posted by Nathan on July 27, 2005, 11:15 am
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Make sure users are not local admins on their machines.
> Hi all,
>
> We run a single Server 2003 domain running on SBS2003. What I want to do
> is restrict users from installing programs on their machine. If they want
> to install a program they would have to call an Admin to do it. Ideally,
> it would be nice if I can have an approved list of programs that they can
> install, and anything not in the list they would have to contact an admin.
> Any suggestions/best practices on this? I have tried messing with the
> Software Restriction Policies in the gpedit tool, but that ended up giving
> all kinds of errors on the machines including error messages when Outlook
> was opened. Probably because of Adobe Professional plugins that get
> installed into Outlook & Office products.
>
> thanks!
>




Posted by <param on July 27, 2005, 10:14 pm
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What if some are?


> Make sure users are not local admins on their machines.
>> Hi all,
>>
>> We run a single Server 2003 domain running on SBS2003. What I want to do
>> is restrict users from installing programs on their machine. If they want
>> to install a program they would have to call an Admin to do it. Ideally,
>> it would be nice if I can have an approved list of programs that they can
>> install, and anything not in the list they would have to contact an
>> admin. Any suggestions/best practices on this? I have tried messing with
>> the Software Restriction Policies in the gpedit tool, but that ended up
>> giving all kinds of errors on the machines including error messages when
>> Outlook was opened. Probably because of Adobe Professional plugins that
>> get installed into Outlook & Office products.
>>
>> thanks!
>>
>
>




Posted by Roger Abell [MVP] on July 27, 2005, 7:49 pm
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Nathan is correct, that if you client machines are XP at a relatively
native state as per initial install, then just making the domain users
log in as on Users group members will go a long way to restricting
their install capabilities (not stop it totally however).
The main vehicle today to go the next step is the same software
restriction policies you have been trying. Just take a machine in
a new test OU, a test domain user account also in the OU, and
evolve your software restrictions in a new GPO that is linked to
that test OU. When you get the desired result, link the GPO to
the OU that holds the real client machines.

--
Roger Abell
Microsoft MVP (Windows Server System: Security)
MCDBA, MCSE W2k3+W2k+Nt4
> Hi all,
>
> We run a single Server 2003 domain running on SBS2003. What I want to do
> is restrict users from installing programs on their machine. If they want
> to install a program they would have to call an Admin to do it. Ideally,
> it would be nice if I can have an approved list of programs that they can
> install, and anything not in the list they would have to contact an admin.
> Any suggestions/best practices on this? I have tried messing with the
> Software Restriction Policies in the gpedit tool, but that ended up giving
> all kinds of errors on the machines including error messages when Outlook
> was opened. Probably because of Adobe Professional plugins that get
> installed into Outlook & Office products.
>
> thanks!
>




Posted by <param on July 27, 2005, 10:16 pm
Please log in for more thread options
How would I go about setting up an OU and will that new OU disrupt my SBS
configuration? I know SBS does a bunch of unique A/D stuff..

TIA!

> Nathan is correct, that if you client machines are XP at a relatively
> native state as per initial install, then just making the domain users
> log in as on Users group members will go a long way to restricting
> their install capabilities (not stop it totally however).
> The main vehicle today to go the next step is the same software
> restriction policies you have been trying. Just take a machine in
> a new test OU, a test domain user account also in the OU, and
> evolve your software restrictions in a new GPO that is linked to
> that test OU. When you get the desired result, link the GPO to
> the OU that holds the real client machines.
>
> --
> Roger Abell
> Microsoft MVP (Windows Server System: Security)
> MCDBA, MCSE W2k3+W2k+Nt4
>> Hi all,
>>
>> We run a single Server 2003 domain running on SBS2003. What I want to do
>> is restrict users from installing programs on their machine. If they want
>> to install a program they would have to call an Admin to do it. Ideally,
>> it would be nice if I can have an approved list of programs that they can
>> install, and anything not in the list they would have to contact an
>> admin. Any suggestions/best practices on this? I have tried messing with
>> the Software Restriction Policies in the gpedit tool, but that ended up
>> giving all kinds of errors on the machines including error messages when
>> Outlook was opened. Probably because of Adobe Professional plugins that
>> get installed into Outlook & Office products.
>>
>> thanks!
>>
>
>




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