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Add shortcuts to Start – Group Policies

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I have clamped down the start menu and desktop in XP with group policies on our 2003 Server. How do I add shortcuts to programs like Word,Excel and other programs to the start menu and desktop for users in the Policy Editor.

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I’ve always had to push MSI’s via GPO’s to accomplish that. Then you publish the MSI to the computers via a GPO. As far as I know or have ever read, that is the only way to accomplish it, but if someone has a better idea, I’d lvoe it hear it.

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I haven’t heard of another way via GP either. its either Publish or Assign using GP.

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Ok, my next question, what is a MSI’s and how do I use them?

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geez, reject mine and not Bfilms, I feel singled out [ha ha ha] a .msi package is required to distribute software via group policy to users via the add/remove applet in the control panel. a .msi package is generally created using a program like Wininstall Lite. This program repackages the software with a .msi file extension so that you can utilize the software installation capability of Group Policy via a software distribution point.

If you want the who speil about creating install packages [.msi files] for use with Group Policy, heres a link: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/msi/setup/role_based_guide_to_windows_installer_documentation.asp

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Note: many of the Microsoft Help and Support pages reference SMS for managing software on the network including distributing software to users or using using Visual Studio to create packages.

Heres a link which is Q&A on Windows 2003 package creation. Note, Microsoft will not recommend a package creation software like Wininstall but I’ve used Wininstall Lite for software like screen savers to create packages to deploy via GP. Works pretty good.

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the Q&A link for Windows 2003

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/chats/trans/windowsnet/wnet0626.mspx

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