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How to lock down work stations

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by james.hyde1

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I have 50 computers in two labs running Win 98. Students are constantly changing settings and installing unauthorized sofware. How do I clamp these machines so they are usable but not configurable. I have Power-on Software's On Guard but it doesn't work. I can't find any usable information on the Policy Editor built into Windows.

20 replies

by opatzg9

Windows 98 is not tamper proof, go to NT or 2000 and then you have an administrative control you can use. The only security on a win98 machine is the same as a dos machine, bios password protection which stops anyone from being able to use the machine which in a classroom environment makes them useless. The only other option is strict policies and enforcement. (loss of pc privleges,...) Good luck

by james.hyde1

Their is also a policy editor that can be loaded from Win 95 disk that will lock a 98 machine pretty good if you can figure out how to make templates. Problem is nobody can figure out the templates.

by ssheldon

95/98 OS's aren't totally securable but steps can be taken. The first thing to do is go through the policy editor and lock down the GUI to prevent users from installing software, modifying system and network settings etc. You can hide the control panels to these items and more as well as prevent people from being able to use the "Run" menu item off the start menu. Also, you can prevent user settings from being retained (when the user logs out or reboots, any changes made to the machine will be lost).

Look for information regarding the policy editor here: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/win98/tips/protuser.asp?frame=true
~or~
Search the web. There's a ton of info available.

by james.hyde1

Thanks I would love to use the policy editor if someone can tell me how. Your link didn't work and I have searched the web extensively and their are tons of articles on the policy editor but there are non that tell you how to use it.

by budthegrey

At the BOCES where I works (>200 Win95/ Win98/ Win2K student stations) we had great luck with Fortres 101 (http://www.fortres.com) and DeepFreeze (http://www.deepfreezeusa.com).

DeepFreeze was especially cool because the students could do anything they wanted to the system, and to restore it you only had to reboot. It even survived having the C:\WINDOWS and C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM folders deleted. You can also configure it so that specific areas (folders) can be changed (C:\My Documents, for example).

HTH

by trubblemaker

Have you tried the Tools\Reskit\Netadmin\Poledit folder on the Windows 98 CD-ROM

Personally, I think your best bet a PCI card device called Juzt-Reboot.

http://www.juzt-reboot.com/

Software variations of this device include Roxio's Go-Back.

All of these products allow the user to make changes to the system, but when rebooted, it reverts back to to the state in which the administrator left it. Perfect for stopping viruses etc. too.

by jose mir

Take a look to Novell ZENworks for Destops. Version 4 can be downloaded for evaluation.
It runs on Windows networks, even without Netware servers.

Regards,

Jose P Mir
jpm@jpmir.net

by fenaikh

Hi
You need access control software. Such as
PCSecurity.

http://www.tropsoft.com/pcsecurity/

NetOp School + Remote Control
http://www.netop.com/main.asp?fl=1

Good luck

Mohamed

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by awais000

Actually windows 98 is not having built in Security.
By Policy Editor Some Restriction can be applied but still it will not be safe.
Some 3rd party softwares are available for security reason like Winlock

by fatuncleal

Hi,
I work in a school district too. I have the same problem as you do. I started using a product call Drive Shield this year and I have a great result. It allows the user to change what ever and install software, but after it reboots, everything go back to the way it was locked down. It also has a Network Control piece you can install on a teacher's machine or server, then you can lock and unlock the whole lab without going to each machine, and you can also reboot the whole lab or individual machine from the teacher's machine or server. I started with 50 licenses, and going up to 280. It cuts down my problems caused by the students almost 100 % ( software problem ). Also I don't get virus problems on those machines. Check it out at www.CenturionTech.com . The software version cost about $20.00 a license. Hope this helps.

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