Restricting functionality of limited user accounts

[synche]

I have XP Home sp2 installed and it permits limited user accounts to install certain software. For instance, I am able to download and install utorrent from the limited user acct.

Is it possible to block all software installations from the limited user acct?

Also, is it possible to make it so limited users cannot change the homepage in IE?

I would greatly appreciate any guidance on these issues.

[awaj]

utorrent isn't really installing. It's a single file that you can download, and run. I am not sure if you can easily limit user accounts. There are account types, Administraitor, and there are guest and there are non-administraitor accounts. I am not sure how much of a lock down you can get with the other two. What are you trying to do?

[mjc]

In XP Home...not much can be done other than all (admin) or nothing (guest).

[synche]

Thanks for the responses.

This is a computer that is in computer lab in a community learning center. We would like to make it so non-admin users can't install software. Perhaps we can't.

awaj, even if it is not installing as you say, non admins can still download the program and make it work. That is what we are trying to stop.

mjc, If there is a way to make it all (for admins), or nothing (guests), how do we do it. The guest accounts (for us) are blocked from installing some programs, but are allowed (? as awaj says) to install others (utorrent ?)

[awaj]

utorrent is hard to stop as it doesn't need to be installed. For all intents and purposes, it is a "portable" app. I am not sure if it can litterally run off of a hard drive, but aside from somehow stopping the transfer of files from a flash drive, CD, what ever, it can't really be stopped. What you can do is prevent the download of anything in guest (I think I don't have any way to try, or get the information on how) to do so. I believe a firewall will help with things like that.

I understand why you want to prevent utorrent as it can be a major hole for viruses and such to pop into your computer. I think Zone Alarm can limit what the program does in such a way that they wouldn't want to instal utorrent. (I just pulled Zone Alarm out of the top of my head as I have it on my laptop and I am sure that you can control programs, I am not sure of other programs like it that would work)

[PrntRhd]

You may wish to look at programs like Faronics "Deep Freeze", it locks the PC configuration.
http://www.faronics.com/

[synche]

Thank you for your quick responses awaj and PrntRhd,

awaj, although I am just a "neophyte geek" I think you may be right about utorrent not needing to be installed. After I dl'd it and initiated a torrent (it did start dl'ing a torrent), I went to uninstall it from the Add/Remove Program utility in the control panel and it wasn't on the list.

PrntRhd, I will definitely look into Deep Freeze to see if it will solve our problem.

I welcome any other input.

[PrntRhd]

Faronics also has a anti executable program that may also keep applications from running:
http://www.faronics.com/html/AntiExec.asp

[Jenie0109]

utorrent is hard to stop as it doesn't need to be installed. For all intents and purposes, it is a "portable" app. I am not sure if it can litterally run off of a hard drive, but aside from somehow stopping the transfer of files from a flash drive, CD, what ever, it can't really be stopped. What you can do is prevent the download of anything in guest (I think I don't have any way to try, or get the information on how) to do so. I believe a firewall will help with things like that.

I understand why you want to prevent utorrent as it can be a major hole for viruses and such to pop into your computer. I think Zone Alarm can limit what the program does in such a way that they wouldn't want to instal utorrent. (I just pulled Zone Alarm out of the top of my head as I have it on my laptop and I am sure that you can control programs, I am not sure of other programs like it that would work)

Why don't you disabled the USB.

[awaj]

Unless one really wanted to lock it down (defeating the purpose of having the computers I think) in such a way that one can only access the internet, and not having the ability to type and save papers and such, that isn't the way to go.

[synche]

PrntRhd,

The Deep Freeze program looks real good. I am just a volunteer at the Community Center where the Computer Lab is located. I have passed your tip up the chain of command. It appears to me to be an ideal solution.

Thanks for your suggestion. I'll let you know if we acquire the program and how it works for us.

[PrntRhd]

You are welcome.
Keep us informed as how things progress.
:)