This article is dedicated in the most to the system policies allow restricting the access to the settings available through the Display applet in the Control Panel. The Display applet is accessible in Windows in several places. It is located in the Control Panel. Or it can be called using context menu, by clicking with right mouse button on the empty place on the Desktop and later by selecting the corresponding menu item.
There can be the situation, when the system administrator encounters the necessity to restrict access of the not skilled users to the Display settings. For instance, wrong refresh rate may have the result of physical damage to the monitor. The proper adjustment of Display settings may increase video subsystem performance rate as well as system general performance rate. The increasing of refresh rate diminishes the flicker effect, betters the comfort of work. That is called the ergonomic features. The Active Desktop settings are closely linked with Display settings. The last: the Active Desktop can be the breach in the system security. But, the Active Desktop has a lot of own settings and system policies, which consideration is out of topic of this article.
The most of the system policies illustrated in this article are stored in the values, which are or can be located in HKEY_CURRENT_USER system registry hive. It ought to note the general rule. That is to say: the policies stored in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER have the Current User scope, but not the entire Computer.
Hide Screen Saver Page
This policy works in all Windows versions and, being enabled, removes the Screen Saver page from the applet for the Display settings in Control Panel. The Screen Saver selection, its settings customisation, Energy saving features of monitor and computer will not be accessible, but through the direct work with the system registry. For instance, exit from the hibernation mode can lead to the hang-up of mouse or system in the whole. The Screen Saver removing, customisation and password change respectively will not be available, what can create the additional illusion of being secured for user and administrator.
The state of this system policy is stored in numeric value "NoDispScrSavPage" in key "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" of HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive. The value equal to "1" is the active state of policy. The value "0" or its absence, what is equivalent to the state by default, means that policy is not applied or what is the same that the policy is in disabled state.
Disable UI to change menu animation setting
The animation effects for the Windows, menus and lists are created to vary that user's work, who likes transition effects, but can annoy or distract others from the work, who get accustomed to the classic interface or tired from long stay before the computer. The menu shading effect, drawing with explosion or sliding effects are, for example, considered as the animation effects.
The check box "Use transition effects for menus and tooltips", standing for the enabled or disabled state of the animation effects, is located on the Effects page of Display applet.
This system policy, fit for the Windows versions ME, 2000 and XP, while enabled, removes all the video animation effects. The option for the "Use transition effects for menus and tooltips" is also disabled, the dimming effect is applied on the check box, showing that the very possibility to turn on the animation effects is not available. This policy state is stored in the numeric value "NoChangeAnimation" in "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" registry key. This policy can be stored in both either HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE or HKEY_CURRENT_USER hives, and has the scope of either Current User or Local Machine respectively. A pair of Boolean values: "1" (enabled state) and "0" (disabled state) respond for representation of this policy. If the value is not present, this is equivalent to state by default - disabled policy. If conflict exists between policies applied both to Local Machine and Current User, the policy stored in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE has the priority over the policy which value stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
Disable UI to change keyboard navigation indicator setting
This system policy, which works in Windows 2000 and XP is kindred to above-described system policy "Disable UI to change menu animation setting". The keyboard navigation indicator is the underlining indicating the hot key. If this policy is enabled, the navigation indicators are displayed only when the "Alt" key is pressed. The underlining, like animation effects for windows, menus and lists are also created for diversification of work for user, who likes the transition effects, but can embarrass or distract form job.
The option, which is the check box for turning on the effect of underlining, is located on the Effects page and named: "Hide keyboard navigation indicators until I use the ALT key". While the option "Hide keyboard navigation indicators until I use the ALT key" is blocked, the check box is dimmed to show that the possibility of turning on the navigation indicators is not accessible. The system policy, canceling the navigation indicators and forbidding the manipulation of their enabled (disabled) state, is stored in the numeric value "NoChangeKeyboardNavigationIndicators". This value is stored in the "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" system registry key. This policy can be present either in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE hive and have the Local Machine range or HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive, with Current User range. When the conflict exists between the same policies with the Local Machine and Current User ranges, the system policy, stored in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE has the priority over the policy, stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive. This policy state is represented with the pair of Boolean values: "1" and "0". The absence of value is equivalent to the state by default - "0", in other words, the disabled state of the policy.
Hide Appearance Page
This policy is applicable in all Windows versions and removes the Appearance page from the applet for Display settings in Control Panel after being enabled. It is stored in the numeric value "NoDispAppearancePage" of "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" key in HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive. After appliance the Appearance page is hidden, and applet for Display settings can not be used for the customisation of colour or appearance scheme for the Desktop and windows.
A pair of Boolean values: "1" (enabled state) and "0" (disabled state) respond for representation of the policy. The absence of "NoDispAppearancePage" value means that the policy is not set or what is the same if it is in disabled state.
Hide Background Page
This policy works in all Windows versions and removes the Background page from the applet for Display settings in Control Panel after being set to the enabled state. The state of policy is stored in the "NoDispBackgroundPage" numeric value in "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" key of HKEY_CURRENT_USER system registry hive. When this policy is in active state, the Background page is removed and applet for Display settings can not be used for the customisation of patterns or wallpapers for Desktop.
There can be in the value one of Boolean values: "1", i.e. the policy is enabled, or "0", when the policy is in disabled state. When the "NoDispBackgroundPage" value is absent in "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" key, the applet for Display settings behaves in common way.
Hide Settings Page
This policy is applicable in all Windows versions and removes the Settings page from the applet for Display settings in Control Panel after being enabled applet for settings can not be used for the settings customisation of Display, video card, colour management. The numeric value "NoDispSettingsPage" of "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" in HKEY_CURRENT_USER system registry hive responds for this policy state.
A pair of Boolean values: "1" (enabled state) and "0" (disabled state) respond for representation of two states of this policy. The absence of "NoDispSettingsPage" value is equivalent to its zero value state.
In order to see the state of above-mentioned policies or to manipulate them in Activity and Authentication Analyzer follow in the left navigation pane next way:
Computer Administration then Control Panel, later Display and find in the right list items corresponding to these policies named:
- Hide Screen Saver Page
- Disable UI to change menu animation setting
- Disable UI to change keyboard navigation indicator setting
- Hide Appearance Page
- Hide Background Page
- Hide Settings Page
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