Can I lock a client-user's disk partition from server domain controller?

Question

Can I lock a client-user's disk partition from server domain controller?

Answer 1

Hi Lalfakzuala Ralte,

Thank you for posting in the Microsoft Community Forum.

You can use Group Policy to lock disk partitions on client user computers from the server domain controller, following these general steps:

1. Open Group Policy Management Console (GPMC): On the server domain controller, open the Group Policy Management Console. This is typically found in the "Administrative Tools" folder or can be located by searching in the "Start" menu.
2. Create a new Group Policy Object (GPO): Right-click on the domain or organizational unit (OU) to which the policy should be applied, then select "Create a GPO in this domain, and link it here." Specify a name for the GPO.
3. Edit the GPO: Right-click on the newly created GPO, then select "Edit" to open the Group Policy Management Editor.
4. Navigate to "User Configuration":
   • User Configuration -> Policies -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Removable Storage Access
5. Configure policies to restrict access: In the "Removable Storage Access" section, you'll find policies available to restrict access to various types of storage. To specifically lock disk partitions, you may need to focus on policies that prevent writing to removable disks or accessing removable storage. However, note that Windows Group Policy may not directly provide options to lock specific hard drive partitions (such as C: or D:) without affecting removable storage.
6. Enable and configure policies: Double-click on the policy to enforce, select "Enabled," and then apply any specific configurations required for the scenario.
7. Apply and test policies: After configuring the policy as needed, close the editor and return to the Group Policy Management Console. The policy will be automatically applied over time, or you can force a Group Policy update on client computers by running .gpupdate /force
8. Verify policy application: Test with users or computers affected by the policy to ensure it's applied correctly. You can use the command on client computers to verify whether the policy has been applied.gpresult /r

Note that restricting access to specific hard disk partitions (such as C: or D:) is more complex and may not be achievable directly through these removable storage access policies.

Best regards

Neuvi Jiang