Designing Managed Configurations

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Many help desk calls occur after users attempt to upgrade and install nonstandard hardware and software. By creating standards, and designing and deploying managed configurations in your organization, you can specify which applications users can access and which features are available, based on users’ job types, services provided by the IT department, and the needs of your corporate environment.

You can limit unnecessary access to system functionality to decrease the number of problems users might inadvertently cause. For example, you can use Group Policy to prevent users from accessing various storage devices such as floppy disk drives, hard disks, or CD-ROMs. By using security policy or ACLs, you can also secure objects, such as system files and the registry, so that your users cannot gain access to them.

Implementing standard configurations can result in increased user productivity by reducing the incidence of computer-related problems. Also, because standard configurations are easier to troubleshoot or replace, they bring about a reduction in support costs.