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New and Updated User Configuration Group Policy Settings in Windows 7

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Applies To: Windows 7

The following is a list of all the new and updated Group Policy settings that relate to user configuration in Windows 7. The list is organized by feature area and the Group Policy nodes in which they are located in the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). Click the name of a feature area to view more information about the policy settings.

Note

If you are using the Local Group Policy Editor, Policies is not part of the node path.

Group Policy Settings for Control Panel

The following Group Policy settings are available under the User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Control Panel node of the GPMC.

  • Always open All Control Panel items

  • Hide specified Control Panel items

  • Prohibit access to the Control Panel

  • Show only specified Control Panel items

Group Policy Settings for Display in Control Panel

The following Group Policy setting is available under the User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Display node of the GPMC.

  • Disable the Display Control Panel

Group Policy Settings for Start Menu and Taskbar

The following Group Policy settings are available under the User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar node of the GPMC.

  • Add Search Internet link to Start menu

  • Change Start menu power button

  • Clear history of recently opened documents on exit

  • Do not allow pinning items in Jump Lists

  • Do not allow pinning programs to the taskbar

  • Do not display or track items in Jump Lists from remote locations

  • Do not keep history of recently opened documents

  • Force classic Start menu

  • Prevent grouping of the taskbar items

  • Prevent users from moving taskbar to another screen dock location

  • Prevent users from resizing the taskbar

  • Remove Clock from the system notification area

  • Remove Downloads link from Start menu

  • Remove Homegroup link from Start menu

  • Remove pinned programs from the taskbar

  • Remove pinned programs list from the Start menu

  • Remove Recent Items menu from Start menu

  • Remove Recorded TV link from Start menu

  • Remove See More Results or Search Everywhere link

  • Remove the Action Center icon

  • Remove Videos link from Start menu

  • Show QuickLaunch on the taskbar

  • Turn off automatic promotion of notification icons to the taskbar

  • Turn off the taskbar thumbnails

The following Group Policy setting is available under the User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Desktop node of the GPMC.

  • Turn off Aero Shake window minimizing mouse gesture

The following Group Policy setting is available under the Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Desktop Window Manager node of the GPMC.

  • Do not allow window animations

The following Group Policy setting is available under the User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Desktop Window Manager node of the GPMC.

  • Do not allow window animations

Group Policy Settings for Action Center

The following Group Policy setting is available under the User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar node of the GPMC.

  • Remove the Action Center icon

The following Group Policy settings are available under the User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Control Panel node of the GPMC.

  • Hide specified Control Panel items

  • Show only specified Control Panel items

Group Policy Settings for Personalization

The following Group Policy settings are available under the User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Personalization node of the GPMC.

  • Load a specific theme

  • Password protect the screen saver

  • Prevent changing color scheme

  • Prevent changing mouse pointers

  • Prevent changing sounds

  • Prevent changing theme

  • Screen saver timeout

Settings to Allow Computers that are Members of a Domain to Join a Homegroup

The following Group Policy setting is available under the Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Network Connections node of the GPMC.

  • Require domain users to elevate when setting a network’s location

The following Group Policy setting is available under the Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\HomeGroup node of the GPMC.

  • Prevent the computer from joining a homegroup

The following Group Policy setting is available under the Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Printers node of the GPMC.

  • Point and Print Restrictions