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Now navigate through the console tree to Security Settings | Software Restriction Policies. When the Administrative Tools window opens, double click on the Local Security Policy icon. Next, click the Performance and Maintenance link followed by the Administrative Tools link. For the purposes of this article, I will show you how to implement a software restriction policy within Windows XP.īegin by logging on as the Administrator and opening the Control Panel. Just as the name implies, a software restriction policy allows you to control what software a user is and is not allowed to run.Ī software restriction policy is actually a group policy element that can be applied either to a domain controller or to a workstation running Windows XP. This weapon is called a software restriction policy. What you might not realize though is that Windows XP offers an additional weapon against unauthorized software.

Hopefully, you have a security policy in place that prevents users from installing software on their workstations. Even if the game in question hadn’t carried a virus, the simple fact that it was a boot leg copy could have exposed the company to fines and other litigation related to software piracy.Īs if that weren’t enough, the game consumed a ton of hard disk space and also decreased the available network bandwidth when users played against each other It is for these reasons why I believe that it is very important to maintain control of the software running on your workstations. As the horror story that I just told illustrates, serious problems can arise when users install unauthorized software. What I am against is users being able to install software onto corporate machines. I will be the first to admit that when I need a brain break I will fire up a copy of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 or play a little Tetris to get the juices flowing. It wasn’t until I download an up to date anti virus program that the real problem was revealed and ultimately solved.ĭon’t get me wrong. Everyone assumed that it must have something to do with the game, but no one could figure out why uninstalling the game couldn’t fix the problem. Within a couple of hours, no one in the office could boot Windows and no one knew why. What no one in the office knew was that the game was infected with a rather nasty virus and the company’s anti virus software was very outdated. Of course everyone in the office just had to have a copy. During my visit, one of my relative’s co-workers was showing off a popular off road driving game that he had just boot legged.

Several years ago, I was visiting a relative at his office for a day.