Active Desktop - Enable/Disable

The user is normally given the option of disabling Active Desktop through the display properties. This tweak removes the ability to disable Active Desktop.

Open your registry and find the key below.

Create a new DWORD value named "ForceActiveDesktopOn" and set the value to "1" to force the use of Active Desktop.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
Value Name: ForceActiveDesktopOn
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0 = default, 1 = enabled)

* This tweak will remove the Active Desktop options from Settings on the Start Menu.

Open your registry and find the key below.

Create a new DWORD value named "NoSetActiveDesktop", and set the new value to equal "1" to enable the restriction or "0" to disable the restriction.

Note: This restriction can be used either on a user by user basis by adding it to HKEY_CURRENT_USER or on a computer wide basis by adding it to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
Value Name: NoSetActiveDesktop
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0 = disable restriction, 1 = enable restriction)

* This tweak allows you to have Active Desktop enabled, but to restrict any changes to the settings.

Open your registry and find the key below.

Create a new DWORD value, or modify the existing value called 'NoActiveDesktopChanges' set the value to equal '1' to enable the restriction.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]

Value Name: NoActiveDesktopChanges
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0 = disable restriction, 1 = enable restriction)

* Features of the Windows Active Desktop can be selectively controlled by modifying options in the Windows registry. Following the instructions in this tweak.

Open your registry and find the key below.

Create a new DWORD value based on the options below, and set the new value to equal "1" to enable the restriction or "0" to disable the restriction.

NoChangingWallpaper - Disable the ability to change wallpapers.
NoComponents - Disable components.
NoAddingComponents - Disable the ability to add components.
NoDeletingComponents - Disable the ability to delete components.
NoEditingComponents - Disable the ability to edit components.
NoCloseDragDropBands
NoMovingBands - retrict adjustments to desktop toolbars
NoHTMLWallPaper - only allow bitmaps (BMP) as wallpaper

Note: These restrictions can be used either on a user by user basis by adding it to HKEY_CURRENT_USER or on a computer wide basis by adding it to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop]
System Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop]
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0 = disable restriction, 1 = enable restriction)