How can I prevent a user from running or stopping a scheduled process?

A. You can block user access to scheduled tasks in a number of ways. To block access at a Group Policy level, perform the following steps:

1. Start Group Policy Editor (GPE) for the container you want to modify.
2. Expand either User Configuration or Computer Configuration.
3. Expand Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Task Scheduler.
4. Double-click "Prevent Task Run or End."
5. Select Enabled and click OK.

You can also edit the registry to block access on a per compputer or per user basis:

1. Start regedit.exe on the machine where you want to block access.
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Task Scheduler5.0 or HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Task Scheduler5.0 (you might need to create the key).
3. From the Edit menu, select New, DWORD Value, enter a name of Execution, and press Enter.
4. Double-click the new value, and set it to 1. Click OK.
5. Close regedit.