Windows Tips & Tricks UPDATE, November 8, 2004, —brought to you by the Windows IT Pro Network and the Windows 2000 FAQ site
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FAQs
- Q. How can I repair Windows 2000 Server's default Group Policy Objects (GPOs)?
- Q. How can I install the new Energy Blue display theme that's available for Windows XP Media Center Edition (XP MCE) 2005 and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 on a standard Windows XP machine?
- Q. What entry should I add to a Dcpromo answer file to specify that a domain controller (DC) should also be made a Global Catalog (GC)?
- Q. How can I install a domain controller (DC) from backup media by using a Dcpromo answer file?
- Q. How can I mark my USB storage devices as read-only?
Commentary
by John Savill, FAQ Editor, [email protected]
This week, I explain how to repair the default Windows 2000 Server Group Policy Objects (GPOs) and how to install the new Energy Blue display theme on a standard Windows XP machine. I also tell you what entry you should add to a Dcpromo answer file to specify that a domain controller (DC) should be made a Global Catalog (GC), how to use a Dcpromo answer file to install a DC from backup media, and how to mark USB storage devices as read-only.
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FAQs
Q. How can I repair Windows 2000 Server's default Group Policy Objects (GPOs)?
A. You can use Microsoft's RecreateDefpol utility to repair the Default Domain Policy and Default Domain Controllers Policy. (RecreateDefpol works only on Win2K Server systems.) You can download recreatedefpol.exe at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=b5b685ae-b7dd-4bb5-ab2a-976d6873129d&displaylang=en. On Windows Server 2003 systems, use the Dcgpofix tool to restore default GPOs to their original state, as I explain in the FAQ "How can I restore the contents of the Default Domain and Default Domain Controller (DC) Group Policy Objects (GPOs)?" at http://www.windowsitpro.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=41878.
Q. How can I install the new Energy Blue display theme that's available for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (XP MCE) 2005 and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 on a standard Windows XP machine?
A. Microsoft has created a new theme for the latest XP MCE and XP Tablet PC versions, which you can download at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=86268ffa-70b1-4814-bd00-2d380dc5a89d&displaylang=en. The theme, which is known as Energy Blue or Royale, is included in XP MCE 2005 and can be installed on an XP Tablet PC 2005 system. You can install the theme on a regular XP system by performing this workaround:
- Open the downloaded windowsxp-tabletpc-energybluetheme-x86-enu.exe file in WinZip (or another program that can extract files from a packaged executable) and extract its content to a local folder--for example, C:\temp\bliss.
- Create the following folders under the C:\windows\resources\themes folder:
royale
royale\shell
royale\shell\homestead
royale\shell\metallic
royale\shell\normalcolor
royale\shell\royale
royale\wallpaper - Copy the royale.theme file that you extracted into the main C:\windows\resource\themes folder.
- Copy the royale.msstyles file into the \royale subfolder.
- Copy the shellstyle.dll file into each of the \shell subfolders (royale\shell\homestead, royale\shell\metallic, royale\shell\normalcolor, royale\shell\royale).
- Copy the energybliss.jpg file into the \royale\wallpaper subfolder.
When you select the Display Properties Appearance tab--which the figure at http://www.windowsitpro.com/content/content/44452/royaletheme.gif shows--you'll see two Windows XP style options listed. One of the XP style options includes a Royale color scheme; select this scheme. Then, on the Theme tab, select the Energy Blue theme. Click Apply and OK. Enjoy your screen's new appearance!
Q. What entry should I add to a Dcpromo answer file to specify that a domain controller (DC) should also be made a Global Catalog (GC)?
A. To specify that a DC should also be made a GC during the Dcpromo process (which can be useful when you install a new DC from media that contains data copied from a GC), add the following entry to the answer file:
ConfirmGC = Yes
Q. How can I install a domain controller (DC) from backup media by using a Dcpromo answer file?
A. To create a DC from a backup during the Dcpromo process, add these two entries to the answer file:
ReplicateFromMedia=Yes ReplicationSourcePath=
Your answer file entries should look something like this:
Unattended\] UnattendMode=FullUnattended \[DCInstall\] AllowAnonymousAccess=No AutoConfigDNS=No DatabasePath=LogPath= SysVolPath= Password= UserDomain= UserName= ReplicaDomainDNSName= CriticalReplicationOnly=No ReplicaOrNewDomain=Replica SafeModeAdminPassword= RebootOnSuccess=Yes ReplicateFromMedia=Yes ReplicationSourcePath= ConfirmGC = Yes
Q. How can I mark my USB storage devices as read-only?
A. Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) introduces a new registry subkey that lets you mark USB-based storage devices such as memory sticks as read-only devices. This is a useful security capability that can prevent users from copying data from their systems and taking that data offsite via a USB device. To enable the USB write protection, perform the following steps:
- Start the registry editor (regedit.exe).
- Navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies subkey. (Create the StorageDevicePolicies subkey if it doesn't already exist.)
- From the Edit menu, select New, DWORD Value.
- Type the name WriteProtect and press Enter.
- Double-click the new value and set it to 1. Click OK.
- Close the registry editor.
- Restart the computer.
To disable this change, you can either set WriteProtect to 0 or delete it.
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