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AnswerForce User logoff - Server 2008

  • Friday, April 04, 2008 5:50 AMHIPAA-POTAMUS Users MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
     
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    Has Microsoft added the ability to force user logoff after a specified amount of time with Group Policy on Server 2008?  I've been browsing through Group Policy and can't seem to find it.  (Assuming it's there.)  I rather not use the logoff screen saver for Windows XP if I can help it.

     

    If it's not there MS needs to get its act together and fix simple things like this.

     

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  • Friday, April 04, 2008 8:13 AMZilentMVPUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
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    Hi there,

     

    Unfortunately this functionality is still not there - you'll still have to use the old "winexit.scr" sreeensaver workaround for doing this... I'll make sure to bring it up next time I meet the GP guys in MS - have heard a lot of other people wanting this functionality.

     

    Best regards

    Jakob H. Heidelberg
    MVP:Enterprise Security

     

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  • Friday, April 04, 2008 8:13 AMZilentMVPUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
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    Hi there,

     

    Unfortunately this functionality is still not there - you'll still have to use the old "winexit.scr" sreeensaver workaround for doing this... I'll make sure to bring it up next time I meet the GP guys in MS - have heard a lot of other people wanting this functionality.

     

    Best regards

    Jakob H. Heidelberg
    MVP:Enterprise Security

     
  • Friday, April 04, 2008 6:56 PMHIPAA-POTAMUS Users MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
     
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    Thanks for the quick reply.

     

    I find it truely amazing that MS hasn't found it important to include this functionality in GP.  The fact that "winexit.src" exists shows that there is a desire by customers.

     

    I guess it's back to using 'winexit.src' for now.

     

    Thanks again!

     
  • Monday, April 07, 2008 6:56 AMFlorian FrommherzMVPUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
     
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    Howdie!

     

     HIPAA-POTAMUS wrote:

     

    Has Microsoft added the ability to force user logoff after a specified amount of time with Group Policy on Server 2008?  I've been browsing through Group Policy and can't seem to find it.  (Assuming it's there.)  I rather not use the logoff screen saver for Windows XP if I can help it.

     

    Zilent's right - there currently is no such thing.

     

    What you could try - as an additional approach - is to use the "Network Security: Force logoff when logon user hours expire" in CompConf\Windows Settings\SecSettings\Local Policies\Security Options. That essentially cuts off SMB connections to file servers and such and prevents the user from re-connecting if I remember that right.

     

    cheers,

     

    Florian

     
  • Friday, April 18, 2008 12:16 PMCraglett Users MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
     
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    I'd just like to register my interest in this feature.
     
  • Thursday, April 24, 2008 6:34 AMhaferka Users MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
     
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    Have you considered a Preference..  Scheduled Task.. (on logon).. X minutes inactivity as the timer.. then execute logoff.exe with all the relevent command line arguments..

     
  • Thursday, April 24, 2008 7:16 AMZilentMVPUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
     
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    Hi,

     

    Regarding Scheduled tasks there's a slight problem with the use of that particular inactivity timer - as it uses CPU utilization (and maybe a few other parameters) as its tracking method over a certain period of time, not "user inactivity" (like mouse or keyboard clicks) as you might expect... However I haven't been able to confirm that with a KB article or another source at this point, so you just gotta trust me on this ;-)

     

    Best regards

     

    Jakob H. Heidelberg

    MVP:Enterprise Security

     
  • Thursday, April 24, 2008 1:31 PMhaferka Users MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
     
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    how about setting something that we know works for user innactivity.. power management or Away Mode.. then trigger a logoff based on that activity?