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Setting Default settings for screensaver and lock screen timeout

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Hi,

I would like to set default settings Screen lock\screensaver settings for Windows 7 machines in my environment. I was hoping to do do this with a script to edit the registry. I don't want to use Group Policy to enforce this change as I want users to be able to customize these settings afterward.

From my reading, adding these 3 registry entries should do the trick:

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop, ScreenSaveActive=1

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop, ScreenSaverIsSecure=1

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop, ScreenSaveTimeOut = 600

And a fourth perhaps also:

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop, SCRNSAVE.EXE = C:\windows\system32\scrnsave.scr

However, when I logon to the computer with a new profile, these settings do not take effect. Am I doing something wrong here, or can someone advise on a better way?

(Adding the above settings to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop always works fine for the current user)

Thanks.
- Edited by dude -d Monday, May 28, 2012 2:58 PM
Monday, May 28, 2012 2:56 PM

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Hi

.DEFAULT has nothing to do with the Default user profile. It's a system account. You encounter some of these settings before login, e.g. NumLock for Login-Mask*.

However, if you want to modify registry settings of Default user, you first have to load its ntuser.dat into registry editor.

lg
Marcello

* HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard\
Name: InitialKeyboardIndicators Type: REG_SZ
Data: 2
- Edited by Marcello Rungi Saturday, June 2, 2012 9:07 AM
- Marked as answer by Juke Chou Wednesday, June 6, 2012 2:16 AM
Wednesday, May 30, 2012 8:22 PM
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You can use group policy Preferences which allows the users to change the screensaver settings but applies one for them. Here is a great article on how to do it with Preferences.

http://www.grouppolicy.biz/tag/screensaver/

here is a great overview article for Preferences

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc731892(v=ws.10).aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=24449
- Marked as answer by Juke Chou Wednesday, June 6, 2012 2:16 AM
Tuesday, May 29, 2012 3:44 AM

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You can use group policy Preferences which allows the users to change the screensaver settings but applies one for them. Here is a great article on how to do it with Preferences.

http://www.grouppolicy.biz/tag/screensaver/

here is a great overview article for Preferences

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc731892(v=ws.10).aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=24449
- Marked as answer by Juke Chou Wednesday, June 6, 2012 2:16 AM
Tuesday, May 29, 2012 3:44 AM
1

Sign in to vote
Hi

.DEFAULT has nothing to do with the Default user profile. It's a system account. You encounter some of these settings before login, e.g. NumLock for Login-Mask*.

However, if you want to modify registry settings of Default user, you first have to load its ntuser.dat into registry editor.

lg
Marcello

* HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard\
Name: InitialKeyboardIndicators Type: REG_SZ
Data: 2
- Edited by Marcello Rungi Saturday, June 2, 2012 9:07 AM
- Marked as answer by Juke Chou Wednesday, June 6, 2012 2:16 AM
Wednesday, May 30, 2012 8:22 PM