Hi,
Form your description, I understand that you have the following questions:
1. How to remove the “Start ” button on client computer?
2. How to make users cannot change(edit/delete) that icons in the desktop?
Question 1:
Based on my research, there is no way to disable the start button. We do not have such a registry key that can hide the Start button; however, there are some other group polices which can remove items from Start menu and prevent users from changing the Start menu/Task Bar. If you enable these group polices, the desktop is locked down and users can do little change. I think that they can help you achieve similar results.
[User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu & Taskbar]
Enable the following settings:
Disable and remove links to Windows Update
Remove common program groups from Start Menu
Disable programs on Settings Menu
Remove Network & Dial-up Connections from Start Menu
Remove Search menu from Start Menu
Remove Help menu from Start Menu
Remove Run menu from Start Menu
Add Logoff to Start Menu
Disable changes to Taskbar and Start Menu Settings
Disable and remove the Shut Down command or Remove and prevent access to the Shut Down command
Note In Windows 2000, this setting is named Disable and remove the Shut Down command. In Windows Server 2003, this setting is named Remove and prevent access to the Shut Down command.
To configure above group policies, you can perform the following steps:
1).Logon on the Domain Controller with administrator account.
2).Open Active Directory Users and Computers to create a new organizational unit (OU), Right-click the OU, click Properties, and then on the Group Policy tab, click New Policy
3).Enable the settings listed above.
Meanwhile, I’d like to provide the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article for your reference. It describes the recommended group policies that should be configured in a locked down terminal server environment. I hope that the information is helpful.
How to lock down a Windows Server 2003 or Windows 2000 Terminal Server session
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=278295
Question 2:
If you want to make the users cannot change the icons , you may set permission on that icons. Please refer to this way:
1).Logon the computer with Administrator account
2).Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\user\Desktop
3).Select the icons, and click “Properties”, on the tab “Security”, you can edit the permission for group and user.
However, please note that the user can always modify the permission setting and give himself the right to delete an icon. If the desktop icons are the same for all users, you may consider configuring them in the “All Users\Desktop” folder and remove the delete and modify permission from normal users. In this way, users cannot change or modify the permission.
Hope this helpful.
Nick Gu - MSFT
