Using Group Policy to specify search order for device driver source locations
The default behaviour of Windows during the installation of new device drivers is to search the Windows Update website if it can’t find the drivers it needs within the local driver store. This procedure can be altered or disabled using the Group Policy setting – Specify search order for device driver source locations.
Categories: Management Tags: device driver, driver, drivers, gpedit, gpedit.msc, Group Policy, Local Group Policy, Local Group Policy Editor, updating drivers
Disallow Automated Customizations in Windows 7
If you share your computer with other users and find other users’ customizations annoying then, Windows 7 allows you to block such functionality. By default, Windows 7 tracks users’ activities and tries to facilitate life by customizing the system according to the user activity such as, personalized menus, frequent programs list in the Start menu and others. One of the most annoying customizations which can happen when users share the same computer, is when users drag the taskbar to another side of the screen with the taskbar option Auto-hide enabled. Subsequent users may not be aware of such functionality and may not be able to find the taskbar at the side or top of the screen!
Categories: GUI, Tweaks Tags: Auto-hide, Customize, gpedit.msc, Group Policy, Local Group Policy, Local Group Policy Editor, taskbar, user tracking
Using Local Group Policy to Configure Windows Update
You can configure several Windows Update settings using the Local Group Policy Editor that you cannot configure using the Windows Update control panel. For instance, you can configure your computer to wake if it is in hibernation when the assigned automatic update period occurs or allow updates to install automatically if they do not require a restart as shown in the following steps:
Categories: Management Tags: gpedit.msc, gpupdate, hibernate, Local Group Policy, Local Group Policy Editor, Windows Update
