How to Disable Server Manager at Start up for All Users

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Disabling Server Manager at startup for all users can be achieved through Group Policy settings. Here's how you can do it:

1. Open Group Policy Management:
   • On a domain controller or a system with Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) installed, open the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC).
2. Create or Edit Group Policy Object:
   • Create a new Group Policy Object (GPO) or edit an existing one that applies to the target computers/users. Ensure that the GPO is linked to the appropriate Organizational Unit (OU) containing the target computers.
3. Navigate to Group Policy Preferences:
   • Expand the Group Policy Object in the GPMC.
   • Navigate to User Configuration > Preferences > Control Panel Settings > Scheduled Tasks.
4. Create a Scheduled Task:
   • Right-click on Scheduled Tasks and choose "New" > "Scheduled Task (At least Windows 7)".
   • Configure the scheduled task settings as follows:
     • Action: Create
     • Name: Disable Server Manager
     • Run: powershell.exe
     • Arguments: -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName ServerManager" (This PowerShell command disables the Server Manager feature)
5. Configure Scheduled Task Properties:
   • In the "General" tab, ensure that the task is set to run whether the user is logged on or not.
   • In the "Triggers" tab, create a new trigger to specify when the task should run (e.g., at logon).
   • In the "Settings" tab, ensure that "Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed" is unchecked.
6. Apply the Group Policy:
   • Close the Group Policy Management Editor.
   • Link the GPO to the appropriate OU containing the user accounts or computers.
7. Force Group Policy Update:
   • On client computers, you can force a Group Policy update using the following command in Command Prompt or PowerShell:
     gpupdate /force
8. Verify:
   • Log on to a client machine as a user affected by the Group Policy and ensure that Server Manager does not start up automatically.

By following these steps, you can effectively disable Server Manager at startup for all users via Group Policy. Remember to test the policy in a non-production environment before deploying it widely.

About this post

Posted: 2024-03-17
By: dwirch
Viewed: 53 times

Categories

Active Directory

Windows Server

Group Policy

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