Tweak Library – Prevent changes to “Active Desktop” settings.

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Prevent changes to “Active Desktop” settings.

This setting removes the options from Desktop, where you can make changes to the “Active Desktop” settings.

Tweak for : Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows 2000

Description:

The options of Active Desktop can be accessed from Display icon in Control Panel and right-click menu on Desktop. Desktop becomes active when you keep your most active jobs or favorites like a web page there and they can be customized anytime on your requirement.

NoComponents:
It can remove options to configure “Active Desktop”. The “Web” tab, where the “Active Desktop” settings can be configured, is removed from the “Desktop Items” window. As a result, you cannot add Web pages to the desktop.

The point to be noted here is that this entry does not affect active desktop and image formats like JPEG & GIF can be used for wallpaper.

NoAddingComponents:
It disables the ability to add Web contents in the present desktop display.

NoDeletingComponents:
It disables the ability to delete the existing Web contents but they can be removed temporarily.

NoEditingComponents:
It disables the current properties button of the Web content. So, the user can not modify the properties. In addition, it removes the properties tab from the menu of all items on the active desktop.

For this, go to Start > Run menu, enter “regedit” and navigate to the registry path listed below. You can create the DWORD value names “NoComponents”, “NoAddingComponents”, “NoDeletingComponents” and “NoEditingComponents” at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry paths, if they do not exist.

Now, right-click and modify their values to “1” which can prevent change to “Active Desktop” settings. However, if you want to get back the missing options, change the respective values to “0”.

The changes take effect after a restart or logoff.

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Disable Active Desktop Components.reg

The ".reg" file can disable the 'Active Desktop Components'.

Download

Enable Active Desktop Components (Default).reg

The ".reg" file can enable the 'Active Desktop Components'.

Download

Registry Entry Details:

Registry Entry 1 :

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\]

Key Type :

Local Machine

Value Name :

ActiveDesktop

Data Type :

Key

Enabled Value :

Disabled value :

Other value :

Value Action :

Add an Entry

Registry Entry 2 :

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop\]

Key Type :

Local Machine

Value Name :

NoComponents

Data Type :

DWORD (DWORD Value)

Enabled Value :

Disabled value :

Other value :

Value Action :

Add an Entry

Registry Entry 3 :

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop\]

Key Type :

Local Machine

Value Name :

NoAddingComponents

Data Type :

DWORD (DWORD Value)

Enabled Value :

Disabled value :

Other value :

Value Action :

Add an Entry

Registry Entry 4 :

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop\]

Key Type :

Local Machine

Value Name :

NoDeletingComponents

Data Type :

DWORD (DWORD Value)

Enabled Value :

Disabled value :

Other value :

Value Action :

Add an Entry

Registry Entry 5 :

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop\]

Key Type :

Local Machine

Value Name :

NoEditingComponents

Data Type :

DWORD (DWORD Value)

Enabled Value :

Disabled value :

Other value :

Value Action :

Add an Entry

Registry Entry 6 :

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\]

Key Type :

Current User

Value Name :

ActiveDesktop

Data Type :

Key

Enabled Value :

Disabled value :

Other value :

Value Action :

Add an Entry

Registry Entry 7 :

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop\]

Key Type :

Current User

Value Name :

NoComponents

Data Type :

DWORD (DWORD Value)

Enabled Value :

Disabled value :

Other value :

Value Action :

Add an Entry

Registry Entry 8 :

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop\]

Key Type :

Current User

Value Name :

NoAddingComponents

Data Type :

DWORD (DWORD Value)

Enabled Value :

Disabled value :

Other value :

Value Action :

Add an Entry

Registry Entry 9 :

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop\]

Key Type :

Current User

Value Name :

NoDeletingComponents

Data Type :

DWORD (DWORD Value)

Enabled Value :

Disabled value :

Other value :

Value Action :

Add an Entry

Registry Entry 10 :

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ActiveDesktop\]

Key Type :

Current User

Value Name :

NoEditingComponents

Data Type :

DWORD (DWORD Value)

Enabled Value :

Disabled value :

Other value :

Value Action :

Add an Entry

Steps ScreenShots:

Apply registry settings according below given steps of screenshots with related changes.

The 'Web' tab is not visible in the 'Display Properties -> Desktop -> Customize Desktop' after making the changes.

The 'Web' tab is visible in the 'Display Properties -> Desktop -> Customize Desktop' before the changes have been made.

The 'New' button is disabled in the 'Dislay Properties -> Desktop -> Customize Desktop -> Web' after the changes have been made.

The 'New' button is enabled in the 'Dislay Properties -> Desktop -> Customize Desktop -> Web' before the changes have been made.

The 'Delete' button is disabled in the 'Display Properties -> Desktop -> Customize Desktop -> Web' after the changes have been made.

The 'Delete' button is enabled in the 'Display Properties -> Desktop -> Customize Desktop -> Web' before the changes have been made.

The 'Properties' button is disabled in the 'Display Properties -> Desktop -> Customize Desktop -> Web' after the changes have been made.

The 'Properties' button is enabled in the 'Display Properties -> Desktop -> Customize Desktop -> Web' before the changes have been made.

First, click the 'Start' button, and select 'Run'. In the resulting dialog box, type "regedit".

Second, go to 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\', right-click and select 'New->Key' to create a new key named 'Active Desktop'.

Third, inside the 'Active Desktop' right-click and select 'New->DWORD Value' to create a new DWORD Value named 'NoComponents'.

After creating 'NoComponents' DWORD Value, right-click on it and click on 'Modify'.

Next, enter the value '1' in the text box provided and click on 'OK'

Create another DWORD Value for 'NoAddingComponents' as in step 3. Right-click on 'NoAddingComponents' and click on 'Modify'.

Next, enter the value '1' in the text box provided and click on 'OK'.

Create another DWORD Value for 'NoDeletingComponents' as in step 3. Right-click on 'NoDeletingComponents' and click on 'Modify'.

Next, enter the value '1' in the text box provided and click on 'OK'.

Create another DWORD Value for 'NoEditingComponents' as in step 3. Right-click on 'NoEditingComponents' and click on 'Modify'.

Next, enter the value '1' in the text box provided and click on 'OK'.

Other Related Tweaks

Change “My Computer” icon text on desktop (For Windows 2000). Category : Display > Desktop You can display the name of the currently logged in user along with the computer name as “My Computer” icon text.
Set icon size for Start menu items. Category : Display > Desktop This setting can help you to select an icon size for programs displayed on the Start menu.
Specify the background image and wallpaper style Category : Display > Desktop These settings lets you specify the background wallpaper and display style.
Show protected operating system files. Category : Display > Desktop This setting can let you to show the protected operating system files which are required to start and run Windows.
Set restrictions to change the desktop wallpaper. Category : Display > Desktop This setting enables you to apply wallpaper restrictions for the desktop. You can either prevent changing wallpapers entirely or can only show Bitmap (.BMP) images as wallpaper on the desktop.

Change “My Computer” icon text on desktop (For Windows 2000).

Category : Display > Desktop

You can display the name of the currently logged in user along with the computer name as “My Computer” icon text.

Set icon size for Start menu items.

Category : Display > Desktop

This setting can help you to select an icon size for programs displayed on the Start menu.

Specify the background image and wallpaper style

Category : Display > Desktop

These settings lets you specify the background wallpaper and display style.

Show protected operating system files.

Category : Display > Desktop

This setting can let you to show the protected operating system files which are required to start and run Windows.

Set restrictions to change the desktop wallpaper.

Category : Display > Desktop

This setting enables you to apply wallpaper restrictions for the desktop. You can either prevent changing wallpapers entirely or can only show Bitmap (.BMP) images as wallpaper on the desktop.

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