Data Collection
The Data Collection object is used to configure which User data is collected from the client computers connected to the environment to which Desktop Authority is installed.
Data is collected by Desktop Authority's Operations service and the ETLProcessor plugin. These two plugins are available in the Server Manager > Operations Service tab for configuration.
Settings
Data to collect
The User Management Data Collection Settings can be configured to collect data when a user session is started and completed (logon/logoff) as well as when a user session is locked and unlocked. If this option is not selected, Desktop Authority will not keep track of any user specific events.
Collect logon and logoff session information (requires Logon and Logoff timing)
Select this box to allow Desktop Authority to keep track of every logon and logoff event during the user session. Use of this option requires that Logon and Logoff Validation Logic Timing be selected.
Collect lock and unlock information
Select this box to allow Desktop Authority to keep track of every lock/unlock event during the user session.
Collect user heartbeat packets every xx hours
Select this box to specify how often the client computer will notify Desktop Authority about user event information. The default collection time period is every hour. This allows for more accurate reporting.
Validation Logic
Select the Validation Logic tab to set the validation rules for this element.
Notes
Select the Notes tab to create any additional notes needed to document the profile element.
Description
When adding or modifying a profile object element, the description appears above the settings tab. Enter a description to annotate the element. The default value for new profile elements can be changed by going to the system Preferences.
Display
The Display object provides several options that control general operating system settings including the desktop and user interface.
Settings
Desktop and Explorer
Remove Windows Welcome
This check box can be set to one of three (3) different states: on (enabled) 
Select this check box to remove the initial Welcome to Windows dialog box that appears when a user logs on to a computer for the first time. Clear this check box to display the Welcome dialog box to new users. Gray the check box to leave the client’s setting untouched.
The default for this option is cleared.
Remove IntelliMouse tips
This check box can be set to one of three (3) different states: on (enabled)
Select this check box to remove the Microsoft IntelliMouse tips dialog box that appears when a user logs on to a computer for the first time. Clear this check box to display the Tips dialog box to new users. Gray the check box to leave the client’s setting untouched.
The default for this option is cleared.
Remove "Shortcut to" prefix
This check box can be set to one of three (3) different states: on (enabled)
Select this check box to remove the text Shortcut to when a new desktop shortcut is created. Clear this check box to include the Shortcut to prefix when creating new desktop shortcuts. Gray the check box to leave the client’s setting untouched.
The default for this option is cleared.
Remove Find Fast startup
This check box can be set to one of three (3) different states: on (enabled)
Select this check box to remove the Find Fast shortcut from the Startup folder. Clear this check box to leave the Find Fast shortcut in the Startup folder untouched. Gray the check box to leave the client’s setting untouched.
The default for this option is cleared.
The Find Fast shortcut is created in the Startup folder, by default, with a complete installation of Microsoft Office. This utility builds indexes to documents and is stored on the local drive of the computer. It is used to speed up finding documents from any Office Open dialog box. In most networked environments, there is no need to index the documents on local hard drives since they are typically stored on network shares.
Enabling this option (to remove the shortcut) will not automatically delete the indexes that Find Fast may have already created, however it will prevent the excessive CPU utilization and disk activity that is caused by the execution of the Find Fast utility.
Remove MSN desktop icon
This check box can be set to one of three (3) different states: on (enabled)
Select this check box to remove the MSN icon from the desktop. Clear this check box to leave this default icon on the desktop. Gray the check box to leave the client’s setting untouched.
The default for this option is cleared.
Remove online services desktop folder
This check box can be set to one of three (3) different states: on (enabled)
Select this check box to remove the Online Services desktop folder from the Windows desktop*. Clear this check box to leave this default folder on the desktop. Gray the check box to leave the client’s setting untouched.
The default for this option is cleared.
Disable print popup
This check box can be set to one of three (3) different states: on (enabled)
Select this box to disable the popup from appearing when printing. Clear this box to leave this enable the print popup window. Gray the check box to leave the client’s setting untouched.
The default for this option is to preserve the client setting.
Remove My Documents desktop icon
This check box can be set to one of three (3) different states: on (enabled)
Select this check box to remove the My Documents icon from the Windows desktop. Clear this check box to leave this default icon on the desktop. Gray the check box to leave the client’s setting untouched.
The default for this option is cleared.
Context menu
Enable "Command Prompt Here" (not on Terminal Server client)
This check box can be set to one of three (3) different states: on (enabled)
Select this check box to have the Command Prompt Here shortcut on the context (shortcut) menu when in Windows Explorer. The Command Prompt Here shortcut opens a DOS command window defaulting to the directory that is clicked on in Explorer.
Enable remote control shell extensions (not on Terminal Server client) (not available in Desktop Authority Essentials)
This check box can be set to one of three (3) different states: on (enabled)
Select this check box to have a Remote Management shortcut on the context (shortcut) menu when in Windows explorer. The Remote Management shortcut provides the ability to jump directly to a Remote Management session on the workstation.
The default value for this setting is or grayed (preserve client setting)
Keyboard
Enable Num Lock on boot
This check box can be set to one of three (3) different states: on (enabled)
Additional settings
Wallpaper file
Specify an image file to use as wallpaper on all client desktops. The location of the image file may be specified in the form of a path, mapped drive or UNC. Press Browse to locate the image file (.jpg, .gif, .png). Other file types may manually be typed into the entry. Desktop Authority’s dynamic variable selection is available for this field by pressing the F2 key. If specifying a UNC, the location and filename should be specified in the form of \\server\share\filename.bmp.
During the logon process the specified image is copied from the specified location to the client's %Windir% folder.
Leaving this field empty will allow all clients to select their own preferred wallpaper image.
Enter the word clear within parentheses ( ) to disable all clients from using wallpaper.
Example:
- Specify to use a custom logo image file.\\myserver\myshare\mylogo.bmp
- Specify to use Windows’ setup.bmp as the custom image file, $windir\setup.bmp
- Specify to disable client’s wallpaper (clear)
Use current location
Select Use current location to have each client to access the wallpaper image from the selected location.
Note: In order for to use this location all users must have Read access to the selected folder.
Copy file to new location
Select Copy file to new location to have the system copy the selected file to the NETLOGON share where all clients will automatically have access to it.
Registered owner (not on servers)
Enter a Registered Owner name to override the setting that was used during the install of the operating system. Desktop Authority’s dynamic variable selection is available for this field by pressing the F2 key.
Example:
- Specify $FullName Mary Jones
Registered company (not on servers)
Enter a Registered Company name to override the setting that was used during the install of the operating system. Desktop Authority’s dynamic variable selection is available for this field by pressing the F2 key.
Example:
- Specify ABC Incorporated
It is recommended to use static text instead of dynamic variables or macros when Desktop Authority is used on a multi-user environment such as Terminal Server and/or Citrix MetaFrame.
Rename "My Computer" to (not on servers)
Enter a name to use for the MyComputer desktop shortcut. This will override the operating system’s default setting. Desktop Authority’s dynamic variable selection is available for this field by pressing the F2 key.
Example:
- Specify $userid ($wksta)mjones(PC-111)
This setting has no effect on Terminal Server or Citrix Server sessions.
Rename "Network Neighborhood" to (not on servers)
Not available for Windows 7 and later.
Enter a name to use for the Network Neighborhood desktop shortcut. This will override the operating system’s default setting. Desktop Authority’s dynamic variable selection is available for this field by pressing the F2 key.
Example:
- Specify $Domain ABC
This setting has no effect on Terminal Server or Citrix Server sessions.
Validation Logic
Select the Validation Logic tab to set the validation rules for this element.
Notes
Select the Notes tab to create any additional notes needed to document the profile element.
Description
When adding or modifying a profile object element, the description appears above the settings tab. Enter a description to annotate the element. The default value for new profile elements can be changed by going to the system Preferences.
Drive Mappings
The Drive Mappings object configures network drive mappings. Drive Mappings redirect a local resource (drive letter) to a shared network resource (hard drive or folder on the network). Using mapped drives to access server-based information provides administrators with the ability to make changes faster and more transparently than using straight UNCs on each client.
For example, the Groups share is where all users store shared departmental documents and is mapped to drive G: on Server1. If Server1 begins to run low on disk space, simply stop sharing the Groups folder on Server1 and move the Groups folder structure to Server2 (where there is plenty of free disk space). Change the share to the Groups folder on Server2. Now simply change Desktop Authority’s mapping for the G drive to the Groups share on Server2. A trip to each desktop is saved because the client applications did not need to be changed — they still reference the folder structure as drive letter G:.
Settings
Action
Letter
Click the Letter arrow to select a drive letter to map. A valid drive letter may also be entered into the field. Valid drive letters are any single letter from A to Z. The drive letter entered can be uppercase or lowercase.
Path
Enter the folder location that the selected drive letter will be mapped to. The folder location should be specified in the form of a proper UNC, \\server\share. Optionally, click Browse to navigate to the network share.
Desktop Authority’s dynamic variable selection is available for this field by pressing F2.
Mapping drive H: to all users' home directories can be done in a single entry in the Drives list. This is done by using dynamic variables. Use \\$HomeServer\$HomeDir or \\$HomeServer\$HomeDir$$ (hidden share) as the path. At logon time, the dynamic variables are substituted by the correct values based on the user logging on to the network.
When mapping to a hidden share there must be two trailing dollar signs ($$) following the share name. By clicking Browse and selecting a share, Desktop Authority will automatically place the extra trailing dollar sign. If the share is manually typed into the Path entry, the extra dollar sign must manually be entered.
To hide a local drive, leave the Path entry blank. The drive specified in the Letter entry will be hidden from Windows Explorer and My Computer.
Delete (appends /DELETE to path)
Select this box to remove a persistent drive mapping from a workstation. This will append the text /DELETE following the path. /DELETE may also be manually typed in to the Path entry following the specific path. This will remove any persistent drive mappings to the drive letter specified in the Letter entry.
The /DELETE option does not need to be used prior to mapping a drive. Desktop Authority will automatically remove the persistent drive mapping on the workstation if it is in conflict with the driver letter to be mapped.
Persistent (appends /PERSISTENT to path)
Select this box to make a drive mapping persistent. This will append the text /PERSISTENT in the Path entry. /PERSISTENT may also be manually typed in to the Path entry following the specific path. The drive will later be mapped each time the user logs onto the network, even if Desktop Authority is not running.
Hide from Windows Explorer
Select this box to hide the mapped drive letter. Hiding a drive hides it from Windows Explorer and My Computer. Although the drive is hidden, it is still available for applications to use.
Hiding a drive from Windows Explorer is often beneficial in protecting your programs and data from accidental deletion or misuse. A good example would include a standard database application. Users need NTFS Full Control of the folder and files to effectively use the database, but don't need to actually see the folder when using Windows Explorer. In this example, there would most likely be a hidden the share also. Adding a trailing dollar sign ($) to the share name when sharing the folder would prevent this share from being visible.
Explorer label (Windows 2000 and newer)
Use this label to change the default drive label (name) as shown in Explorer. This label is only available on Microsoft 2000 operating systems and newer. Desktop Authority’s dynamic variable selection is available for this field by pressing F2.
If this drive fails to map
Select Continue, Alert and Continue, or Alert and Logoff from the list. The selected action will occur if there is a problem when attempting to map to the specified drive. The Alert and Continue action will issue the Error mapping drive alert. The Alert and Logoff action will issue the Error mapping mandatory drive alert.
Validation Logic
Select the Validation Logic tab to set the validation rules for this element.
Notes
Select the Notes tab to create any additional notes needed to document the profile element.
Description
When adding or modifying a profile object element, the description appears above the settings tab. Enter a description to annotate the element. The default value for new profile elements can be changed by going to the system Preferences.
Environment
The Environment object allows environment variables to be centrally configured on the client using static text, Desktop Authority dynamic variables or KiXtart macros.
Settings
Environment settings
Variable
Enter the environment variable to be defined. Desktop Authority’s dynamic variable selection is available for this field by pressing F2.
Value
Enter the data to be assigned to the environment variable. This can be static text, a Desktop Authority dynamic variable (F2) or a KiXtart macro.
Example:
Variable [ User ]
String [ $FullName ]
Desktop Authority includes a dynamic variable called $Initials. This variable is set by reading the user’s Description field from User Manager for Domains. If a pound symbol (#) appears anywhere in the field, the following 3 characters are returned as $Initials. For example, if the user’s Description field is set to [Chief Technology Officer #JJS ], the value of the $Initials becomes JJS.
Variable Location
User
Select this option to set an environment variable for the currently logged on user. User Environment variables may differ depending on the user logged on.
Machine
Select this option to set a computer environment variable. Machine based environment variables are the same for all users who log on to the workstation.
Validation Logic
Select the Validation Logic tab to set the validation rules for this element.
Notes
Select the Notes tab to create any additional notes needed to document the profile element.
Description
When adding or modifying a profile object element, the description appears above the settings tab. Enter a description to annotate the element. The default value for new profile elements can be changed by going to the system Preferences.