Admin Tips
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      - Administration
        Controlling which kinds of devices can be installed

Section(s): Administration
Published on Aug 02, 2006.
Last Modified on Aug 02, 2006.
Last Modified by Mitch Tulloch.
Rating: Not Rated

In Vista, you can prevent any specify type of device from being intalled.

Windows Vista gives you more control than ever before concerning which kinds of devices you can allow to be installed on your systems and which types you will prohibit installation. You can fine-tune this by editing local Group Policy as follows:

1. Type gpedit.msc in the Start Search box and hit Enter.

2. Click Continue when the UAC prompt appears.

3. Navigate to the following policy location:

Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Device Installation Restrictions

4. Enable the following policy setting:

Prevent installation of drivers matching these device setup classes

5. Click Show

6. Click Add

7. Type the GUID for the device class you want to prevent being able to install.

For example, if you want to prevent Bluetooth Devices from being installed, you would specify {e0cbf06c-cd8b-4647-bb8a-263b43f0f974} for the GUID.

For a list of GUIDs for different device types, see here.

Cheers,
Mitch Tulloch, MVP
http://www.mtit.com

About Mitch Tulloch

Mitch Tulloch was lead author for the Windows Vista Resource Kit from Microsoft Press, which is the book for IT pros who want to deploy, maintain and support Windows Vista in mid- and large-sized network environments. Mitch was also the author of Introducing Windows Server 2008 and technical project lead for the Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Resource Kit, both books also from Microsoft Press. For more information on these and other books by Mitch, see www.mtit.com .