User specific file association

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jacob Hornbech
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Jacob Hornbech

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Hello.

I'm working with a problem that I hope that some of you can help me with. We
have a Windows Server 2k3 Enterprise, which functions as a Terminal Server,
about 200 users. The thing is, that some of these users need Microsoft
Office, others don't. The ones who need M$ Office, need to pay the license
fees to M$, while the one who use Open Office get it for free. The question
is, how do I limit some users to only use M$ Office, and hence restrict
others from using it, on the same server?

I've thought about changing the registry in HKCU, but hesitate to do so due
to the complications in this approach. Do you guys have some considerations
or thoughts on the subject?

I've also found "cprofile", which was supposed to be able to change file
associations, but can't get it to work.

Kind regards
Jacob Hornbech Jespersen
Terminal Server Administrator
 
Re: User specific file association

Jacob Hornbech wrote:
> Hello.
>
> I'm working with a problem that I hope that some of you can help me
> with. We have a Windows Server 2k3 Enterprise, which functions as a
> Terminal Server, about 200 users. The thing is, that some of these users
> need Microsoft Office, others don't. The ones who need M$ Office, need
> to pay the license fees to M$, while the one who use Open Office get it
> for free. The question is, how do I limit some users to only use M$
> Office, and hence restrict others from using it, on the same server?
>
> I've thought about changing the registry in HKCU, but hesitate to do so
> due to the complications in this approach. Do you guys have some
> considerations or thoughts on the subject?
>
> I've also found "cprofile", which was supposed to be able to change file
> associations, but can't get it to work.
>
> Kind regards
> Jacob Hornbech Jespersen
> Terminal Server Administrator
1. Use Start Menu redirection to create custom start menus based on
Group membership. This means users on Group A will see a different Start
Menu than users on Group B.
2. Use NTFS permissions to lock down access to the office executables.
For example, assign read/execute rights on the office executables only
to Group A and for the OpenOffice ones, to Group B.

Using these two steps you will be able to do what you want.
Files associations can be changed as well on a per group basis with some
basic scripting.
Check this article:
http://www.brianmadden.com/content/...ciations-to-Support-Side-by-Side-Applications


--
Cl·udio Rodrigues
CEO, TSFactory Inc.

Microsoft MVP
Windows Server - Terminal Services
http://www.tsfactory.com
 
Re: User specific file association


""Cláudio Rodrigues [MVP]"" <CR@NOSPAM-TSFactory.ca> skrev i meddelelsen
news:eTDm3jSBIHA.2268@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Jacob Hornbech wrote:
>> Hello.
>>
>> I'm working with a problem that I hope that some of you can help me with.
>> We have a Windows Server 2k3 Enterprise, which functions as a Terminal
>> Server, about 200 users. The thing is, that some of these users need
>> Microsoft Office, others don't. The ones who need M$ Office, need to pay
>> the license fees to M$, while the one who use Open Office get it for
>> free. The question is, how do I limit some users to only use M$ Office,
>> and hence restrict others from using it, on the same server?
>>
>> I've thought about changing the registry in HKCU, but hesitate to do so
>> due to the complications in this approach. Do you guys have some
>> considerations or thoughts on the subject?
>>
>> I've also found "cprofile", which was supposed to be able to change file
>> associations, but can't get it to work.
>>
>> Kind regards
>> Jacob Hornbech Jespersen
>> Terminal Server Administrator
> 1. Use Start Menu redirection to create custom start menus based on Group
> membership. This means users on Group A will see a different Start Menu
> than users on Group B.
> 2. Use NTFS permissions to lock down access to the office executables. For
> example, assign read/execute rights on the office executables only to
> Group A and for the OpenOffice ones, to Group B.
>
> Using these two steps you will be able to do what you want.
> Files associations can be changed as well on a per group basis with some
> basic scripting.
> Check this article:
> http://www.brianmadden.com/content/...ciations-to-Support-Side-by-Side-Applications
>
>
> --
> Cl·udio Rodrigues
> CEO, TSFactory Inc.
>
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows Server - Terminal Services
> http://www.tsfactory.com

Thanks for the help, I greatly appreciate it. What you proposed seems like a
good idea, and even though I can't get the HKCU user specific file
association to work, by adding a key like .doc with the value
opendocument.writerdorcument.1 to work, it's a step further.

Another problem. I'm trying to give folder permissions to a user with a
ActionScript that runs when the user login. The problem is of course that
the user don't have permissions to do this, but maybe there is a workaround.
I'm trying with xcacls.vbs but that don't seem to work. Anyone has
experience with this?

Kind Regard.

Jacob Hornbech
 
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