Custom XP Screen Saver Policy

[senormic]

Hi all,

I'm trying to create a custom screen saver from the existing C:\WINDOWS\system32\ssmarque.scr in XP. I can customize it locally (on my machine) but if I move the file to a network resource, the changes I've made don't stick. So I can't apply it to the workstations/users that I want to be using it.

I was looking through the forums and I saw somebody mention creating a custom ADM template. I have never done this before, can anyone help me out? Can I do this any easier than creating a custom template?

Thanks,

Chris

[PreviousPoster]

Hi

I think this adm-file will help you.
Copy this into a file a name it something.adm
[code:1]
;Configure setting for Slideshow screensaver
CLASS USER

CATEGORY !!CP
CATEGORY !!SS

KEYNAME "Control Panel\Screen Saver.Slideshow"
POLICY !!SSsetting
EXPLAIN !!Explainsettings
SUPPORTED !!mySupported
PART "Enter the complete path to the pictures in the box below:" TEXT
END PART
PART "Path:" EDITTEXT REQUIRED
VALUENAME "ImageDirectory"
END PART
END POLICY
END CATEGORY
END CATEGORY



[STRINGS]
CP="Control Panel"
SS="Screensaver Settings"
SSsetting="Slideshow settings"
ExplainSettings="This policy enters the path to the Slideshow screensaver. Note that this is a preference and not a policy meaning that you need to enter it blank to remove it from the computers. You can't delete the policy to remove it from the users settings!"
mySupported="Windows XP or above"
[/code]

Then add that adm to your GPO

[senormic]

Thanks for the response!!!

I hadn't had a chance to try this template until today.

Here is what I did, I literally copied the code below into a file and named it CUST_SCR_SAVE.ADM
;Configure setting for Slideshow screensaver
CLASS USER

CATEGORY !!CP
CATEGORY !!SS

KEYNAME "Control Panel\Screen Saver.Slideshow"
POLICY !!SSsetting
EXPLAIN !!Explainsettings
SUPPORTED !!mySupported
PART "Enter the complete path to the pictures in the box below:" TEXT
END PART
PART "Path:" EDITTEXT REQUIRED
VALUENAME "ImageDirectory"
END PART
END POLICY
END CATEGORY
END CATEGORY



[STRINGS]
CP="Control Panel"
SS="Screensaver Settings"
SSsetting="Slideshow settings"
ExplainSettings="This policy enters the path to the Slideshow screensaver. Note that this is a preference and not a policy meaning that you need to enter it blank to remove it from the computers. You can't delete the policy to remove it from the users settings!"
mySupported="Windows XP or above"


I then added it to a new policy that I was creating, however the only thing that I found was that in USER > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Screen Saver Settings <---- this folder is empty, no policy to configure. Can anyone tell me what I did wrong? Am I supposed to fill in the code with various config settings?

Further help will be much appreciated!!!

Thanks,

Chris

[mnpg]

In your GPO, select the 'Administrative templates' (for user in your case), then View > Filtering

Uncheck "Only show policy settings that can be fully managed" check box.

After that, your setting will appear

[senormic]

Thanks for the info, I was able to un-check the box and see the setting.

So here's my problem now:

I'm trying to use the Windows ssmarquee.scr that lives in C:\WINDOWS\system32\ssmarque.scr

With this new policy, I have to give it a UNC path to point to the screen saver that I want to use. Since I can't get this particular screen saver to save my settings anywhere other than locally, I'm pointing to a Windows 2003 server with the settings that I want and this policy doesn't seem to work.

Any ideas if this can even be done? This is a screen saver that scrolls a colored word across the screen.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Chris