On Wed, 2003-11-26 at 17:21, Ogre wrote:
Hi, It sounds like you are using some version of Windows... There are a plethora of registry keys that you can use to lock down the desktop, internet settings, and even the specific applications you do not wish the users to use. You can do this on a per-user basis, therefore you could use one account as an administrative account, with full rights, and another account for the "player" accounts, with only rights to use what you wish them to. I suggest you peruse www.microsoft.com. One good place to start in the registry is: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
-Ogre
Unfortunately Windows is full of holes and bugs... I have yet to see Windows Kiosks even at this school which are fully locked down. There always seems to be a way to skirt around restrictions by using bugs in the applications you are trying to lock users into.
Windows does have quite a few lock-down features for explorer (that includes *some* file dialog windows), IE, etc... but there are ways around them. If you can visit a website, you can exploit any recent security holes in IE to execute commands, download and run files, etc... and IE is built into windows and Steam uses embedded IE.
There are about a dozen unpatched remote file execution holes (well about a dozen ways to use 5 or 6 of them) that are currently unpatched, by this I mean a website can force you to download an executable and execute it... most of them rely on scripting, but not all. I'm just trying to give you some examples of things to watch out for when using new products that try to lock-down windows, as new programs often miss many things...and some things they cannot protect (i.e. windows holes).
That said...ummm... good luck ;-)
-sb
I have work(job) at a cyber some moths. Fortunally enough Half-Life its not a intense registry application, and most games dont care if you copy the whole game dir from computer to computer. You only need to set the appropiate CD-KEY at registry.
My approach to safety whas very relaxed, not enforcing rules to mantain the system correct but enhancing the methods to "refresh" a instalation with a correct system and applications. You can have a full HL dir in a CD or use windows share to copy data from computer to computer. And you can ghost HD from here to there withouth problem... Windows is smart enough to detect new hardware, install something, and continue withouth problem.
Actually exist some interesting software name "Rembo" that do this automatically for you, reuploading corrupted files, and fixing the installation to a know good point at every restart. Work very well, but I have not tested yet at a real enviroment. Other similar software exist, and you can hand-made your own with a tiny Linux installation.
The problem is .CFG files, has ever, and ever, and ever... people really want to move his .CFG files around the world and this was a mess and a pain. I have write some delphi tools to check/update/retrieve/distribute .cfg files but patch-solutions where something worse than the problem itself.
I absolutelly agree with your post about Windows safety.
At the cybers i know, the top-ten applications whas:
1) HALF-LIFE COUNTERSTRIKE 2) HALF-LIFE COUNTERSTRIKE 3) HALF-LIFE COUNTERSTRIKE 4) DIABLO, a few guys, but persistent. 5) SOME HALF-LIFE MOD THAT IS NOT COUNTER STRIKE, DoD and others 6) GRAND THEAF AUTO 7) AGES OF EMPIRES 8) SOMETHING WITH NAME MESSANGER 9) PORN 10) HOTMAIL (jokes, fun images, rumors and love)
Its impresive how powerfull is Counter-Strike worldwide, much more used/abused than porn, hotmail and messanger at the same time!
99 % players play LAN, and 1 % play WIDE AREA. Most people was not very old, but 14/18 years old. People that play strategy/diablo/grandtheafaauto where older. Thats my own stats, of course.
If Steam is not cybercafe friendly will be very sad, but people will continue playing whatever its posible, people are mad about CS. Hahaha..
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