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ProphetSix

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GPO options to remove "Take a tour of Windows XP" from displaying

I have a Windows 2003 AD domain and would like to know if it's possible to use a GPO to disable/remove the "Take a tour of Windows XP" from appearing every time a new user logs onto a Windows XP box. I know this won't work for local logons, but we don'a have anyone logging on locally. I've combed through the Group Policy Management Console for W2K3 Server, but I cannot find this setting. Is this even an option in a 2003 AD via a GPO, or do I need to do some sort of logon script to a reg key install? It's mainly an annoyance, but for a largish domain, it componds quickly. Thanks.
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crissand

You can create a .reg file with the following content, and run it on every xp:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Tour]
"RunCount"=dword:00000000

Here Microsoft explains:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=311489
for the new users:
To suppress the prompt, follow these steps:

   1. Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
   2. Locate and click the following key in the registry:

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Tour
      NOTE: The Tour key may not exist. If it does not exist, add it by pointing to New on the Edit menu, clicking Key, and then typing Tour as the key name.

   3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click Dword Value.
   4. Type RunCount as the name for the new value.
   5. Set the data value for the RunCount value to 0 (zero), and then click OK.
   6. Quit Registry Editor.
hi crissand, you were first, must be fast today to answer first
karel
Isn't there just a ton of stuff that Microsoft should have made a group policy setting and didn't?

Something else you can do that will get rid of this is to hide the notification area.  That may not be an attractive option for you.  It works for us because there's nothing in the system tray that we want our users interacting with.  This kills off the annoying tour and desktop cleanup garbage from popping up, as well as keep them from messing with tsr's that we want running and have otherwise kept them out of by removing from the start menu, hiding the run command, preventing access to the C drive, and preventing task manager from running.
      
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu & Taskbar\hide the notification area      
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crissand, karel_jespers:
I saw that there's a reg key I could run, but this would only work if I run it on every machine and every profile on every machine. I was hoping for a GPO setting I could set and it would deploy domain-wide. The issue is that if I run the reg key on a system, it applies to THAT profile. The next person to log on, if they haven't before, it shows back up. I've removed most of the annoyances from a new user sign-on with other settings in a GPO, and I was hoping that I could do the same here. I'll resort to a logon script with a reg key if I have to, but I'm holding out for hope that someone knows if it's possible or not in a W2K3 Server envorinment. Thanks so far though. If I have to do a reg key, now I know where it is.
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karel_jespers

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Yeah, that'll do. Solves my "what to do for a new user login" problem. Thanks!
tks and good luck