Internet Explorer Content Filter

You could use group policy to apply these setting to all applicable computers.

Yeah but these computers are not within a lan they are laptops outside of the office.

On your machine, configure the Trusted Sites that you want, and then export the following key......

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\2

Then import it to the clients....

how do i go about exporting that... the software that i have to export a file only will let me hit liek browse then C:\programfiles\... and the location... How do i go about selecting the registry?

If i click on zones then select 2.... I hit export on folder 2 and name the reg file 2. Now how do i merge it into the registry with all the clients without the user having to double click on the reg file to add it to the registry?

Im thinking if i create a logon script when the computer starts to import the registry key to do it silently. What i can do is upload that registry file to a location on the hard drive. Example C:\Programfiles\TrustedSites\2.reg and then have the logon script run that file to add it to the registry everytime a user logs on to update that list. How do i go about doing this?

On your Domain Controller, you can set the trusted sites you want people to use.  Then in the GPO, you can set all your client machines to use settings that match what you have set on the Domain Controller.  Very easy.  No registry work at all.  I like to stay out of the registry when possible.  Scientific solutions should go from easy to difficult.  Hope that helps.

Sorry about that.  I just saw that the laptops are not in a domain environment.  :-(

Yeah but there is no domain controller. These laptops use air cards to connect to the internet. They arent coming in through a vpn or anything. Just stand alone pcs.

Registry Key Distribution Suggesstion...

That is a tough way to manage the machines.  Once you setup the registry change that johnb6767 is assisting you with, you can make a basic port 21 ftp site that your clients can connect to.  You could place it on a basic website if you wish.  You can post the registry key change to that location so they can download it and import it.  it is VERY easy to import the key so there shouldn't be any issues with your clients especially if they are technologically challenged.  They just have to double click on the registry key and click yes when the prompt shows up.  This way, you have one location you must update and your clients will just need to go to the internet location you create to get the file.  If you want to make a login script, you can point it to connect to that internet location and import the file from there.

I want to do this via logon script. How do i do this?

login script is the easy part.  just create a .bat file and place it in the client's startup folder.  When they log in, it will run everytime.  If you put the reg file on the internetvia ftp, you can write an ftp command to download the file and another command to import the reg key.  Put all that in a .bat file and place it in the startup folder.  does that make sense?

I understand you know to make a .bat file and put it in the start up however what do i put in the .bat to run this file?

First you have to decide how you want to get the reg file to your clients.  will you be using an ftp site?  will you be finding a way to put the file on the root of the C:\ drive?  if you host it on ftp, you can create the following .bat file...
For this example your registry file is on the root of your FTP server.  the file is called internetx.reg.  your ftp server is called ftp.sirusComputers.com.  username is princess.  password is frog

you will need 2 files.  you need a txt file that will contain the commands for your FTP server.  call it regist.txt. it will be located on the root of your C drive.  it should contain the following commands.

user
princess
frog
binary
lcd c:\
get internetx.reg
quit

your .bat file should be placed in the startup folder of the client.  or you can use the startup folder of the default user to it will be in every client's startup folder.  your choice.  the contents of that file should look like this....

cd\
ftp -s:c:\regist.txt ftp.siruscomputers.com
regedit.exe /s c:\internetx.reg



resources
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310516
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/96269
http://www.nsftools.com/tips/MSFTP.htm

ok thanks... one last question. These users arent set as admins on the pc's. Can they still have this change made even if they are set as a standard user on xp?

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\2

I tried this just on a reg import and its not updating the trusted list. Are you sure this is the right location?

Correction these sites arent in the trusted section... They are in the content filter approved section. So you would go content tab. Settings.. then approved sites. Thats where they are all stored.... any idea where this would be located in the reg?

ok.  in that case, we can create a task instead.  In windows XP, we will have the task run the .bat file.  when it asks when we want to schedule it, chosse "When I log on (only after the current user logs on)" option.  You will be able to set the credentials that this task will run under.  Use your admin credentials for that.  If you set it up this way, when the user logs into the computer, the task will execute the .bat file using administrator credentials.

Johnb6767, we need you to answer the registry location question my friend.

I am on Windows 8 right now, no XP/IE6 machine. For accuracy, I will have to verify this in the AM. I believe that might be the same location for other versions, but I want to be 100%.....