I recently deployed a small Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Services environment and experience an issue where I could not hide the administrative tools folder that is inherited as a part of the default user profile. This meant that when a user connected to the session host (Terminal Server) they could see the administrative tools icon and associated MMC snap-in’s on the Start Menu. After trawling through all user based group policy objects, I realised hiding the administrative tools folder was not possible. To achieve this, I created a custom ADM template that could be imported into a Group Policy Object in order to hide the administrative tools entry. The steps I performed are featured below:
1. On a Windows Server 2008 R2 machine, with the Group Policy Management console installed, download and place the custom ADM file in the C:\Windows\inf. The ADM template (rdsadmintools.adm) can be download here, please right click the link and select Save Target As.
2. Edit your existing user lockdown Group Policy Object. Expand the user configuration, polices, then right click Administrative Templates and select Add/Remove Templates.
3. In the Add/Remove dialog box, select Add and then browse to the rdsadmintools.adm file and click ok followed by clicking close.
4. You should now see a “Classic Administrative Templates (ADM)” folder under the main Administrative Templates container. Double click this container and then double click the Remote Desktop Services container to reveal the GPO.
5. Double click the “Remove Administrative Tools From the Start Menu” GPO, click Enable and then using the drop down select box select “Off” and click ok.
Your all done, when logging in as a remote desktop services user you should now no longer be able to see the administrative tools start menu item.
Absolutely brilliant! Have been looking all over for a simple solution to this! Good work mate and thanks for sharing.
Berks
Thanks for the simple solution, its beyond me of why this is not built in in the first place!
Thank you SO MUCH!!! I have been Googling for hours reading threads that either didn’t work or made absolutely no sense to a beginner. This worked like a charm, thank you for a quick & simple solution. Much appreciated!!!
Thanks for sharing
Thankyou. Works an absolute treat.
I agree with Terry and did the same as Mike
Amazing,
I thought I was going crazy, I set the appropriate Group Policy item, but it didint work.
Thanks!
Thanks great little post and great result. Had looked all over too – unreal this is not a standard template.
Excellent, simple and efficient solution.
Thanks a lot.
Many thanks!
Went crazy trying to find this function, many thanks!
The simpliest solution I’ve found on the internet. Thanks!!
Very easy to follow and works like a charm. Thank you
You are a life saver! Thank you. This was driving me mad.
working great thx…
Thank you very much for this solution.
Awesome…. Wow from all this funky work-arounds this is by best the best Solution. Thank you so much!
Awesome!! I am also one of the many who googled for hours trying to find the solution. Thank you so much! 😀
I’ll join the chorus of praise. Hours wasted looking for answers that never worked and yours was so darn easy. Go sell it to Microsoft – such a glaring omission from ’08 server. Thank you!!!
Formidable!!! Thank you from france
Awesome!!! I had been struggling for weeks to do this and following your instructions it took me only few minutes to configure this. Many thanks. You are a Rock-star !!!