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- RDS Server 2012 – Disable On-Screen Keyboard Toolbar While Shadowing a User
- Remote Desktop Server – Registry Key to Change RDP Listening Port
- Server 2012 – Add a 32 Bit Internet Explorer Shortcut Icon on the Desktop via Group Policy
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- Server 2012 – Creating Always Maximized Internet Explorer Desktop Shortcuts to Websites via Group Policy
- Server 2012 – Enable/Disable Spellcheck Highlighting and Auto-Correct with Group Policy
- Server 2012 – RDesktop: Fix Disappearing Mouse Cursor with Group Policy
- Server 2012 – Remove Network Icon from File Explorer Navigation Pane via Group Policy
- Server 2012 – Remove Pinned Items on the Taskbar via Group Policy
- Server 2012 – Restrict Access to Specific Drives via Group Policy
- Server 2012 – Ribbon UI: Disable Add a Network Location and Other Icons
- Server 2012 – Ribbon UI: Disable Hidden Items Checkbox
- Server 2012 – Set Custom DHCP Options
- Server 2012 – Set Internet Explorer Home/Start Page via Group Policy
- Server 2012 – Set Proxy Server and Prevent Changes via Group Policy
- Server 2012 – Force a Network Type with PowerShell
- Server 2012 and Up – Sync DHCP Filter List on Hot Spare Failover Server
- Server 2012/Windows 8 – CLSID Key (GUID) Shortcuts List
- Server 2012/Windows 8 – Complete File Explorer Icon/Shortcut/Folder Removal List
- Server 2012/Windows 8 – Ribbon UI: Disable Icons, Buttons, Shortcuts, Tasks, and Commands
- Ubuntu Server – Apache 2.4 Upgrade Changes
- Ultra VNC – Send Custom Keys Workaround and ASCII Reference Chart
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- uTorrent – Don’t Have Permission to Uninstall the Program
Server 2012 – Remove Pinned Items on the Taskbar via Group Policy
I have researched for hours and hours and have looked into numerous different solutions on how to remove pinned items from the taskbar in Server 2012 and have not really found an elegant solution to the problem. Microsoft intentionally made it an extremely ridiculous and convoluted process to be able to add and remove pinned items from the taskbar. I guess it was meant to help prevent it from getting all fuckered up but for christ’s sake, I shouldn’t have to jump through effing hoops just to do such a seemingly rudimentary task.
Part of my particular issue lies in the fact that I’m setting up a completely locked down 2012 RDS environment where the users don’t even have access to the command prompt, powershell, or the ability to run VB scripts. This alone rules out almost every solution out there that I’ve found.
I have even gotten to the point of where I tried using Group Policy Preferences to create a HKCU RunOnce key to run a batch file to delete the necessary files, add the proper registry keys, kill the explorer.exe process, but then I can’t start explorer again without using cmd.exe and I don’t want the user to have to log off and back on again and we can just have a missing shortcut sitting in the freaking taskbar, it confuses people. WTF!!!
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