Configure TS Automatically for Logged On User

[Guest Thomas M.]

XP SP2

 

We are in the process of converting our users to standard user accounts. We

have a number of employees who use terminal services to remotely control

their machines. By default, administrators on the local machine have the

right to use terminal services, whereas non-administrators must be added to

the Remote Desktop Users list. This sets up a situation where people have

the ability to use terminal services by virtue of the fact that they are

members of the local administrators group. Once they are removed from local

administrators group, and if they have not been added to the Remote Desktop

Users list, they lose the ability to use terminal services. Of course, an

administrator must then login and add the user's account to the Remote

Desktop Users list so that he or she can continue to use terminal services

after being converted to a standard user account.

 

The obvious solution would be to add the user account to the Remote Desktop

Users list BEFORE taking away the user's admin rights. I would like to know

if there is some way to automate this work. Is there a script, or a

registry hack, that will add the currently logged in user to the Remote

Desktop Users list?

 

FYI: We run Active Directory and Novell eDirectory, so we have a number of

options for limiting the distribution of any such script or registry hack to

only those employees who are authorized to use terminal services. In other

words, we can control it so that it goes to only the employees we specify,

and not to everyone.

 

--Tom