Replace GPOs

WINSelect is an easy to use alternative to Group Policy Objects. Instead of investing the time and training required to understand and manage GPOs, organizations can use WINSelect to customize or lockdown computers through an intuitive and non-technical interface. Many of the common customizations that Group Policy Objects are traditionally used for are also found in WINSelect, such as modifying Start button functionality, enforcing Windows Explorer restrictions, and limiting right-click functionality. By using WINSelect, you can create the same tailored computing environment as a Group Policy Guru, but in a fraction of the time and effort.

“WINSelect has empowered our Instructional Technology teachers at each site with centralized control of the computer lab and classroom computer functions. Since WINSelect does not require the administrator to have a high level of technical knowledge, it has also reduced our technical support workload in the instructional environment. Due to the simplicity of WINSelect, our technology teachers can quickly and intuitively create a custom environment for their buildings through Faronics Core Console without any help.”

-Matt Quick, Network Engineer, Newburgh Enlarged City School District

Alongside GPOs

Many organizations rely exclusively on Group Policy objects to customize or lockdown their computing environments, but there are limitations to this model. GPOs lack the flexibility to allow for differing levels of security and permissions within multiple areas of an organization. Network environments that are decentralized or lack an Active Directory environment make managing and enforcing Group Policies especially troublesome.

Not only is WINSelect easy to manage, flexible, and scalable, it also works alongside Group Policy Objects to extend customization capabilities beyond the level achievable by each method individually. In fact, WINSelect provides the ability to import, edit, and manage Group Policy settings through the use of ADM templates. In this way, WINSelect can employ GPOs in areas where they work well and pickup where GPOs fall short.

“We no longer need to depend exclusively on GPO’s to manage our 3,000+ workstations located throughout the district. Before, each building had a separate set of GPO’s to suit the needs of its users, which created a significant burden for the technology personnel responsible for their management. By using WINSelect, some of the system and software configuration options that were previously handled by GPO’s are now handled through WINSelect’s intuitive graphical interface. In this way, we have found WINSelect to be a perfect complement to our Group Policy environment. The district can provide teachers with control of classroom computers without compromising the district’s Active Directory server.”

- Nelson Colon, Educational Technology Liaison, Newburgh Enlarged City School District

Beyond GPOs

WINSelect takes system and application customization to the next level by providing capabilities that are not possible via Group Policy Objects. Selective desktop icon hiding, drive hiding, file extension blocking, and disabling of folder manipulation, drag and drop, and right clicks on the Start menu are just some examples of the desktop customization features exclusive to WINSelect. Network restrictions include the ability to create a website white list or black list, while printer controls can block access to all or select printers and enforce print quotas.

In fact, WINSelect can customize more than just the system settings and functions; it can even remove menu items and prevent right clicks within Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Office, as well as third-party Windows applications. By scanning the menu options of a selected application, WINSelect enables the removal of nearly every menu item.

Whether you are a novice user or a Group Policy Guru, WINSelect will heighten your system control options above and beyond what you have today.

One Click Kiosk

Schools, governments, and businesses often need to deploy kiosk computers that offer a limited feature set—for example, a catalog computer in a library, an information kiosk in a shopping mall, or a self-service kiosk in a bank. Limiting a computer’s functions is an important part of protecting a computer’s purpose. Having fully-functional computers placed in environments where only limited-functionality is required carries the possibility of computers being used by users in an unintended way.

WINSelect can easily transform a full-featured computer into a kiosk machine with one click. When activated, Kiosk mode will launch your chosen application(s) automatically at system logon, and restrict users from minimizing, maximizing, or closing the program(s). Kiosk mode also disables access to the Start button and Windows Taskbar, as well as right-click functionality. Setting a time limit on each session ensures that users are not able to loiter on the the kiosk computer.