System policies allow you to override local registry values for user or computer settings. Policies are defined in a policy (POL) file, usually called Config.pol. When a user logs on, system policy settings overwrite default settings in the local registry. You can also set system policies to contain additional custom settings specific to the network.
Unlike System.dat and User.dat (the two files that make up the registry), Config.pol is not a required component of Windows 98 Setup. The following list summarizes the benefits of system policies.
You can use system policies to enforce system configuration.
You can restrict what users are allowed to do from the desktop and what they are allowed to configure using Control Panel. Also, you can use system policies to centrally configure network settings, such as the network client configuration options and the ability to install or configure file and printer sharing services. Finally, you can use policies to customize such parts of the desktop as Network Neighborhood and the Programs folder.
You can change registry settings with System Policy Editor.
You can use System Policy Editor to change many common registry settings for an individual computer, either local or remote. You can use these settings in a system policy file to change registry values on multiple computers.
You can apply system policies individually or for a group.
You can use group policies to define a set of policies to be applied on the basis of membership in the groups already defined on a Windows NT or Novell NetWare network. Group policies make computer management on the corporate network easier by using the current administrative organization of users.
Windows 98 provides a set of policies that you can use to specify settings for users. You can also add new registry settings to this set of policies, or you can modify policy templates to create new custom policies for any applications that use the Windows 98 registry.
Important
If you want to specify desktop, shell, and security settings for your organization as they relate to the Internet Explorer 4 (IE) browsing software or any part of the IE browsing software suite, use the Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) Profile Manager. The Profile Manager is an administrative tool that is automatically installed on your computer when you install the Windows 98 Resource Kit from the compact disc. The Profile Manager controls system policies for the IE browsing software suite. See Chapter 6, "Configuring the Active Desktop and Active Channels," and Chapter 20, "Internet Access and Tools," for more information.