Windows 7 fix for standard users logging in into safe mode

If you for instance is using AppLocker in Windows 7 you know that it requires the service “Application identity” to be started for it to enforce the AppLocker rules. This could pose a problem if a user start a machine in safe mode and login there, even a standard user that is. What happens then is that the Application idendity service is not started and the user can then run anything on the machine.

Microsoft has releases a fix for this which allows us to block standard users from logging in into safe mode on our machines. You need both the patch and to add a registry value to make this change but once there your standard users will not be able to bypass AppLocker or any other security features that is not started when starting the machine in safe mode.

Download: A hotfix is available to block standard users from logging on to a Window 7-based or Windows Server 2008 R2-based computer in safe mode

Discussion on Windows 7 with Swedish MVPs and Stephen Rose

A few weeks ago at the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 launch called “Day of Evidence” me and some fellow MVPs had a very spontaneous panel discussion on Windows 7 with Stephen Rose from Microsoft Corp in Redmond. Watch the 20 minutes disucssion at http://edge.technet.com/Media/Stephen-Rose-samtalar-med-fem-svenska-MVPer/ and note that although the text on this page is in Swedish the discussion is in English. Enjoy!

Liselotte Isascsson wrote a few lines about this together with a few words written by Stephen Rose about his trip around Europe. Don’t miss!

Fix for the solid background delay problem in Windows 7

As discovered by a colleague some time ago there is a bug in Windows 7 where it takes 30 seconds+ to login when the background is set to a solid color. When having an image as a background the login is instant. The problem does not involve the first logon, but every logon after you have started the machine and logged in for the first time. Now, there is a fix for this interesting problem. Please see for http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;977346 more information and to download the hotfix.