Applying Disk Quota for Domain Users , Windows 2003

About Disk Quotas

Earlier in Windows NT Administrators were unable to apply Disk Quotas to users as this feature was not available, but with the introduction of Windows 2000 their comes the induction of Disk Quota Management through Group Policy easing the life of System Administrators.The Only Problem left was this has not much features that Admins can use with Scripting,Reporting and Remote Usage. Windows 2003 has all the features like reporting,managing and remote usage of Disk Quota.

Disk Quota can only be Implemented with System Running with NTFS partitions. FAT/FAT32 are not supported.Disk quota are configured on Volume basis so one need to configure Separate Volumes.

This was some how introduction to Disk Quota, now let start how to configure this on Windows 2003 Server.

Setting Up Group Policy

The most practical means of configuring disk quotas on a large scale would be through a domain-level group policy. This will configure the settings automatically on any of the volumes you wish to have disk quotas enabled, saving you the need to have to configure each volume independently.

Open Group Policy Management Console(Enter gpedit.msc at Run), Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Disk Quotas. On the right hand pane you will see a list of policies that can be applied. Double click the “Default Quota Limit and Warning Level Properties” setting.

Figure 1. The Default Quota Limit and Warning Level Properties Dialog

Default Value was 100 MB, I changed this to 10 MB.You can set what ever value suits your organization needs.You can apply further setting you need to aply on users.

You may also want to manually force a group policy update using the gpupdate utility. Simply go to Start > Run and type "gpupdate /force" followed by the return key. This will refresh both the computer and user policies

Configuring Disk Quota and Disk Quota Enteries

Using the Computer Management console, you can configure disk quotas for a local or remote volume from a central location. To open Computer Management, you have three choices; either right click My Computer and select Manage, type compmgmt.msc in the Run bar or select Computer Management from the Administrative Tools folder.

Select which computer you wish to manage from the root node. To select a remote machine right click the “Computer Management” node, select “Connect to another computer…” and choose the computer you wish to manage. Now, navigate to Storage > Disk Management and select the volume you want to configure from the right hand pane and open the properties dialog. Click the Quota tab and enable the options you want to be enforced.

Figure 2. Disk Quota Dialog Box

Click Quota Entries and Furhter Add Domain Users to apply Disk Quota Entries.Navigate to “Quota” and Click “New Quota Entry”.

Figure 3: Adding a new User Quota Entry

Enter Disk Space you need to apply for a particular user

Figure 4: Adding a new quota entry

Press “OK” and enter.Disk Quota applied to a Particular User.

Figure 5: Viewing a list of Quota Entries

This article has given you an overview of Disk Quotas in Windows 2003. We’ve looked at why they would be used and how to configure them.

MCITP Track Information ( For Starters and Professionals )

Dear Folks,

As you all know new Products and Technologies are touching the IT Market

Day by day.Microsoft Being the Most Advance Organization that gives

Training and Support for its Products all over the world and having the

Cheapest Certificaion Rates.I fortunately been a part of Some Micrsoft Products

Like Server 2008,Server 2003,ISA Server 2006,Windows 7,Windows XP and others.

Reason for Writing this matter is to Provide Knowledge to People about some of

Microsoft Technology Tracks as well as Professional Tracks.

Many of You People Asks me about Different Tracks,Paper Codes and Study Material.

So, I decided to Upload Some of the Most Popular Tracks with their Paper Codes on my Blog.

Server 2008 Administration Track :

MCTS ( Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring ) 70-640

MCTS ( Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring ) 70-642

MCITP ( Windows Server 2008, Server Administrator ) 70-646

This Track will earn you MCITP Server Admin Certification but this is not the End of Track.

There is one more Certification Track which Leads you to be an "EnterPrise Administrator".

MCTS ( Windows Server 2008 Applications, Configuring ) 70-643

MCITP ( Windows Server 2008, Enterprise Administrator ) 70-647

ISA Server 2006 has only one Certification i.e :

MCTS ( Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2006, Configuring ) 70-351

Microsoft Exchange 2007 :

MCTS ( Exchange Server 2007, Configuring ) 70-236

MCITP ( Designing Messaging Solutions with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 ) 70-237

MCITP ( Deploying Messaging Solutions with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 ) 70-238

Windows 7 :

MCTS ( Windows 7, Configuring ) 70-680

MCITP ( Upgrading to Windows 7 MCITP Enterprise Desktop Support Technician ) 70-682

These are Some of the Certification Tracks that you might require for you Professional Career Growth.

Hope this Works fine for you.

Thanks,

Himayat Ullah Khan,

MCITP ( Server Admin )

MCTS ( ISA 2006 )

CCNA ( R & S )

Give us your FeedBack . 

Email Us : hiukhan@gmail.comhttp://officems.blogspot.comhttp://officems.blogspot.com/

Restrict User Desktop to Company Default WallPaper ;

In an IT based environment people used to change their Desktop WallPaper Day by Day which isn’t looks like Professionals. So, CEO of the Company Ask you to Deploy a Company’s Default WallPaper whenever user logon to the System. This can be Accomplished by Apply a Windows Server Group Policy Feature which enables IT Administrator to fullfil the Task Quite Simple and more Easily. This User Based Group Policy deploys default page which you apply whenever user logon . And Because this policy is applied to User Configuration so from where ever user logon to Domain from Any Computer he will get the Default WallPaper Set by You. Group Policy can be applied to a specified Organization Unit (OU) and even to the Entire Domain but its better to Apply as per OU.

This Step by Step Configuration will guide you to Deploy the Policy more Easily.

Open Active Directory Users and Computers and Navigate to the OU on which you want to apply the Group Policy.

Right Click on OU and click Properties ( In my Case it is the Test OU )

Move to the Group Policy Tab and Click on “New” to create a new Group Policy and Give it a Name so that you can remember it while using or apply to another OU. This Group will be different from your Default Group Policy. You can also Block the Default Group Policy if you don’t want to Apply. See in the Below Image you will see at the Bottom “ Block Policy Inheritance “. Check Mark if you want to Block but in this Case it is not required so we move ahead Making a New Policy.

Now Double Click on the Policy ( Desktop ) and navigate to User Configuration à Administrative Templates à Desktop à Active Desktop.

Double Click “Active Desktop WallPaper” and Click Enable to apply. Also specify the Path where the Default Image is located. You can Also Set the Wallpaper Style Whether Stretch,Center or Tile.

Click Apply and Close all Boxes.

Goto Run and Type

gpupdate /force

This was the Image I used as a Default Wallpaper.

Verification :

Now logon to a client Computer Using the User of the Organization Unit and See if the Policy has applied successfully or not. In my case I have a “Test User” so I logged in through “Test”.

Wow, That was Easy J

Also Check is the user Restricted to change to Default Wallpaper.

Open “Display Properties” , Goto Desktop and check that “Browse” Button is Disabled.

This ends the Article on “ Restricting User’s Desktop WallPaper ”

Note:-

Do not make the User a Member of Local System Administrator Group, the Key to Success is to give User previliges as less as possible.

User Should Always be a Part of Power User Group . This way user will not be able to do any registry changes to Enable his/her Desktop Again.

Thanks,

Himayat Ullah Khan.

CCNA,MCTS,MCP