After a couple of months of private beta testing, a Microsoft product designed to improve the security and management of shared PCs is heading toward a final release this summer. Microsoft released on Tuesday a first public beta of the Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP, a product designed to improve the security and management of shared computers. Microsoft made the announcement in Philadelphia at the National Education Computing Conference. Company officials said Microsoft is planning to make Version 1.0 of the toolkit available later this summer "just in time for school libraries and computer labs to prepare for the new school year." Microsoft officials said that they have not finalized distribution or pricing, but early testers said they believed that Microsoft plans to make the final product available for free. Those interested in testing the toolkit can download the Shared Computer Toolkit bits from the Microsoft Web site. As it is doing with a growing number of Windows-related products, Microsoft is requiring those who want the Shared Toolkit code to first prove that their copies of Windows are not pirated, via the "Microsoft Genuine Advantage" validation process. As reported by Microsoft Watch in May, the Shared Computer Toolkit has been in private beta test since May. The product is is designed for users who are sharing computers in businesses and homes. It is especially focused on users of shared computers in libraries, cafés, schools and other similar environments, testers said. What unites these shared computers is the fact that there seldom is a dedicated systems administrator managing them. As a result, they tend to be prime targets for all kinds of malware. According to private beta testers, the following tools are part of the toolkit: A Windows Disk Protection Tool designed to protect the core operating system and program files from being permanently modified; A Windows Restrictions Tool that allows for the tailoring of individual users' profiles. Among the variables that can be locked down: access to the command prompt, Internet Explorer settings and the Registry Editor; A User Profiles Tool that enables the simple creation and deletion of user profiles on a shared computer; An Accessibility Tool that lets users customize their environments with things like high-visibility backgrounds, StickyKeys, etc. The toolkit will work with the Windows XP Service Pack 2 release of XP Home, Professional or Tablet. It won't run on older versions of Windows, Windows Server, Windows XP x64 or Windows XP Media Center. More information on the Shared Computer Toolkit is available on the Microsoft Shared Access Web site. Source: Microsoft Watch
shouldn't be too bad considering the beta antispyware is pretty good, wow and longhorn beta coming out? microsofts on a beta roll
