How to set desktop background color for all users for domain Windows machines?

Question

I have some Windows Server machines joined to a Active Directory domain. How can I set the desktop background color for all users on selected machines, so that the background color reminds them that this is a production server?

Solution

The desktop background color may be set by forcing Registry values in GPO.

1. Create new OU and put computer objects in it.
2. Associate a new GPO to the OU.
3. Under Computer Configuration / Policies / Administrative Templates / System / Group Policy, set User Group Policy loopback processing mode to Enabled and set Mode to Replace. This will cause the GPO to override any user-specific GPO settings.
4. Set Turn off Local Group Policy objects to Enabled. This will enforce the domain-based GPO.
5. In HKCU/Control Panel/Colors, set Background to the RGB background color.
6. In HKCU/Control Panel/Desktop, set Wallpaper to empty string.

Run gpupdate /force, then logout and login to see the effect.

Comments

[pcnate]

Took a bit to find where to enter a registry setting