furze4...
You don't say what operating system or browser you're using,
but, assuming they're both Microsoft, and that you're using
Internet Explorer 6.0, there is a way. IE 6.0 has a new
'privacy' tab which allows you to specify certain sites from
which your computer will not accept cookies. So here's what
you can do:
First, logged onto Windows as YourUsername, go to Google
and set the preferences you want. This will create a
cookie for YourUsername. Then you go to 'Tools' -> 'Internet
Options' and go to the 'privacy' tab. Click 'edit', at the
bottom, and add google.com as a restricted site. This will
prevent the cookie you've just created from being modified
or replaced.
Now you need to hide the 'privacy' tab, essentially eliminating
it from the browser. This will keep anyone from changing what
you've done. Now in Windows 2000 and XP, you can go to 'Start' ->
'Run' and type in 'gpedit.msc' (without quotes), and press enter.
This opens the Group Policy Editor, which allows you to set
policies which will apply to all users, and can't be changed by
anyone but the administrator. If you are the primary user of your
PC, that would be you, logged in as YourUsername. There you'll
find policies which allow you to prevent anyone from making
changes to any number of settings - the Security Zones, e.g.
A Microsoft Knowledge Base Article describes how to disable,
or hide, the Privacy tab on the IE6 browser in Windows XP
or Windows 2000:
"To disable the Privacy tab by using the Group Policy snap-in
in Windows 2000 or Windows XP:
Start the Group Policy snap-in (Gpedit.msc).
Double-click the Disable the Privacy tab policy under User
Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\
Internet Explorer\Internet Control Panel.
If this policy is not available on a Windows 2000-based
computer that is running Internet Explorer 6, obtain IEAK 6
Service Pack 1 (SP1). For additional information about this
issue, click the following article number to view the article
in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
316116 New Internet Explorer 6 Policies Are Not Available in
Windows 2000
Click Enabled, and then click OK.
The policy is applied to the selected Group Policy object and
a **del.PrivacyTab String value is created in the following
registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Group Policy Objects\LocalUser\Software\Policies\Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\Control Panel"
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=http://support.microsoft.com:80/support/kb/articles/Q283/1/85.ASP&NoWebContent=1#ITPro
There are also other software providers who offer a
solution for this. There is a company called Softheap.com
which sells a product called '1st Security Agent' which
seems to allow what I'm talking about. The homepage is:
http://www.softheap.com/newadmin.html
The function I'm describing is listed on this page:
http://www.softheap.com/security-faq/index.html
...about halfway down, just above 'Applets',
"Remove privacy tab".
A free download is available from the homepage, so you can
test its functionality, and, if it does the job, you can
buy it for $49. It will work on Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP.
Now, if you want to make changes to your preferences, you
will have made it a little more complicated for yourself,
while making it impossible for others. You will have to
reverse the process to make the Privacy Tab visible again,
so that you can remove Google from the prohibited list
and allow a new cookie to store your new preferences.
Since I did make some assumptions in providing this answer,
please don't hesitate to ask for clarification, before rating
this answer, so that I can provide alternatives if you have
other software than what I described. If you are using a
browser other than IE 6.0, I strongly recommend upgrading
to that version, since it is only this version that offers
the 'privacy' tab for controlling cookies.
An online user's guide by skermit-ga details how to go about
clarifying a question and more, if necessary:
http://www.christopherwu.net/google_answers/answer_guide.html
sublime1-ga
Searches done, via Google:
"windows 2000" "policy editor
://www.google.com/search?q=%22windows+2000%22+%22policy+editor
"privacy tab"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22privacy+tab%22
registry "remove the privacy tab"
://www.google.com/search?q=registry+%22remove+the+privacy+tab%22 |
