Force IE to default to your home page with multiple home pages. This was configured on a Windows Server 2008 and with IE8 on all of the desktops.

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1 Force IE to default to your home page with multiple home pages This was configured on a Windows Server 2008 and with IE8 on all of the desktops. It is highly recommended that you do not use the "Default Domain Policy" A new Domain Policy should be created "YOUR COMPANY Domain Group Policy". The only changes made to this YOUR COMPANY Domain Group Policy" is for Internet Explorer, any additional changes will be made under new group polices with a name that describes the changes. If you already have a YOUR COMPANY Domain Group Policy, create another one called Internet Explorer Default Home Pages GPO". DO NOT make any changes to the Default Domain Policy. New group policies should be added to accommodate additional group policy changes. Because of the need for a primary home page and a secondary home page, we had to use two methods for setting the default pages. The first method only allows for a primary home page that cannot be changed. The second method allows for multiple home pages but you must disable the primary home page from being locked down if you want the secondary home pages to be locked down. So the first method locks the primary home page and the second method locks the additional home pages

2 1 st method Primary Home page Get on the domain controller; go to Administrative Tools, and Launch Active Directory Users and Computers. Right click on the domain where you would like to create the policy and select Edit.

3 A menu will popup - select properties. Go to User Configuration>Policies>Window Settings>Internet Explorer Maintenance>URLs

4 Right Click on Important URLs and select Properties. The following screen will appear. Check the Customize Home page URL box. Under Home page URL: enter in the primary default home page that you want to use for this GPO. Click on the OK tab. And close out of the group policy. The primary home page is now set. Go to Run and enter gpudate / force and click on the OK button. This will immediately update the group policy. Desktops will also need to be rebooted for the change to take affect, gpudate /force should make the change take affect quickly, if not wait for the change to replicate across the network.

5 2nd method Multiple Home pages This option allows the admin to specify the users secondary home pages Note 1: This policy setting will not work with IE7 that does support secondary home pages. Note 2: This policy setting will not work if you have the Disable changing home page settings also enabled. (This is why we used the first method for the primary home page) Get on the domain controller; go to Administrative Tools, and Launch Active Directory Users and Computers. Right click on the domain where you would like to create the policy and select Edit..

6 Navigate to User Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates >Windows Components > Internet Explorer Right Click on Disable changing home page settings and select Properties

7 Not Configured should be selected. Click on the OK button.

8 Right Click on Disable changing secondary home page settings and select Properties.

9 Select Enabled and Click on Show button. Select the Add button and Add Item screen will appear. Click in the text field and type the URL that you want to add as a secondary home page. You can repeat this for as many secondary home pages that you want. Click OK, OK, Apply and OK buttons.

10 Go to Run and enter gpudate / force and click on the OK button. This will immediately update the group policy. Desktops will also need to be rebooted for the change to take affect, gpudate /force should make the change take affect quickly, if not wait for the change to replicate across the network.

11 When opening Internet explorer, all users should have a primary home page (our Intranet) and a secondary home page (help desk)

12 After this change, users will no longer be able to add or change the primary or any secondary home pages. The Internet Option on the desktops for changing or adding home page home pages will be disabled.