Though the group policy editor of XP Professional is almost completely hidden, it is tremendously practical. You can use it to manage and configure important settings from a central location. And it is not only for the operating system, but also for the Microsoft Office package using a trick.

You can use ADM files to extend the group policy editor with snap-in modules; the technical term for these is Policy Templates. Suitable templates for Miccosoft Office 2003 applications are included in the Office 2003 Editions Resource Kit. It can be used to configure all program options of the Office applications centrally.
I ST LUNG THE PESOURCE KIT. The kit is available at http://office.microsoft. com/en•l,Js/ork2003/HA011513601033. aspx. In your web browser, click on the "Downloads" link directly below the table that shows the available templates. On the next page, follow the "Ork.exe" link within "Office 2003 Editions Resource Kit". Save the file with the same name in any directory and start it. In the setup, select the "Typical install" installation mode. It creates the ADM files listed
in the table in the "INF" system folder within the Windows installation directory. INTERGRATING TEMPLATES: Start the group policy editor with "Start I Run I gpedit. msc". In order to integrate the policy templates for Office 2003, right-click "Administrative templates" in the "Local computer policy I User configuration" section and select the "Add/Remove templates" context command".

A dialog with the same name opens the "INF" folder and shows the currently integrated policy templates. Click "Add" and select one of the ADM files listed above in the dialog that follows, for instance, "WORDll.ADM" for Word 2003 policies. Clicking on "Open" integrates the template; "Close" ends the dialog.

In the navigation area of the group policy editor. you can now find the new category" Microsoft Office Word 2003" within "Local computer policy I User configuration I Administrative templates"; this category contains various sub-
. categories and policies.

DETERMINING POLICIES: The structure and functions of the group policy editor are explained in brief on the left side where there is a tree structure of the policies in different categories and sub-categories. The right section shows options for the currently selected category. In order to change a policy, open the assigned entry by double-clicking and select "Activated". The lower area that gray before can now be edited.

Here, you can determine the desired default setting by checking "Check to enforce setting on/uncheck to enforce setting off". The "Next setting" button leads directly to the next policy. Finally, confirm your changes by clicking "OK".

In this way, for instance through "Startup Task Pane" in the "Microsoft Office Word 2003 I Tools I Options I View I Show" menu, you can define whether the application should display the task section when starting. "Status bar" determines whether the status bar should be visible on the lower border of the window. Settings that are directly accessible in Word can also be edited: in the "Complex" branch, the "Add control characters in Cut and Copy" entry determines whether control characters are also transferred when copying text passages.