Windows 7-the lock for kiosks

The perfect Platform for Kiosk

Windows 7 is a great operating system environment kiosk or single-purpose applications such as POS or multimedia systems. Its ability to host just about any program from a variety of development environments makes it an ideal platform. Adobe Flash, Silverlight, Java, Microsoft.Net and HTML are just some of the development languages available for rich interactive kiosk and single-purpose applications that will run on Windows 7. In addition, there are different variants of Windows 7 available to run your application from the cheap (Windows Home Premium), to the fully functional (Windows enterprise). The Windows version chosen will depend on the functionality required for your application and your budget. For example, if you do not have capacities corporate networks, is Windows 7 Home Premium a lower cost solution.

There is another version of Windows 7 Windows 7 Embedded. Windows 7 Embedded provides full OS customizations, is light-weight, and is primarily for single-purpose application use. In short, it's Windows stripped down with no added services or applications. You add to the what you need for your application. This sounds perfect for kiosk and single-purpose implementations, however, a higher level of IT expertise is required for the implementation and it is expensive, unless a high volume of licenses purchased. In addition, Microsoft it only available to OEM hardware vendors.

Lock Down Windows 7 with Inteset secure Lockdown

One advantage of using Windows 7 embedded is the stripped down out-of-the-box operation. Conversely, retail versions of Windows 7 with OS improving applications, tools, and services are loaded. In this case, if a retail version of Windows 7 for kiosk implementation is used, it is very important to optimize and lock it so that users do not have access to unwanted features and operations. A few ways this can be achieved. One is through the Windows 7 Group Policy Editor. However, this tool is designed for larger companies that need to access control of the worker to the functions of the operating system and not so much for kiosk deployments. Additionally, the Group Policy Editor is not available on Windows 7 Home Premium.

A cheap, flexible, but simple alternative for Windows 7 embedded or the Group Policy Editor is available through the use of a utility called Secure Lockdown v2 by Inteset, LLC (1). Secure Lockdown runs on a retail version of Windows 7. This utility creates a virtual embedded environment where your master page application is the only accessible by the end user. It removes access to the Windows 7 desktop environment and unwanted keystrokes in orphans and your master page use only. It can be enabled simply by a few apply configuration settings and check the enable option.

Optimize Windows 7 for your application

Before you enable Secure Lockdown makes sense, the first for optimizing the operating system environment for use with your kiosk application. A retail version of Windows 7 with Secure Lockdown preparing is the reverse of the preparation of a Windows 7 Embedded environment. Instead of adding features, you strip unnecessary Windows programs and services. Windows 7 makes this easy to do with her Windows components and Services tools. Note that removing Windows components does not optimize disk space. Simply removed the accessible applications. However, as a result, many applications have free services that increase system startup speeds and increasing the availability of memory will be deleted. Delete Services will increase startup time and memory space depending on which services and how many are removed. Analyzing the one where the startup type is automatic on and off you do not need.

Some other recommendations for improving the performance and ease of use for your kiosk implementation using Secure Lockdown tool:

Use a solid state drive (SSD) for the OS. A 32 gb SSD drive solely with respect to the OS partition is relatively cheap and will significantly improve the overall performance of the system on the SATA disk counterpart.

Disable the system restore feature of Windows. This is an unnecessary function and will save disk space if disabled.Set the Windows sleep, power and Screen saver on is appropriate for your environment.Remove the Microsoft logo from the boot sequence. This can be achieved by the "No GUI Boot" option under the Windows MSConfig utility Startup tab-edit module.Customizing the Windows 7 welcome/Logon screen with logo of your company or product. This can be achieved with the aid of a Windows registry tweak (2).Customize the background of the Windows desktop with logo of your company or product.

Once you have prepared and tested the system with your kiosk application, it is a good idea to make a backup image of the operating system using tools such as Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image. Additionally, you can also easily creating an image you to port your setup to other machines that use the same hardware.

Now you have Windows 7 optimized for your kiosk application. As the last step, turn on and your system will Inteset Secure Lockdown v2 are ready for the masses.

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