Administration | Authentication Client

Note: the Authentication Client requires installation/silent deployment. You can download the installation files here. There are no configs or msi parameters required for roll-out.

Specops Authentication Client can be configured using the administrative template in the Group Policy Management Console.

Specops Authentication Client uses ADMX files to change the Windows Registry settings to alter the way the software interacts with the system software. ADMX templates are Windows Group Policy Settings XML-based files that specify which registry keys in the Windows Registry are changed when a certain Group Policy setting is changed (ADML files are the localized XML files containing the text strings associated with the ADMX files).

ADMX templates can be used to change numerous registry keys, but this document focuses on two settings in particular connected to Specops Authentication Client: creating the Start menu shortcut; and showing/hiding the reset password link on the logon page.

Accessing the Specops ADMX templates

To access the ADMX templates associated with Specops Authentication Client, open the Group Policy Management tool, right-click the Group Policy Object you want to change, and select Edit. In the tree navigation, navigate to Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative templates: Policy definitions (ADMX files) > Specops Authentication Client Client. There you will find all the ADMX templates associated with Specops Authentication Client.

Hiding the reset password link on the logon page
Location: Enhance Windows logon and password change > Show the Password Reset Link

At Windows logon, under the username/password fields, a “Reset password…” link allows users in organizations running Specops uReset or Specops Password Reset to reset their passwords. This setting allows you to show or hide the reset password  link shown on the Windows logon page.

  1. Open the Show the Password Reset Link file.
  2. 2. Select the Disabled radio button.
  3. 3. Click OK.
Note: to enable the setting again, you can set the radio button to either Not configured or Enabled.
Start menu shortcut creation

Location: General Client settings > Create start menu shortcuts to enroll/change/reset

With Specops Authentication Client installed, when a user logs in to Windows, start menu shortcuts to enroll, reset and change password are created. These are convenience shortcuts for users to easily use Specops uReset or Specops Password Reset. This setting allows you to hide those shortcuts, in case these should not be shown. If those shortcuts have already been created on a computer, they will be removed at next logon if this setting has been set to disabled.

  1. Open the Create start menu shortcuts to enroll/change/reset file.
  2. Select the Disabled radio button.
  3. Click OK.
Note: to enable the setting again, you can set the radio button to either Not configured or Enabled.

 

 

Creating a Central Store for Group Policy Administrative Templates

The Central Store for Administrative Templates allows you to store all template files in a single location on SYSVOL where they can be accessed and presented on any server from your domain. To create a Central Store for Group Policy Administrative Templates, copy the Specops uReset Client ADMX/ADML files from  %windir%\PolicyDefinitions.

The ADMX should be copied to:

[your domain]\sysvol\[your domain]\Policies\PolicyDefinitions

The ADML should be copied to:

[your domain]\sysvol\[your domain]\Policies\PolicyDefinitions\en-us

For more information about the Central Store and best practices, visit: www.support.microsoft.com/kb/929841

For help in installing the product and the Client, please refer to the Installation section.

For downloads, please refer to the Downloads section.