The first-run dialog in Internet Explorer 7 is great for the individual user, but in a large network environment this is something you would typically prefer your users not to have to deal with. Here is how we fix it.

The Internet Explorer 7 first-run dialog is used to set some preliminary settings after a clean install of Windows or IE7 itself. This is great for configuring these settings for your individual computer, but in a large network environment these are things you probably want to control with group policy. In this case, you will not even want people seeing the first-run dialog, and we can do this through group policy.

Begin by creating a new GPO with your preferred Group Policy editing application. Make sure the name of this GPO is clear and descriptive. Edit the GPO you just created, and browse to User ConfigurationAdministrative TemplatesWindows ComponentsInternet Explorer. Select the policy setting “Prevent performance of First Run Customize settings”, enable it, and choose the “Go directly to home page” option.

Once you have created this GPO, apply it to an Organization Unit, and you are set!

Article written by MyComputerAid.com