Using the wizard, choose Deny as the action. Right-click and select Create New Rule as shown in the screenshot below. Using Windows Group Policy Management Editor, create a GPO and go to Computer Configuration > Security Settings > Application Control Policies > AppLocker > Executable Rules. Fortunately, there is an easy way to do it using AppLocker to create a policy that can be deployed using Group Policy or your preferred MDM solution that will prevent standard users from implementing a factory reset. For those computers managed by an MDM provider, policies and applications will be deployed once the computer connects to the Internet, making any acquired freedom brief, but perhaps meaningful enough to be worth the effort to the student.Įven if you don’t work for a school system, you still might want to stop your users from resetting their devices. What’s more, a PC tech may have to manually deploy a package file to install the required applications, consuming precious time from both the student and the technician. For computers that are managed byGroup Policy, students that reset their devices off premise will enjoy a newfound freedom until the computer returns to campus and receives its assigned policies once again. It also gives them access to the command prompt screen and other things.

This of course starts the computer with a clean slate, giving students time to make local accounts on their device.

This gets them to the Advanced Startup screen where they can then reset the device.

Even if students can’t get to system settings, they can always hold down the shift key while they use the mouse to select the Restart option from the Windows Start button. A common ploy by the students is to reset their devices to factory default to bypass enforced security policies. Anyone who has been a Windows device admin for a school system that implements a student laptop program is aware of the constant battle to keep students in check when it comes to their devices.

Reset windows 10 to factory settings