Windows 10: Restrictions in App Permissions when Setting Up Several Multi-App Kiosks

The Setup:

I am trying to configure multi-app kiosks using a provisioning package. I have developed an XML config file (based off of the sample XML files here) that defines three different profiles and assigns them to three different accounts:


Kiosk1: Windows Solitaire and Windows Alarms

Kiosk2: Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer

Kiosk3: Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge


The Issue:

I am able to successfully install the provisioning package without any errors. When I open up Kiosk3 for the first time immediately after installation, I am able to access and run both Firefox and Edge. When I open up Kiosk1 immediately after this, I am able to run both Windows Solitaire and Windows Alarms. However, when I log back into Kiosk3, I am still able to run Microsoft Edge but I am no longer able to run Mozilla Firefox and instead receive the following message in a blue box: "This app has been blocked by your system administrator. Contact your system administrator for more info". No error code is provided.


My Understanding/Things I've Noticed:

• I believe this is an issue with the provisioning (and not another issue already present on the machine) as I have done a refresh of the device and received the same results.
• I believe this issue has to do with using a Desktop application in the provisioning. Since Microsoft Edge and Windows Alarms are Universal Windows Platform apps that come preinstalled, these don't have any issues. Whereas Firefox (and I've also achieved the same results with Google Chrome as a replacement for Firefox) is a Desktop application and is thus running into different issues
• My hunch is that opening up Kiosk1 modifies the app permissions (since this is the first time the account is being logged into) system wide, and thus when I try to run Firefox on the Kiosk3 account for a second time, the system won't allow it to execute.
• FWIW, I am using the Windows Configuration Designer tool to design the provisioning package and I am applying the provisioning package at run time
• After applying the provisioning account, I notice that the Settings, My Documents, and other icons above the Power button disappear

Conclusion

Any help with this problem would be greatly appreciated. I really don't have any idea why opening up a separate kiosk account (Kiosk1) would modify the app permissions of another account (Kiosk3).


If need be, I can post the XML config file and the settings that I change in the Windows Configuration Designer tool, just let me know.

:)

 

Restrict app access to UWP apps in Windows 10

So, I have an Microsoft account on my computer that I want to set up restricted access to. I have searched up many sites on how to do this, and they mention a registry hack for Win32 apps, which I have tried and works very well. But, my use case is that
I need to restrict usage only to particular apps, to be exact Windows Explorer, Chrome and Skype for Windows 10. I'm stuck at Skype as it is an Windows 10 app and there is seemingly no .exe file that I can just enter in the registry or the Group Policy Editor.
I also don't want to set up a multi app kiosk as I require the desktop also. Please help me here. Thanks.

 

App Permissions

Hi Tony,



Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.



Some apps require certain permissions to work properly. However, you can change the permissions given to the apps by following the below steps:

1. Click on Start.
   
2. Click on Settings and then click on Privacy.
   
3. Under the App Permissions you can change the permissions which are assigned for the apps.
   

However, you can go through the
Microsoft Privacy Statement.

Hope it helps.



Nikhar Khare

Microsoft Community – Moderator

 

Simplifying kiosk management for IT with Windows 10

Source: Simplifying kiosk management for IT with Windows 10 - Microsoft Tech Community - 187691




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