Section 3 of 8
In Progress

Differences between shared PC and 1:1 PC configurations

7th December 2022

Aim: Understanding how shared PC baseline policies could be beneficial in scenarios where devices running Windows are shared by multiple people, such as in a computer lab or library environment that are common in many schools 

Microsoft has created a baseline set of policies that are beneficial in scenarios where devices running Windows are shared by multiple people, such as in a computer lab or library environment that are common in many schools.  These can be enabled either locally on the device using a provisioning package (used to set up the Windows device before enrolment to Intune) or can be deployed from Intune to lock down the device after it has already been provisioned. 
 
The “Shared PC mode” policy settings are typically all enabled together rather than piecewise, although some of those settings can be superseded (overridden) by other policies. 
 
Shared PC mode has been optimized to ensure the device remains fast and reliable over time with minimal to no manual maintenance required. 

  • Pre-configures 53 settings beneficial to devices that will have multiple “shared” users. Note that 25 of those settings are only partly effective if other policies are enabled as well. 

Some highlights for Shared PC mode: 

  • Restricts access to local storage (no OneDrive sync, forces save to cloud) 
  • Deletes oldest accessed accounts when free drive space drops below threshold and restricts page file size 
  • Disables biometrics and Windows Hello for Business 
  • Pre-configures maintenance and power settings 

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