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Is there an ARD command or Unix command that I can send to reset the desktop background image to default?

I was forced to create a local user with an automatic login on all of the machines in the building. I listed off many various issues that could come arise by doing this but was tuned out. Now people are changing all of the desktop backgrounds to some pretty inappropriate images. I forewarned the person ordering this that this may be one of the many issues that would arise when doing away with our server based logins, and now I am charged with fixing every desktop every time someone changes it to something inappropriate.


Is that an Apple Remote Desktop command or a Unix command that I can send through ARD v3.5.3 to the machines to reset the desktop background image to the default Aqua Blue jpeg image located in the /MacintoshHD/Library/Desktop\ Pictures/Aqua\ Blue.jpg.


The machines that I am dealing with have OS X 10.4.11, OS X 10.5.8, OS X 10.6.8, and OS X 10.7.4 installed on them, but the OS X 10.4.11 machines are the ones that are creating the biggest issue so I would like to deal with those first.

Apple Remote Desktop version 3.5.3-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Nov 8, 2012 11:07 AM

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5 replies

Nov 8, 2012 11:24 AM in response to Huglo

Ok, so I tried that and yes it does seem nice, but it's a very high touch manual way of doing it. What I need is a way to remotely set the desktop background to 500 desktops and 300 laptops without having to go to each and every one of them to reset their desktop images.


People are finding an image through Safari then right clicking on the image and setting it as the desktop background and I need to be able to in one fell swoop change them all back to the default desktop background.


Thank you for the thought, I really appreciate it, but it won't work for my situation.

Nov 8, 2012 11:33 AM in response to Chuck88888888

Hi Chuck,


I see your point, that might be a bit too much hands-on. ;-)


You should take a look at Profile Manager, this way you can set all settings, restrictions and probably also backgrounds for all business computers. You are -however- manadatory to first sign-on all computers to the business network's managementserver.


Take a look at Apple's supportwebsite (http://www.apple.com/support/lionserver/profilemanager/), it might be up to the task to making your computer managementlife a bit more easy.


-H.

Nov 8, 2012 1:00 PM in response to Huglo

Ya, I'd love to have the computers connected to the Xserver, unfortunately against my heeding, I was ordered to take them off of the Xserver, so they only have a local account that automatically logs in on startup, and even though I have Parental Controls set, I can not stop them from going to Safari, selecting an inappropriate image and setting it as the background, so now I’ve been ordered to fix all of the backgrounds that people are messing with.


My Xserver is running OS X 10.4.11 Server Edition. Yes, I would love a new server, but that’s not happening due to budget cuts.


So what I am hoping for is a command that I can put into Apple Remote Desktop v3.5.3 and push out to all of the computers via its Unix commands and reset all the desktops to their default image.

Nov 8, 2012 1:07 PM in response to Chuck88888888

I was ordered to take them off of the Xserver because it was too slow for them to log into the system. It took them about 57 seconds to log in. Yes, I timed an entire lab of people logging into the system all at once. I was told that 57 seconds was deemed to be too long to wait, because if you add that time up over the course of a year it was a couple hours of lost time per person. So now every machine is set up with a local user login that automatically logs in when the machine is started up at the beginning of the day, and they refuse to purchase Deep Freeze because they say that I can deal with any issues that arise, and yes I've been very patient and tried to talk through the problems that I have foreseen, and my pleas have fallen on deaf ears, because "I can deal with any issues that arise."

Is there an ARD command or Unix command that I can send to reset the desktop background image to default?

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