Maintaining control over what users can do to a public access computer's operating system is one of the primary goals of a library computer administrator. For instance, patrons must not be able to use certain desktop icons such as Network Neighborhood or My Computer. They should have only limited access to Start Menu items, including applets in the Control Panel and Taskbar features. They should have heavily restricted access to the C drive. One of the primary ways to secure these features and others is by modifying the registry.

Here's how Mike Christenson, Systems Administrator for the City of Kerrville, Texas configures his library's public access computers: