Configure Prohibited Software

• Adding Prohibited Software
• Removing Prohibited Software
• Configuring Auto-Uninstalling Policy
• Exclude Computers from Auto-Uninstallation of Software
• Configuring Global Exclusion

Every organization prohibits employees from using certain software. Desktop Central helps prohibit, usage of certain software in accordance to your company policies. Detecting such prohibited software will help tackle compliance issues that might otherwise pop-up. Desktop Central provides an option to add the list of software that are prohibited in the company. You can also configure and receive notification through email and take the necessary action. The auto-uninstall feature allows you to automatically remove the software within a specified time frame, once it is detected in the client machine. However, you can also exempt certain computers from the auto-uninstallation routine.

Adding prohibited software

You can simply add the list of software that is prohibited in the company to be detected during the regular scan cycles. Follow the steps given below to add a prohibited software to the list.

1. Click the Inventory tab to view the Inventory Summary
2. Click the Configure Prohibited Software link from the left pane available under Actions / Settings. This will list the details of all the software that are already prohibited.
3. Click Add Prohibited Software. This is open the Add Prohibited Software dialog listing all the software detected in the managed computers. You should have scanned the Windows systems at least once to have the details of the software here.
4. Select the software that you wish to prohibit and move them to Prohibited List.
   Note: In case you have grouped certain software and you are adding that Software Group under the Prohibited Software List, then all the software in that group will be added.
5. After adding all the software, click Update. The software gets added to the prohibited list.

Removing prohibited software

To remove prohibited software, select the software and click Remove Prohibited Software. You can select the software that you wish to remove from the prohibited list and click Remove Prohibited Software to eliminate the selected software from the prohibited software list.

Configuring the Auto-Uninstall Policy

Desktop Central's Auto-Uninstall Policy helps you to automatically uninstall the detected prohibited software from the client machines. The uninstallation will happen during the subsequent refresh-cycle. Follow the steps given below to configure the Auto-Uninstall Policy:

1. Select the Auto-Uninstall Policy tab.
2. Select Enable Automatic Uninstallation check box.
3. Specify the Maximum number of Software that can be uninstalled from a computer during subsequent refresh cycle.
   Note: Increasing this number will cause high CPU usage during Uninstallation. If the software count exceeds this number in a computer, it will be uninstalled during the subsequent refresh cycle.
4. Select Notify User before Uninstalling check box and specify any custom message in case you want to prompt to the user before the software uninstallation.
   Note: The user will be notified with an Alert message during logon and whenever the agent detects prohibited software. This functionality will be applicable only if the Notify User Settings is configured.
5. Specify the wait-window for the software uninstallation. Say if you want to remove the software three days after it has been detected, then mention 3 in the text box provided.
6. Click on Save to save changes.

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Excluding Computers from Software Uninstallation

In certain occasions, you will need to allow the usage of prohibited software for certain users. One classic example is the usage of chat based applications. Many organizations will upfront prohibit such software. However top-level executives at these organizations might need such applications to communicate with clients, etc. Desktop Central allows you to exempt Auto-Uninstallation on computers in these specific custom groups. You can create a custom group comprising specific computers or can add individual computers to the Exclude list. The following steps will help you exclude groups:

1. Click the Configure Prohibited Software link from the left pane available under Actions / Settings of Inventory tab. This will list the details of all the software that are already prohibited.
2. Select the checkbox corresponding to the specified software and click the link under Exclusions column. This opens the Add Exclusions dialog.
3. Select whether to exclude custom groups or computers.
4. Select the groups/computers and move it to the Excluded list.
5. Click on Save to save changes.

Configuring Global Exclusion

Similar to excluding computers and custom groups for individual software, you can create a global exclusion list of computers. Computers that are added to the Global Exclusion list, either manually or via custom groups, applies to all the software. This means all these computers can have any of the software that have been marked as prohibited.

To configure global exclusion, click the Configure Global Exclusion button and select the required computers/custom group of computers and save.

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