Apply custom IE8 CSS via Group Policy

Question

I have an internal website that I need to strip some components via CSS only for specific users (kiosk users). Is there a way I can apply the CSS file via group policy my kiosk OU? The kiosks connect to IE8 via XenApp on a thin client so it is difficult for me to apply the setting manually for each user or on the local machine. Any help finding a way to do this would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Yes, this can be done. I'll answer in two parts.

User styles with Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer allows users to specify a custom stylesheet which will override the styles provided by the website. This feature is found in the General->Appearance->Accessibility settings of Internet Properties.

Changing user styles with Group Policy
The path to the user stylesheet is stored in the registry. Here are the keys you're looking for:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Styles\User Stylesheet
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Styles\Use My Stylesheet

You can either use Group Policy Preferences to update this registry key, or create a custom administrative template. Personally I would use GP Preferences because it's so easy.