How to minimize, disable or remove the shell

The Gizmo Client shell blocks the guest's access to Windows: if Prevent Shell Minimizing is turned on in the security profile, the guest cannot minimize it like a regular app. But from time to time the administrator needs to exit the shell — for example, to install a game or check system settings — and sometimes to remove Gizmo Client from the PC completely.

There are two ways to do this. The first is administrator mode: it is turned on remotely from Gizmo Manager, removes all security and minimizes the shell. The second is maintenance mode on the PC itself: you enter it through a hidden Gizmo Client window with the manager password, and in it you can minimize the shell, deactivate or uninstall Gizmo Client.

Step 1. Change the manager password

The manager password opens maintenance mode on any client PC, so first of all, replace the default password with your own.

  1. Open Settings → Client → Shell, General block.

  2. Enter a new value in the Manager Password field.

  3. Save the settings.

The default manager password is password. Be sure to change it and keep it in a safe place: with this password, anyone can minimize the shell, deactivate or uninstall Gizmo Client.

Changes in the Shell section take effect only after Gizmo Client restarts.

Step 2. Minimize the shell from Gizmo Manager

This method does not require you to walk up to the PC and enter a password.

  1. Open the Map section and select a gaming station — or several at once.

  2. In the Hosts category, open Shell and click Enable Administrator Mode. The PC switches to full access mode: all security is removed, the client shell is minimized, and access to the operating system opens.

  3. When you are done working on the PC, click Disable Administrator Mode in the same place — the PC exits full access mode.

If you only need to remove the security profile restrictions without minimizing the shell, use the Disable Security and Enable Security actions in the Hosts → System category. To restart the shell itself without restarting the PC, use Hosts → Restart Shell.

All actions with gaming stations are in Map.

Step 3. Enter maintenance mode on the PC

Maintenance mode opens in a special hidden Gizmo Client window with the manager password.

  1. On the client PC, press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + A — the hidden window opens. The shortcut works on the login screen, during a guest session and in maintenance mode.

  2. Enter the manager password from step 1.

In maintenance mode, these actions are available:

  • minimize the Gizmo Client shell;

  • deactivate Gizmo Client — the client is turned off until the next PC restart or the next client start;

  • uninstall Gizmo Client — see step 4.

Two more shortcuts work only on the login screen and in maintenance mode:

  • Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R — restart the PC;

  • Ctrl + Alt + Shift + S — shut down the PC.

Step 4. Uninstall Gizmo Client

  1. Enter maintenance mode — see step 3.

  2. Select the Gizmo Client uninstall action and confirm it.

After uninstalling, the PC stays in Gizmo Manager — in Hosts → Computers and on the Map it is shown as turned off. If you no longer need the PC, delete it from the list of computers manually — see Computers.

You need to delete the C:\Program Files\NETProjects\Gizmo Client folder manually only if you want to clean the PC completely before a clean installation of the client.

Result

  • The default manager password has been replaced, and an outsider cannot minimize, deactivate or uninstall the shell.

  • To get to Windows on a gaming PC, just turn on administrator mode from Gizmo Manager, and turn it off when you are done.

  • On the PC itself, you can minimize, deactivate or uninstall Gizmo Client from maintenance mode with the manager password.

The Manager Password field and other general settings are described in Shell. How to prevent guests from minimizing the shell is explained in Security profiles.