Jeanne said:
All of a sudden I am unable to access internet options in
Internet explorer. When I choose it, I get the following
message. This operation has been cancelled due to
restrictions on this computer. See your administrator. I
am the administrator. ANybody ever see this?
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ISSUE:
Internet Explorer | Tools | Internet Options
"This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions on this computer.
Please contact your system administrator."
RESOLUTION:
Method 1:
(gpedit.msc only available on XP Pro)
Start > Run - type in "gpedit.msc" (without quotes).
Under User Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, Windows Components,
Internet Explorer, Browser menus.
Double click the "Tools menu: Disable Internet Option... menu option."
In the Setting menu it should be checked on " Not configured"
If it is already set to "Not Configured", set it to "Disabled"
and then back to "Not Configured".
The Internet Options menu should be available again.
Method 2:
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry.
Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that
you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information
about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article
number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;256986
Start > Run > type in "regedit" (without quotes)
1. Expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions
2. In the right pane, check to see if the Nobrowseroptions entry exists. If so, right
click the Nobrowseroptions entry, then click on delete and confirm that you want to
delete it. Close Registry Editor and restart the computer.
3. The Internet Options menu should be available again.
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Now the question is "What caused this to happen in the first place?"
I suspect the activity of some spyware but I do not know that for certain.
Another possibility would be some kind of virus activity.
If you are using one of those spyware infested, virus gathering, junk
file sharing programs like KAZAA then that is a very likely source.
Read this whole next section before proceeding and then decide if
if you want to do all of this. Sometimes spywares have infested the
winsock keys in the registry and when they are removed by programs
like Ad-Aware 6.0 Build 181, the damage to the winsock keys remains
and then you are unable to browse the Internet.
Control Panel | Internet Options | General tab
Delete all cookies
Delete all temporary internet files
(include all offline content)
Remove all Downloaded Program Files
To do that, you click on that "settings"
button and then click on the "View Objects"
button and then right click and choose remove
for all of them, if any, one at a time.
Some of them may not remove. Don't worry about that.
Close the Downloaded Program Files window,
Click OK to the Settings window.
Now clear History
Now click on the "Advanced" tab at the top
of Internet Options.
In the Browsing section, uncheck the box for
"Enable third-party browser extensions (requires restart)"
Click "Apply" and then "OK" at the bottom of Internet Options
Close out of Control Panel
Restart the computer
Download Ad-aware 6.0 build 181 Anti Spyware program
and install it, update it and scan your system with it
and delete any spywares that may be found. If you have a
working Anti Virus program, then update it and scan with it,
otherwise use one of these free online virus scanners:
Ad-aware 6.0 build 181
http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10214379.html?tag=list
Panda ActiveScan
http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/
TrendMicro Houscall Anti Virus Scan
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
Symantec
http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/home.asp?j=1&langid=ie&venid=sym&plfid=23&pkj=DWKHMRKRFPECDMEYIRL
After all spywares have been removed, you may want to recheck
"Enable third-party browser extensions (requires restart)"
because some legitimate programs may require that setting.
Junk programs like KAZAA may stop functioning after their spywares have been removed.
They would probably need to be reinstalled if you still plan on using them despite all of the
risks that they involve.
In case of winsock damage:
Step 1: Delete registry keys
A)Open Regedit from the Run line (Start > Run - regedit)
B)Go to both of the following keys, EXPORT each of them, and then delete them:
(To export a key, you right click on it and choose "export" - you can choose where to export them to -
DESKTOP is handy -
and you need to type in a file name such as "exported Winsock key" / "exported WinSock2 key"
and then click on SAVE)
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinSock2
C)Restart the computer
NOTE: It is important to restart the computer after deleting the Winsock keys.
Doing so causes the XP operating system to recreate shell entries for those two
keys. If this is not done, the next step does not work correctly.
Step 2: Install TCP/IP on top of itself
Go to Control Panel | Network Connections
A)Open the properties window of the network connection (Local Area Connection)
B)Click Install
C)Click Protocol, then Add
D)Click Have Disk
E)Type the path to the \%systemroot%\inf folder (usually C:\Windows\inf) and click OK
(if you try to click Browse, then browse to the \inf folder,
it may not show up in the list)
F)You should now see "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" in the list of available
protocols. Select it and click OK.
G)Restart the computer
When the computer reboots you will have functional Winsock keys.
If so, then be sure to delete the exported winsock and winsock2 reg files.
(You don't want to accidentally put them back in the registry)
Side effects and possible problems:
This method will restore basic functionality to the Winsock keys, but is not a
complete rebuild. On a default install of Windows XP the registry key:
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Winsock2\
Parameters\Protocol_Catalog9\Catalog_Entries will have 11 sub-keys.
When applying this method, the Catalog_Entries will only have 3 sub-keys.
However, it works and there does not appear to be any side effects.
The missing entries relate back to the:
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces key.
Also, third-party proxy software or firewalls may need to be reinstalled.
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