Lost Windows Key + E Functionality

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Guest

Hi,

We are having a problem with a couple of XP PC's in our 2003 Active
Directory environment.

When the user goes to use the Windows Key + E function to bring up explorer,
they get a message titled "Restrictions" and the message reads "This
operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer.
Please contact your system administrator." The user has also lost their
search menu item.

The users in question are IT users, have admin rights, and use the same
group policies as users that are unaffected. The problem does not seem to be
profile related as the users can go to other PC's and the functionality comes
back.

The only commonality I have found is that the users in question have
recently logged onto a Windows 2000 Terminal Server, indicating that an old
policy is affecting their account.

I have read a Microsoft KB article which mentions this issue, and that it
applies to Windows 2000 machines, but the policy item does not exist in
Windows XP/Active Directory 2003.

Switching on and off the User Configuration > Admin Templates > Windows
Components > Windows Explorer > Turn off Windows+X hotkeys, Group Policy item
has had no effect on the users in question.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I starting to run out of ideas.

Thanks in advance
James
 
<quote>
Disable programs on Settings menu (Windows 2000)

Remove programs on Settings menu (Windows XP)

This policy is located under the following branch:
User Configuration\AdministrativeTemplates\Start Menu and Taskbar

If you enable the policy that is listed in the "Summary" section of this
article, the Windows logo key+E key combination is disabled. In addition,
the following items are removed from the Settings menu:
Control Panel
Network and Dialup Connections
Printers

Pressing Windows logo key+E displays the following message:
This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this
computer. Please contact your system administrator.
<quote>
from...
How to Disable the "Windows Logo Key+E" Key Combination with Group Policies
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/301422

Also these registry keys...
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
and/or
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Value Name: NoSetFolders
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 0 or 1
0 (or not in the registry) = The policy is disabled or not configured.
Control Panel, Printers, and Network and Dial-up Connections can run.
1 = The policy is enabled. Control Panel, Printers, and Network and Dial-up
Connections cannot run.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
Thanks Wesley

This was the article I found and asked the users to try!!
I should have tried it myself to make sure.

I have just applied these changes on the problem users machines and it
resolved the issue.

Many thanks
James
 
Hi James,

What can be confusing is the name change of the policy from 2000 to XP. I
wonder why they did that? Oh well. Glad you got it worked out.

They probably call it Get rid of programs on Settings menu in Vista. Just
kidding. ;-)

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
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