Refresh HKLM Key from Group Policy

G

Guest

Hi There,

I am wondering is there a way to refresh the HKLM registry key -
specifically this one -- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies -- without
logging off ? I have a software restriction in place disabling MSN
Messenger. I also have a reg file to enable it. But once enabled, the only
way for the software policy to NOT take place is to log off. Hitting the F5
key does nothing either.

Ben
 
W

Wesley Vogel

I beleive that you have to reboot to refresh HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

You can kill and restart explorer.exe to refresh HKEY_CURRENT_USER without
rebooting.

But you can try this anyway.

To kill explorer and restart it.

Open the Task Manager...
Ctrl + Shift + Escape | Click on the Processes tab | Locate and highlight
explorer.exe | Right click explorer.exe | Click End Process | Click
Yes to the Task Manager Warning that pops up | Click File on the Toolbar |
Click New Task (Run...) | Type in: explorer | Click OK

End Process on explorer.exe will make your Desktop, Taskbar and all programs
disappear. This can be startling. Restarting explorer will bring
everything back.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
C

Colin Nash [MVP]

B. Cheung said:
Hi There,

I am wondering is there a way to refresh the HKLM registry key -
specifically this one -- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies -- without
logging off ? I have a software restriction in place disabling MSN
Messenger. I also have a reg file to enable it. But once enabled, the
only
way for the software policy to NOT take place is to log off. Hitting the
F5
key does nothing either.

Ben

Try the GPUPDATE command.

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/refrgp.mspx
 
G

Guest

Hi Colin,

This only works if you remove via the policy. I actually went into the
registry and changed the 0 to 1. So once I do that, I want to pull the
laptop off the domain and be able to run the required program.
 
G

Guest

You could try:

RUNDLL32.EXE user32.dll,UpdatePerUserSystemParameters

Though I'm not sure if this refreshes HKLM parameters.
 
W

Wesley Vogel

<quote>
38. Activate registry changes in HKEY_CURRENT_USER without logging off
(Windows 2000 and later):

RUNDLL32.EXE USER32.DLL,UpdatePerUserSystemParameters ,1 ,True

Credits: Pete Smith.
Batch files - RUNDLL and RUNDLL32
<quote>
http://www.robvanderwoude.com/rundll.html



--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
G

Guest

Wesley - but if it is a Group Policy from the domain, then it would reside in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
 
W

Wesley Vogel

That post was in reply to...
Though I'm not sure if this refreshes HKLM parameters.

RUNDLL32.EXE USER32.DLL,UpdatePerUserSystemParameters ,1 ,True

Refreshes HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
Wesley - but if it is a Group Policy from the domain, then it would
reside in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

Not necessarily. Group Policies can also be in HKEY_CURRENT_USER.

Depends on the policy and if Computer Configuration or User Configuration.

Computer Configuration is usually HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

User Configuration is usually HKEY_CURRENT_USER.

Some policies can be set in both.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
G

Guest

This command only refreshes the HKEY_CURRENT_USER -

RUNDLL32.EXE USER32.DLL,UpdatePerUserSystemParameters ,1 ,True.

I need a way to do the HKLM which is a Computer Configuration policy.
 
S

Steven L Umbach

Not that I am aware of. You might look at using user configuration SRP so
that it applies only to users that you want it to apply to and not every
user that logs onto a domain computer.

Steve
 

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