Registry Guide for Windows Registry Guide for Windows
Part of the WinGuides Network
WinGuides Network and Software
Registry tweaks, tricks & hacks to optimize, enhance and secure Microsoft Windows.

Restrict Users from Running Specific Applications (Windows 2000/Me/XP)
Category: Home > Security

Download this tweak with Tweak Manager!This tweak can be easily applied using WinGuides Tweak Manager.
Download a free trial now!

This setting allows you to specify applications and filenames that users are restricted from running.

Open your registry and find the key [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Policies\Explorer]

Create a new DWORD value and name it "DisallowRun" set the value to "1" to enable application restrictions or "0" to allow all applications to run.

Then create a new sub-key called [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Policies\Explorer\DisallowRun] and define the applications the are to be restricted. Creating a new string value for each application, named as consecutive numbers, and setting the value to the filename to be restriced (e.g. "regedit.exe").

Restart Windows for the changes to take effect.

Registry Editor Example
|NameTypeData|
|(Default)REG_SZ(value not set)|
|1REG_SZ"badapp.exe"|
|2REG_SZ"restrict.exe"|
-
|HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Exp...|
-

Settings:
User Key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
Explorer]

System Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
Explorer]

Name: DisallowRun

Related Tweaks

Disclaimer: Modifying the registry can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. We cannot guarantee that problems resulting from modifications to the registry can be solved. Use the information provided at your own risk.

Last Modified: December 19, 2001

 Return to Index Copyright © 1998-2003. All Rights Reserved.  License