OFF97: Users Can Explore Drives and Folders with Restricted Policy (178720)

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:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

When you create a system policy that restricts users from exploring their computers by using Windows Explorer or within My Computer, users can still explore files and folders within the individual Microsoft Office programs within the Open and Save As dialog boxes.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when you run the Policy Editor program and, by using the Common.adm policy template, restrict access to the Windows shell by hiding drives and Windows Explorer.

However, Word 97 and Excel 97 use a different means of accessing the directory structure. When users, even with the restricted access, are in the Open or Save As dialog box, they can browse all folders on drives by either double-clicking folders or clicking the drive drop-down arrow.

There are no options in the Microsoft Office 97 policy files to turn off this functionality of the Open and Save As dialog boxes. This functionality cannot be disabled because no system registry option exists in the Microsoft Office 97 programs to switch it on or off. The ability to browse drives and folder is an inherent function of these dialog boxes.

MORE INFORMATION

The Microsoft Office 97 Resource Kit includes a collection of templates that you can use with the System Policy Editor to specify user policies for the Office programs.

You can edit the registry by using System Policy Editor (Poledit.exe) or Registry Editor (Regedit.exe). However, check with your network administrator before you make any changes to the registry.

If you are using the Office 97 system policy templates that are included in the Microsoft Office 97 Resource Kit, you must use the version of the System Policy Editor that is included in the Microsoft Office 97 Resource Kit or the Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit.

NOTE: You can download Policy.exe, a self-extracting executable file containing Poledit.exe, from online services. Download this file from the following Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/2000/download/ORKTools.exe

NOTE: Because the Microsoft Web site is regularly updated, the site address may change without notice. If this occurs, link to the Microsoft home page at the following address:

http://www.microsoft.com/

REFERENCES

For more information about setting up policy files, click the Index tab in System Policy Editor Help, type the following text

new policies

and then double-click the selected text to go to the "Create a new policy for a domain" topic.