Problems with "Run Only Allowed Windows Applications" Policy in Windows 95 (240026)

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

If the "Run only allowed Windows applications" system policy is set to allow only certain programs to be run in Windows 95, you may receive the following error message when you attempt to open a document by double-clicking it in Windows Explorer:

Restrictions
This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator.

This error message may occur even if the program that opens the document is on the list of allowed Windows applications.

CAUSE

The problem occurs if the path to the program that opens the document (that is, the program that is associated with the document's file type) contains spaces, but is not enclosed in quotation marks.

This information is located in the registry, under a key of the following form:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\file type\shell\open\command

The path to the program that opens the file type is stored in the (Default) value under this key.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use either of the following methods:

Method 1

Install Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later, and choose to install the Windows Desktop Update component. To obtain Internet Explorer, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/ie

Method 2

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

On systems that are running an earlier version of Internet Explorer or not running Internet Explorer at all, you may be able to work around this problem by either surrounding the entire program path with quotation marks, or by altering the program path to its equivalent short name (8.3) format. To do this:

Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
Locate the (Default) value under the following key
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\file type\shell\open\command
where file type is the file type for the document you are trying to open.
On the Edit menu, click Modify. Edit the value data to enclose the path to the program in quotation marks, and then click OK.

For example, if the original value data is:
C:\Program Files\APP1\Binary Files\APP1.EXE %1
Change the value to either:
"C:\Program Files\APP1\Binary Files\APP1.EXE" %1 (notice the quotation marks)

-or-

C:\PROGRA~1\APP1\BINARY~1\APP1.EXE %1 (no quotation marks needed)
Quit Registry Editor.