OL2002: You Can Block Outlook Desktop Icon Properties on Some Locked Down Systems (292924)

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

A system administrator can lock down a computer desktop to a point where non-approved shell extensions cannot be registered and properties for the desktop icons cannot be displayed.

Approved extensions is a registry key that only administrators can write to in the registry. This key and mechanism has existed since Microsoft Windows NT 4.0

The following registry key contains a Globally Unique Identifiers (GUID)/Name Pair:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Approved

The GUIDs for Outlook do not exist here. Therefore, on a locked down system, Microsoft Outlook cannot "CoCreate" your shell extension. This same security setting inhibits non-approved shell extensions for Microsoft Outlook 2000 and Microsoft Outlook 98.

WORKAROUND

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.

To work around this problem, have the system administrator create the following registry key as a component in the Global_Outlook_Core:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Approved] "{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}"="Microsoft Outlook Desktop Icon Handler"

This registry key adds the needed entry for the Desktop Icon Properties to display in Outlook 2002.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.