Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

Pao|o · Oct 27, 2006, 11:27 AM

I know Windows sucks but... i got a problem

I recently found out about the wonderfulness of gpedit.msc to limit people's ability to screw with the but inadvertedly restricted ALL programs from running including the programs I specified to run.

I tried running (Start>Run>gpedit.msc) gpedit.msc and get ""This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator."" as an error message

I'm on a XP Pro SP1 machine. I tried booting into "Safe mode" and logged in as "Administrator" and I still get the error.

Cant run egedt32.exe and get the same "restricted" error.

"system restore" it gives me the "restricted" error.

The SP1 machine isnt networked or Active directory. It's a stand alone.

Tried booting into "Safe Mode" and "Safe Mode with Commpand Promit" still the same "restriced" error.

Mister Elf · Oct 27, 2006, 01:52 PM

First, install SP2 - asking for help on SP1 is the rough equivalent of asking for help on Mac OS 10.0 or 10.1

Once you've done that, see if the problem still exists - if not, enjoy!

shiff · Oct 27, 2006, 01:55 PM

Try doing XP service pack 2 if that is an option.

Also, you may want to scan for a virus as well as spyware as soon as you can. There was a windows virus that caused some of these same symptoms.

Eriamjh · Oct 27, 2006, 02:06 PM

format c:

vexborg · Oct 27, 2006, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by shiff

Try doing XP service pack 2 if that is an option.

Also, you may want to scan for a virus as well as spyware as soon as you can. There was a windows virus that caused some of these same symptoms.

Hmmmm.... Isn't Windows a virus?

olePigeon · Oct 27, 2006, 03:52 PM

Maybe he's on dialup? Downloading XP SP 2, then downloading the 50+ SP 2 patches, plus (if he has office) SP 2 Office patch, all while on dialup... well, he'll be done by the time Vista is finally released.

mac128k-1984 · Oct 27, 2006, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by vexborg

Hmmmm.... Isn't Windows a virus?

Yes, and also spyware since it phones home for a variety of reasons

Oneota · Oct 27, 2006, 04:08 PM

Geek A: "You know, if you play a Windows CD backwards, you'll hear all sorts of satanic messages from your speakers!"

Geek B: "That's nothing - if you play it forwards, it installs Windows!"

mduell · Oct 27, 2006, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by olePigeon

Maybe he's on dialup? Downloading XP SP 2, then downloading the 50+ SP 2 patches, plus (if he has office) SP 2 Office patch, all while on dialup... well, he'll be done by the time Vista is finally released.

MS offers free CDs of SP2 on their website. I had about a dozen at one point (shortly after it was released) to hand out to people.

Pao|o · Oct 28, 2006, 12:40 AM

Cant use executables

seanc · Oct 28, 2006, 05:51 AM

Can you not run ANY executables? Not even the calculator? Explorer must be running and thats an executable.

For any .exe that you want to run, rename it to calc.exe or explorer.exe. Make sure you're renaming the proper exe and not a shortcut. It may also be wise to copy the file to the destop first.

Hope it works, it works at college.

ghporter · Oct 29, 2006, 10:04 AM

Upgrade to the FREE and EASY TO DOWNLOAD SP2. Install it. Sit back for a while. When it's done, you should be set. Sticking with SP1 is like sticking with a coal furnace that you have to stoke now and then-it works, but it's WAY too much trouble.

vmarks · Oct 29, 2006, 10:22 AM

There are some valid reasons to still run SP1. SP2 broke compatibility with about 200 other software packages. SP2 slowed down system responsiveness. SP2 paved the way for Windows Genuine Advantage.

I suggest you make an EBCD or boot to the recovery command line mode off of the Windows install CD and delete or edit your .msc file there.

Doing so should recover you without the need to download 250MB of SP2 update.

Emergency Boot CD Homepage