HOW TO: Use the Set Program Access and Defaults Feature in Windows 2000 Professional

This article describes how to use the Set Program Access and Defaults feature. This feature was originally introduced in Service Pack 3 (SP3) for Windows 2000 Professional, and is also included with Service Pack 4 (SP4) for Windows 2000 Professional. This information is intended for advanced users and IT professionals.


Note Programs must register to appear in Set Program Access and Defaults. For information about how software vendors can register their programs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

To Specify Default Programs

When you install SP3 or SP4 for Windows 2000, the Set Program Access and Defaults icon is put on the Start menu and in Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. Members of the administrators group can use the Set Program Access and Defaults feature to specify the default programs to use for certain activities, such as Web browsing, sending e-mail, or media playback and to control of the display of the program's icons, shortcuts, and menu entries.

To specify the default programs for these activities:

1. Click Start, and then click Set Program Access and Defaults.
   
   Note You can also start this utility from Control Panel. To do this, open Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel, and then click Set Program Access and Defaults.
2. Select the default programs for the listed computer activities by selecting the appropriate options.
   
   Note If your program does not appear by name, configure it as the default program, and then click to select the Use my current program option for the appropriate activity. For information about how to configure a program to be the default, contact the vendor of that program.
3. Click OK.

Remove Access to Microsoft Windows Programs

To remove access to programs such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Outlook Express, or Windows Media Player, an administrator can use Control Panel (as described earlier in this article) or an unattended Setup of an integrated (or "slipstream") version of Windows 2000 with SP3 or SP4.

When you use these methods to remove access to programs, the standard shortcuts and program icons for these programs are removed from the Start menu, desktop, and other locations. These methods do not remove the executable files (.exe or .dll files) for these programs or disable any file and protocol associations that the program may have registered for itself. To associate the appropriate file types and protocols with another program, configure it as the default program. If the program is not registered in Set Program Access and Defaults, contact the vendor for information about how to make it the default program or to associate file types and protocols with the program.

Use an Unattended Installation

Administrators can remove access to Microsoft Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, or Windows Media Player either during unattended Setup for Windows 2000 (by using W2ksp3.exe, W2ksp4.exe or Update.exe) or while running Sysprep for Windows 2000. This method assumes you are using the integrated installation method, which allows you to simultaneously install Windows 2000 and the service pack.

To remove access to Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, and Windows Media Player during unattended Setup or during Sysprep, add a [Components] section to the Unattend.txt file that contains the following options: If you are using Sysprep, add the following command line to the [GuiRunOnce] section of Sysprep.inf:

For additional information, see the "Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack Installation and Deployment Guide" (Spdeploy.htm) and the "Windows 2000 Resource Kit Deployment Tools" Help file (Deptool.chm, contained in Deploy.cab), which are included in the Support\Tools folder on the SP3 and SP4 CD.

Administrative Policies for "Set Program Access and Defaults"

For corporate administrators: You may want to lock down your desktops and remove access to the Set Program Access and Defaults feature. You can remove the Set Program Access and Defaults icon from the Start menu and from the Add/Remove Programs dialog box. To do so, follow these steps.

Remove "Set Program Access and Defaults" Icon from the Start Menu

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Do one of the following:
   • To remove the Set Program Access and Defaults icon for the current user, expand the following registry subkey:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
   • To remove the Set Program Access and Defaults icon for the all users who log on to the computer, expand the following registry subkey:
     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. In the New Value #1 box, type NoSMConfigurePrograms, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click NoSMConfigurePrograms, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, type 1.
7. Click Decimal, and then click OK.
8. Quit Registry Editor.
9. Restart the computer.

Hide "Set Program Access and Defaults" in the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Do one of the following:
   • To remove the Set Program Access and Defaults icon for the current user, expand the following registry subkey:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Uninstall
   • To remove the Set Program Access and Defaults icon for the all users who log on to the computer, expand the following registry subkey:
     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Uninstall
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. In the New Value #1 box, type NoChooseProgramsPage, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click NoChooseProgramsPage, and then click Modify.
6. In the Value data box, type 1.
7. Click Decimal, and then click OK.
8. Quit Registry Editor.

Troubleshooting

The following list describes known issues that you may experience when you use the Set Program Access and Defaults feature:

• Error message: "You do not have permission to set program access and defaults".
  The Set Program Access and Defaults feature is only available to computer administrators. Contact your computer administrator for assistance.
• You cannot specify different defaults for different users.
  The Set Program Access and Defaults feature applies to all users of your computer. You cannot specify different default programs for different users or remove access to programs for only some users.
• Set Program Access and Defaults icon does not appear when you install SP3 or SP4 on a Windows 2000 Server-based computer.
  The Set Program Access and Defaults functionality that is included with SP3 or SP4 for Windows 2000 is intended for computers running Windows 2000 Professional and is not installed on Windows 2000 Server products.
• Cannot remove access to MSN Messenger.
  MSN Messenger is not listed in the Choose a default instant messaging program section and the Show this program check box is not displayed next to Use my current instant messaging program. MSN Messenger is not included with Windows 2000, and current versions of MSN Messenger do not register for use with the Set Program Access and Defaults feature. To remove access to these versions of MSN Messenger or use another default instant messaging program, uninstall MSN Messenger in the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel.
• Programs are unavailable after removing SP3 or SP4 with access for the programs turned off.
  After you remove Windows 2000 SP3 or SP4, Windows does not restore the icons for the following programs to the desktop, to the Start menu, or the Quick Launch toolbar:
  Microsoft Internet Explorer
  Microsoft Outlook Express
  Microsoft Windows Media Player
  As a result, you cannot start these programs from the desktop or the Start menu. You can still use the program files to start the programs.
  
  This problem occurs if you install Windows 2000 SP3 or SP4, then remove access to one or more of the programs in this list by using the Set Program Access and Defaults utility, and then you remove Windows 2000 SP3 or SP4.
  
  To work around this problem, reinstall SP3 or SP4 for Windows 2000, and then restore access to the programs.
• Shortcuts that you create are not removed when you remove access to a program.
  
  If you create a shortcut to a program, and you remove access to that program by using the Set Program Access and Defaults utility or by using Add/Remove Windows Components, the shortcut that you created may not be removed.

For additional information about the Set Program Access and Defaults feature for Windows 2000, visit the following Microsoft Web sites:

For additional information about how to obtain SP4 for Windows 2000, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.