How to use the Set Program Access and Defaults feature in Windows XP Service Pack 1

This article describes how to use the Set Program Access and Defaults feature that is included with Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1). This information is intended for advanced users and IT professionals. For more information including basic information about the Set Program Access and Defaults feature in Windows XP SP1, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Note For programs to appear in Set Program Access and Defaults, they must be registered. For information about how software vendors can register their programs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

Specify default programs

The Set Program Access and Defaults icon is located on the Start menu and in the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel. If you are a computer administrator, you can use the Set Program Access and Defaults feature to specify the default program for certain activities, such as browsing the Web, sending e-mail messages, or playing media. You can also control how the program's icons, shortcuts, and menu entries appear.

For more information about how to specify default programs, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Note Microsoft Windows Messenger, Microsoft Windows Media Player, and the Microsoft virtual machine (VM) are not included with Windows XP 64-bit Edition. These programs do not appear in the Set Program Access and Defaults feature in Windows XP 64-bit Edition.

Remove access to Microsoft Windows programs

To remove access to programs such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Outlook Express, Windows Media Player, or Windows Messenger if you are a computer administrator (or member of the Administrators groups), you can use either Control Panel (as described earlier), an unattended Setup procedure, or the Sysprep tool or the Factory tool after you run the Setup program.

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, the 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 this program the default program or to associate file types and protocols with the program.

Use an unattended installation

If you are an administrator, you can remove access to Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Windows Media Player, or Windows Messenger as part of an unattended Setup procedure or after the Setup runs by using the Sysprep tool or the Factory tool. These methods assume you are using the integrated installation method. This method allows you to install Windows XP and the service pack at the same time.

To remove access to Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Windows Media Player, and Windows Messenger during unattended Setup or during Sysprep, add a [Components] section to the Unattend.txt file that contains the following options: For additional information about this method, obtain the Deploy.cab file. This file is a compressed file that contains a collection of tools. The Deploy.cab file is located in the Support\Tools folder on the Windows XP SP1 CD. For information about the deployment tools, see the "Microsoft Windows Corporate Deployment Tools User's Guide" Help file (Deploy.chm). This file is included in Deploy.cab. This Help file provides a list of tools, instructions for how to use them, and additional information about how to preinstall, customize, and deploy the service pack.

Use the Sysprep tool or the Factory tool after installation

To remove access to Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Windows Media Player, or Windows Messenger after you have already installed Windows, complete one of the methods that is described in this section.

To remove access by using Sysprep

To remove access to Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Windows Media Player, and Windows Messenger by using Sysprep:

1. Add a [Components] section to the Unattend.txt file that contains the following options:

   [Components]
   IEAccess = Off
   OEAccess = Off
   WMPOCM = Off
   WMAccess = Off

2. Add the following command line to the [GuiRunOnce] section of Sysprep.inf before you run Sysprep:

   [GuiRunOnce] 
   
   sysocmgr /i:%windir%\inf\sysoc.inf /u:unattend.txt /q /r /c /x
   

To remove access by using the Winbom.ini file and the Factory tool

1. Create a Winbom.ini file that has the entries that are described earlier in the [Components] section.
2. Add the following command line to the [GuiRunOnce] section of Sysprep.inf before you run sysprep -factory:

   [GuiRunOnce]
   sysocmgr /i:%windir%\inf\sysoc.inf /u:winbom.ini /q /r /c /x

For additional information about this method, obtain the Deploy.cab file. This file is a compressed file that contains a collection of tools. The Deploy.cab file is located in the Support\Tools folder on the Windows XP SP1 CD. For information about the deployment tools, see the "Microsoft Windows Corporate Deployment Tools User's Guide" Help file (Deploy.chm). This file is included in Deploy.cab. This Help file provides a list of tools, instructions for how to use them, and additional information about how to preinstall, customize, and deploy the service pack.

Administrative policies for Set Program Access and Defaults

There are two administrative policies to control the Set Program Access and Defaults feature. One policy removes the icon from the Start menu, and one policy hides the Set Program Access and Defaults section in the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel.

Remove the 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:
To remove the Set Program Access and Defaults icon from the Start menu, use either of the following methods:

• For all users, add a DWORD value named NoSMConfigurePrograms that has a value of 1 to the following registry setting:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
• For the current user only, add a DWORD value that is named NoSMConfigurePrograms that has a value of 1 to the following registry setting:
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

To add these registry values:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click the following key in the registry:
   • For all users:
     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
   • For the current user:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
3. If an Explorer subkey does not already exist:
   1. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click Key.
   2. Type Explorer for the name of the new subkey, and then click OK.
4. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
5. Type NoSMConfigurePrograms for the name of the DWORD, and then click OK.
6. Right-click NoSMConfigurePrograms, and then click Modify.
7. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
8. Quit Registry Editor.
9. Restart the computer.

Hide Set Program Access and Defaults in Add or Remove Programs

To hide the Set Program Access and Defaults feature in the Add or Remove Programs tool in Control Panel, use either of the following methods:

• For all users, add a DWORD value named NoChooseProgramsPage that has a value of 1 to the following registry setting:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Uninstall
• For the current user only, add a DWORD value named NoChooseProgramsPage that has a value of 1 to the following registry setting:
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Uninstall

To add these registry values:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then double-click the following key in the registry:
   • For all users:
     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
   • For the current user:
     HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
3. If an Uninstall subkey does not already exist:
   1. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click Key.
   2. Type Uninstall for the name of the new subkey, and then click OK.
4. Click the Uninstall subkey, point to New on the Edit menu, and then click DWORD Value.
5. Type NoChooseProgramsPage for the name of the DWORD Value, and then click OK.
6. Right-click NoChooseProgramsPage, and then click Modify.
7. In the Value data box, type 1, 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 in Windows XP SP1:

• You may receive the following 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 help.
• 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.
• Windows Messenger starts when Outlook Express is opened after you remove access to Windows Messenger.
  
  After you remove access to Windows Messenger, Windows Messenger still starts when you open Outlook Express. This condition may occur after you perform one of the following steps:
  • You clear the Enable access to this program check box in Set Program Access and Defaults.
  • You remove access to Windows Messenger using the Add/Remove Windows Components feature in the Add or Remove Programs tool.
  For more information about this issue, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  327390  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/327390/ ) Windows Messenger starts when you start Outlook Express after you remove access to Windows Messenger

For more information about the Set Program Access and Defaults feature that is included with Windows XP SP1, visit the following Microsoft Web sites: For more information about how to obtain SP1 for Windows XP, 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.