Help, my TS users keep resetting the default mail client settings

[Andy Svendsen]

This is a frustrating one unfortunately. The default mail client is stored
in HKLM\Software\Clients\Mail in the default key a.k.a. Internet Explorer |
Tools | Internet Options | Program | E-mail. My problem is that users keep
changing the setting from Microsoft Outlook to Outlook Express or Hotmail,
which fouls up my custom VB app.

First of all, why isn't this stored in Hkey_current_user/HKEY_Users?
Doesn't this qualify as a user settings. Secondly, what is an elegant way
to keep users from resetting the value? I've though of exporting a registry
key, and setting a scheduled task to keep importing it, or restricting the
permissions further (Users do not have write rights on the key, only
administrators and system does). What do you think?

--
*******************************************************************
Andy S.
MCSE NT/2000, MCDBA SQL 7/2000
(e-mail address removed)

Always keep your antivirus and Microsoft software
up to date with the latest definitions and product updates.
Be suspicious of every email attachment, I will never send
or post anything other than the text of a http:// link nor
post the link directly to a file for downloading.

(e-mail address removed) gets filled up to the account
limit with spam every couple of hours now so replies may
not be possible. I will remove this disclaimer once every
ISP involved with relaying the spam can help me out.

Down with the SWEN virus!

*******************************************************************

 

[BT]

You could tell Outlook Express not to check to see if it is default. When Outlook is default, run the exe for OE, when it asks to
be default, tell it don't ask this again or whatever variation. I would think that it should be a user setting but IE/OE is the
shell in Windows 2000 and it might be a bug. But I see you've cross posted all over the board and really don't know what OS you are
running. Makes it difficult.

 

[Andy Svendsen]

Since it is terminal server, the OS is going to be Windows 2000. But you
are right, you have to shut off Outlook Express. Here's the answer to lock
down the Terminal Server so that all users cannot change the default mail
client from something other than Outlook. Probably shouldn't cross posted
to Windows 98. Actually, it is kinda nice to get this much control over the
mail client, this would have been more of a pain if it got saved to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER

1) Remove all the other options besides Microsoft Outlook by deleting all
the keys under HKLM\Software\Clients\Mail
2) Set the Default key to Microsoft Outlook
3) From below add reg_dword value of 1 called No Modify Accts to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Outlook Express

--
*******************************************************************
Andy S.
MCSE NT/2000, MCDBA SQL 7/2000
(e-mail address removed)

Always keep your antivirus and Microsoft software
up to date with the latest definitions and product updates.
Be suspicious of every email attachment, I will never send
or post anything other than the text of a http:// link nor
post the link directly to a file for downloading.

(e-mail address removed) gets filled up to the account
limit with spam every couple of hours now so replies may
not be possible. I will remove this disclaimer once every
ISP involved with relaying the spam can help me out.

*******************************************************************

You could tell Outlook Express not to check to see if it is default. When

Outlook is default, run the exe for OE, when it asks to

be default, tell it don't ask this again or whatever variation. I would

think that it should be a user setting but IE/OE is the

shell in Windows 2000 and it might be a bug. But I see you've cross

posted all over the board and really don't know what OS you are