Run & File Explorer Not Operational

Question

Hello everyone.

I'm encountering issues with a server configuration at my workplace that was set up by someone else. I am unable to access essential features such as the Run command, File Explorer, and local drives on my PC. Despite disabling several Group Policy settings, including:

• Enabling "Show 'Run as different user' command on Start menu" under Start Menu and Taskbar settings.
• Disabling "Don't run specific Windows applications" under System settings.
• Disabling "Prevent access to Registry Editing Tools" and "Prevent access to Command Prompt" also under System settings.
• Disabling "Disable Known Folder Redirection" under Windows Components/File Explorer settings.
• Disabling "Hide these specified drives in My Computer" under Windows Components/File Explorer settings.
• Disabling "Start File Explorer with Ribbon minimized" under Windows Components/File Explorer settings.

The restrictions persist unchanged. If anyone can provide guidance on further disabling these policies, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello

It sounds like you’re dealing with a tricky situation! Here are a few additional steps you can try to resolve the issue:

Reset Group Policy Settings:

Open Command Prompt as an administrator.

Run the following commands to reset all local Group Policy settings:

RD /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicyUsers"

RD /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicy"

gpupdate /force

Check Registry Settings:

Open the Registry Editor (regedit).

Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System.

Ensure that the DisableCMD value is set to 0 or delete it if it exists.

Verify Local Security Policies:

Open the Local Security Policy editor (secpol.msc).

Navigate to Local Policies > Security Options.

Check settings related to user access and permissions.

Review User Configuration Settings:

Open the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc).

Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System.

Ensure that policies like “Prevent access to the command prompt” and “Prevent access to registry editing tools” are disabled.

Check for Conflicting Policies:

Sometimes, policies set at different levels (local, domain) can conflict. Ensure there are no domain-level policies overriding your local settings.

If these steps don’t resolve the issue, it might be helpful to consult with your IT department or a network administrator to ensure there are no domain-level policies or other configurations affecting your access.