"This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer."

A very common question in the Microsoft public newsgroups goes something like this:

When clicking on a hyperlink in an e-mail, I get this Message : "This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator." I get this message every time that I attempt to use the hyperlink. I am the administrator on this stand alone computer. How do I deactivate this feature so that I activate hyperlinks ?

This is not an Outlook error. The most common cause is a corrupt registry key in Internet Explorer 6. The registry key found at

HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Classes\htmlfile\shell\open\command

is either damaged or corrupt.

To fix it, try resetting Web settings in Internet Explorer. If this does not resolve the issue, you'll need to import the registry key from another computer.

Reset Web Settings

To Reset Web settings

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
3. Click the Programs tab, and then click the Reset Web Settings button.
4. Under Internet programs, verify that the correct e-mail program is selected.
5. Click to select the Internet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default browser check box.
6. Click Apply, and then click OK.

If you receive a message when Internet Explorer starts telling you that IE is not currently your default browser, click Yes to make it your default.

Import the Registry Key

When resetting the web settings doesn't help, you'll need to recreate the corrupt key. The easiest way to do this is by exporting the key from another computer.

To save exporting it from another computer, right click here to download a registry key exported from my computer. Choose Save target as and change the file extension from txt to reg and double click on it to run it.

If you prefer to use a key from a computer you have access to, follow the instructions in You receive an error message when you click a hyperlink in Outlook.

Set Program Access in Control Panel

Windows XP and Vista allow you to control program defaults through Control Panel, Add and Remove Programs, Set Program Access and Defaults. If the above methods fail, use this method to set the default browser.

Other Causes

There are several other causes of this error. In most cases, they do not affect hyperlinks in Outlook. If you found this page searching for the error message, check out the following pages. Note that if you receive this error on a computer at work, you should contact your administrator, they may want access to applications restricted for security reasons.

You receive the message when:
# Using Outlook 2002 SP3
# Trying to run a program
# Saving a document (Windows 2000)
# Accessing file open dialog
# Starting Windows Explorer

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More Information

You receive an error message when you click a hyperlink in Outlook


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