INFO: Approved Shell Extensions Only Enforced If EnforceShellExtensionSecurity Key Is Turned On

• Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
• Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit (SDK)
  on the following platforms: NT

SUMMARY

The Approved key and the EnforceShellExtensionSecurity policy are an administrator's way of controlling which shell extensions are allowed to run. If the EnforceShellExtensionSecurity policy is turned on, the shell will only run shell extensions that are registered under the Approved key. If the EnforceShellExtensionSecurity policy is turned off, any shell extension can be run, whether or not it is registered under the Approved key.

MORE INFORMATION

The CLSIDs for approved shell extensions are registered under the registry key:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Approved]

EnforceShellExtensionSecurity is a REG_DWORD value placed under the following key:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]

EnforceShellExtensionSecurity is off when the value is zero or is removed, and on when the value is 1.

REFERENCES

For additional information about the EnforceShellExtensionSecurity policy, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q185590 Guide To Windows NT 4.0 Profiles and Policies (Part 5 of 6)

Additional query words: kbdsupport kbdsh

Keywords          : kbNTOS400 kbSDKPlatform kbSDKWin32 kbGrpShell 
Version           : WINDOWS:; winnt:4.0
Platform          : WINDOWS winnt 
Issue type        : kbinfo 

Last Reviewed: February 27, 1999