How to Prevent the Internet Explorer "Welcome" Tour from Running

• Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 4.0, 4.01, 4.01 Service Pack 1 for Windows NT 4.0

SUMMARY

This article describes how to prevent the Internet Explorer "Welcome" tour from running when a new user logs on to a computer. This may be useful to reduce start up time, or to work around issues with the tour starting properly.

MORE INFORMATION

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys and Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).


The Internet Explorer Tour can be enabled or disabled in the registry on a per-user basis. To prevent the Internet Explorer Welcome tour from running when a new user logs on to a computer, you must create a user account with the preferred settings in the registry and then copy these settings into the default user profile in the Winnt\Profiles\Default User folder:

1. Restart your computer, log on as a new user, and then restart your computer.



2. Log on as an administrator, and then add the new user to the administrator's group.



3. Click Start, click Logoff user name, where user name is your user name. Log on to your computer with the new user account you created in step 1, click to clear the Show this the Next Time you login check box, and then click Close.



4. Click Start, click Logoff user name, and then log on to your computer with the new user account you created in step 1. If the tour does not run, continue to step 5. If the tour does run, skip to step 8.



5. Copy the contents of the Winnt\Profiles\Default User folder to another folder to create a backup copy of these original settings.



6. Copy the contents of the new "user name" folder from the Profiles folder to the Default User folder, and then restart your computer. Do not perform the remaining steps.



7. Use Registry Editor to view the following registry key:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Tips

   Change the value of the SHOWIE4 value from 1 to 0. Note that a value of 1 means the tour is enabled, and a value of 0 means the tour is disabled. You can change this value to re-enable the tour at a later time.



8. Restart your computer.



9. Repeat steps 5-7 to copy this user's settings to the default user.

Additional query words:

Keywords          : kbenv kbtool msient 
Version           : WINDOWS:4.0,4.01,4.01 Service Pack 1
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbhowto 

Last Reviewed: June 15, 1999