This operation has been canceled due to restrictions in effect on this computer
"This operation has been canceled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please Contact your System Administrator."
I've been going gently crazy. Over the past couple of weeks I've been getting this error every time I tried to click a link in a M$oft Office document:
I'm the System Administrator, dammit, me! And I have changed nothing obvious. Those areas are too scary to go into because XP pretends that it's a real, grown up operating system.
I've not been best pleased. I never related the "never been right since..." point to the time I installed Firefox 3.0 and has to uninstall it.
So, after checking 'help' and failing with M$oft's 'knowledge base', I used Google. [memo to self: Use Google first next time!]. And, lo and behold, I am not alone! 9190 other pages give me varying degrees of answer.
The one I used is from an ordinary blogger, like me! I picked The Luebbes: A Family Blog, which did me proud.
So, Mozilla, why?
Come to that, why, when I installed release 3 of Firefox did it fail to work in any way? Why did I have to remove it entirely from my machine and reinstall release 2? Why?
I'm a fan of Firefox. I tolerate Thunderbird because it's pretty much the only IMAP email client available for no money. But I am a fan of Firefox. But, Mozilla, you nearly lost me.
I'd like to thank The Luebbes. Good blog item.
The fix? All credit to The Luebbes, so don't forget to thank them:
Go to Control Panel, Add Remove Programs. Then on the left, choose Program Access and Defaults. Open up whichever configuration is currently selected and change the default web browser selection to something other that what is currently chosen. Click OK, then test the link in your favourite M$oft product.NOTE: Some people need to reboot afterwards to make this work, others don't! What can I say? Ah yes: "I blame Bill Gates!"
33 comments:
Greetings.
It's not working.
The settings goes back to the initial state after closure.
All the best.
I think all one can say at this point is "Damn whoever caused this to hell and back".
It did work for me, which is why I passed it on (obviously!)
All I can think is "Repeat carefully, and consider a reboot after changing the default browser to (eg) IE"
I wish I were technical enough to be really helpful on this one
You are AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! I had to try it a few times, but after rebooting it worked - Thank you sooo much!!!
Annoying as hell, isn't it? Especially if you do have to reboot.
yes, but it worked and that's all that matters - all the other fixes showed going in and fixing your system hkey and I didn't want to mess with that - When you're not a geek this was easy and non damaging to the operating system.
I saw those, too. Regedit is not for the faint hearted, even with blow by blow instructions. And, it seems, is not needed for this. Well 9 times out of ten it seems!
Same problem ...
FIXED! using your workaround! (after reboot)
Thanks.
I too found that the setting in "Program access and defaults" did not stick (and made no difference). Instead, what made the difference for me was instructing IE to make itself the default browser (which seemed to clear out some corrupted registry key caused by IE) - this at least made my hyperlinks works again. Then make Firefox the default browser afterwards, which gave me the desired browser on hyperlink clicking.
I should also have added, that my problems also stemmed from uninstalling Firefox3.0 (and then perhaps using IE for a short while).
It looks as if everyone has a subtly different experience, but that the main principle holds good.
I also got into the mess by needing to uninstall FF 3.0.
Unbelievable! Yes after the reboot it worked. Company owner was infected with the Windows AntiVirus 2008 and did a huge number of things on his system.
The last was affect IE and getting to the damn 'Internet Options'. My hats off to y'all.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!! I had installed Firefox 3.0 last week and hated it. I uninstalled and reinstalled the older version. You know the rest.... I've been getting that damn message in my Outlook ever since. I too was leery to change the Registry files. I tried your fix, rebooted and all is back to normal!!!! Thanks again.
I can't even get FF 3 to run on my laptop. That's how I got into the mess myself.
Bless you! Worked like a charm. I'd been thinking it was because I'd recently downloaded Windows XP SP3.
I can't believe that it's that simple! But finding the solution was ludicrously hard.
We all owe you big time!!!!!Thanks
Your post was an answer to prayer!
Bob
Stupidly simple and imposisble to guess, isn't it?
Thank you Tim. Your suggestion worked. I'm glad I used Google.
Linda
Wonderful, and happy to be of service. Do "digg" the article, please (easy link inside the article at the top)
Fantastic post, I was really getting frustrated. I also reverted to FF2 FF3 has brought nothing but headaches.
I've gone right off FireFox. I installed Google's Chrome. A few warts, but it works, and it isn't IE!
It'll do.
You're my hero!
I also had updated to FF3 and hated it. Like everyone else, reverted back to FF2. My Outlook just started popping up with this error today and of course, Microsoft's help center can't write the fixes in just plain ol' English.
Thank you for posting the fix.
Don;t forget to thank the Luebbes Family also :)
After I spent so many hours of Christmas with wrong methods posted by Microsoft itself, I finaly found you. It took me 20 seconds to fix the problem. Thank you and the Luebbes Family also. Happy New Year!
Glad it helped.
You're the man! I spent a ridiculous amount of time with this till I found this cure!
Great post been dealing with this for about 4 weeks it happened after i uninstalled Safari browser by apple wanted to try it but not so great.
Thanks again
Your solution worked perfectly. I love simple solutions. Too bad you were 7th in my Google search. You should be first.
Thank you! It worked! After reading a few posts about editing the registry and microsoft help about installing hotfixes, etc. This is what worked. You've saved me a lot of time! Thanks!
Thank you very much! Great.
Thank you so much for posting this. I wasted time with Microsoft Support which was worthless. It you had not shared your experience, I would still be trying to figure this out.
Changing the setting in "Program access and defaults" did not stick for me either but after I tried changing it and rebooted it worked!
There doesn't seem to be any logic behind who has to reboot and who can just carry on working. I blame Bill Gates!
Worked for me after the reboot. Thanks very much!!!
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