Not sure how I managed to so misinterpret your words. I will work on my
reading skills.
At any rate, Spybot S&D caught it:
<Microsoft.Windows.System:
[SBI $C9D262B4] Settings (Registry change, nothing done)
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1715567821-1606980848-1343024091-1001\Software\Microsoft
\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoPropertiesMycomputer>
It offered to "fix selected problem". Not sure if it would actually fix
things, I was nervous about it, but I went ahead and the fix worked.
Apart from normal updates I haven't made any changes to the antivirus or
antispyware programs, so I guess the cause of this is still a mystery. FWIW,
one more recent event I neglected to mention - I installed a wireless card
and driver (the machine had no wireless capability), which seemed to go OK.
Roger
John John (MVP) wrote:
> Look in the registry under either or both the HKCU or HKLM branch to
> see
> if a NoPropertiesMyComputer policy exists :
> http://www.pctools.com/guides/registry/detail/980/
>
> If the policy is not in the registry look in the \WINNT\system32
> folder
> for the SYSDM.CPL file and make sure that you have proper permissions
> on
> the file.
>
> Did you by any chance recently upgrade, change or add security
> software
> to your machine? New or different AntiVirus or Firewall or other
> security suite? These applications now often disable some of those
> things without alerting the users. Also make sure that you have no
> virus or other malware on the machine.
>
> John
>
> Roger Fink wrote:
>
>> That solved the problem. Thanks very much.
>>
>> Unfortunately a new, mission critical one has crept up. I can't open
>> System in Control Panel (nothing happens at all - no error message).
>> Before posting this I checked every other item in Control Panel and
>> they all open up. I also notice that, unlike my desktop, when I
>> right-click My Computer, there is no Properties option, which would
>> open the same panel. I re-enabled Remove Network Connection from
>> Start Menu to see if that had something to do with it, but that had
>> no effect, so I doubt that the enabled/not configured change caused
>> it, but whatever the problem, it is fairly recent, since I was able
>> to open System a couple of days ago.
>>
>>
>> John John (MVP) wrote:
>>
>>> It sounds like you may have disabled it through one of the Group
>>> Policy Objects.
>>>
>>> To open the Group Policy snap-in enter gpedit.msc in the Start
>>> Menu
>>> Run box. In the Group Policly look at:
>>>
>>> User Configuration
>>> \Administrative Templates
>>> \Start Menu & Taskbar
>>> \Remove Network Connection from Start Menu
>>>
>>> Set this policy to "Not Configured". You may need to reboot to have
>>> the
>>> GPO apply... or wait about 90 minutes for the default GPO refresh
>>> rate
>>> to reapply the policy.
>>>
>>> John
>>>
>>> Roger Fink wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> This is not familiar terrtory for me, so I'm following along as
>>>> best
>>>> I can. I assume you are referring to Event Viewer. Under System Log
>>>> there is a recent warning event. When I doublle click it, it says
>>>> "Adapter Intel PRO/100VE Network Connection Adapter Link Down".
>>>>
>>>> The message when I click the Control Panel icon is "You do not have
>>>> permission to open the Network and Dial-up Connection folder".
>>>> There
>>>> is no error number.
>>>>
>>>> I can't get to this right now but I will follow up on your
>>>> suggestions. I'm unfamiliar with the Ncpa.cpl file, but I'll do
>>>> what
>>>> I can and post back. Please feel free to add anything else in the
>>>> interim.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> John John (MVP) wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> What happens when you try to open it? Are you recieving any error
>>>>> messages? What about the Event Log, are any errors showing there?
>>>>> If this is a permissions issue check and make sure that you have
>>>>> proper permissions on the Ncpa.cpl file. You may have other
>>>>> (registry keys) permissions which may prevent opening the file,
>>>>> try
>>>>> this and see if it fixes things:
>>>>>
>>>>> Aaron Stebner's WebLog
>>>>> Solving setup errors by using the SubInACL tool to repair file and
>>>>> registry permissions
>>>>> http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2006/09/04/739820.aspx
>>>>>
>>>>> John
>>>>>
>>>>> Roger Fink wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> I am in a losing battle with my IBM laptop over access to Network
>>>>>> and Dial-Up Connections (shades of HAL 9000), which it will not
>>>>>> let me
>>>>>> into come hell or high water from either of the two
>>>>>> administrative profiles on this machine. I even created a third
>>>>>> administrative
>>>>>> profile in an attempt to outsmart it, but access to this is just
>>>>>> blocked, period.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I'm not sure if the IBM "Access Connections" program on the
>>>>>> laptop, which does seem to work, covers the same territory, but
>>>>>> I'd like to
>>>>>> be able to fix this, which is the only listing in Control Panel I
>>>>>> can't open.