OFF97: System Policy Does Not Completely Restrict Network Access

• Microsoft Office 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SYMPTOMS

When you create a system policy for the Network Neighborhood that restricts network access, users can still map a network drive from within the individual Microsoft Office programs.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when you run the Policy Editor program and, by using the Common.adm policy template, click Hide Network Neighborhood in the Shell restrictions.

In an Office 97 program, when you click Commands And Settings in the Save As dialog box, you can click Map Network Drive and connect to a network drive.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

The Microsoft Office 97 Resource Kit includes a collection of templates that you can use with the System Policy Editor to specify user policies for the Office programs.

You can edit the registry by using System Policy Editor (Poledit.exe) or Registry Editor (Regedit.exe). However, check with your network administrator before you make any changes to the registry.

If you are using the Office 97 system policy templates that are included in the Microsoft Office 97 Resource Kit, you must use the version of the System Policy Editor that is included in the Microsoft Office 97 Resource Kit or the Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit.

NOTE: You can download Policy.exe, a self-extracting executable file containing Poledit.exe, from online services. Download this file from the following Web site:

   http://www.microsoft.com/office/ork/appa/appa.htm#dex4

   http://www.microsoft.com/

REFERENCES

For more information about setting up policy files, click the Index tab in System Policy Editor Help, type the following text

   new policies