System Policy Editor Will Not Allow More Than 255 Characters

ID: Q173385

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition

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 on how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" online Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" online Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SYMPTOMS

System Policy Editor (Poledit.exe) does not allow a Logon Banner Text field of greater than 255 characters.

Directly modifying the registry key, however, will allow a Banner of greater than 255 characters.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, perform the following steps:

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack

If a logon banner of greater than 1024 characters is required, a supported fix is now available from Microsoft that will allow the administrator to create a logon banner of up to 2048 characters. This fix has not been fully regression-tested and should be applied only to systems experiencing this specific problem. If you are not severely affected by this specific problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Windows NT service pack that contains this fix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information on support costs, please go to the following address on the World Wide Web:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/default.asp

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

Date	Time	Size	File Name	Platform
10/26/98	01:21p	123,152	poledit.exe	i386
10/26/98	01:21p	156,788	poledit.dbg	i386
10/26/98	01:23p	196,880	poledit.exe	alpha
10/26/98	01:23p	96,700	poledit.dbg	alpha

For more information on this hotfix, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q179553
TITLE : Access Violation in PolEdit When Defining Allowed Windows Apps

Use a text editor, such as Notepad, to change the following in the Winnt.adm file:

for Windows NT:

from:


         CATEGORY !!Login_Policies
            POLICY !!LogonBanner
            KEYNAME "Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon"

               PART !!LogonBanner_Text                 EDITTEXT
               VALUENAME "LegalNoticeText"
               MAXLEN 255
               DEFAULT !!LogonBanner_DefText
               END PART

to:


         CATEGORY !!Login_Policies
            POLICY !!LogonBanner
            KEYNAME "Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon"

               PART !!LogonBanner_Text                 EDITTEXT
               VALUENAME "LegalNoticeText"
               MAXLEN 1024
               DEFAULT !!LogonBanner_DefText
               END PART

NOTE: Replace 1024 with 2048 for the hotfix.

for Windows 95:

from:


         VALUENAME "LegalNoticeText"
         MAXLEN 255
         DEFAULT !!LogonBanner_DefText

to:


         VALUENAME "LegalNoticeText"
         MAXLEN 1000
         DEFAULT !!LogonBanner_DefText

NOTE: Replace 1000 with 2048 for the hotfix.

Save file and quit the text editor.

To work around this problem, perform the following steps:

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall Windows. 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" online Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" online Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it.

Modify the following registry key directly for this value and do not use a System Policy that will affect this registry key.

Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).

Locate the LegalNoticeText:REG_SZ: value under the following key in the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion \Winlogon

NOTE: The above registry key is one path; it has been wrapped for readability.

Click String on the Edit menu, type the new value, and then click OK.

Quit Registry Editor.

Do not use a system policy that affects this registry key.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 4.

Additional query words: Poledit LogonPolicy spe

Keywords : NT4SP4Fix ntdomain kbbug4.00 kbfix4.00.sp4 ntregistry NTSrvWkst
Version : winnt:4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug