In many organizations, administrators want to set a permanent Homepage in Internet Explorer such as their Intranet address and they also want to restrict users from changing it.
Many times some spyware also change IE Homepage to some other URLs and disable the options to change the homepage. So today in this tutorial, we'll tell you the tricks to permanently set your desired webpage as homepage in Internet Explorer and also restricting other users from changing the homepage.
A. To Permanently Set Homepage:
1. Type regedit in RUN dialog box and press Enter. Now go to following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
2. In right-side pane, change value of Start Page to your desired URL, like http://www.AskVG.com/
B. To Restrict Users From Changing Homepage:
1. Type regedit in RUN dialog box and press Enter. Now go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
2. Under this key create new key "Control Panel". Now in right-side pane, create a new DWORD value HomePage and set its value to 1. It'll disable all 3 buttons "Use current", "Use default" and "Use blank" in Internet Options.
TIP: If these buttons have been disabled in your system by spyware and you want to enable them, then simply change value of HomePage DWORD to 0.
PS: If you want a ready made .REG file to automate the task, then download following ZIP file, extract it and then run the extracted .REG file:
NOTE: In the above .REG file, We have set "Start Page" to "http://www.AskVG.com/". If you want to set a different webpage as homepage, open REG file in Notepad, change the URL with your desired URL and then save the file.
Posted by: Vishal Gupta | Categories: Internet Explorer, Troubleshooting, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP
vinod
Hi VG,
I trying to Restrict Users from Changing Internet Explorer Homepage Settings in my PC but I Couldnt find "Internet explorer" folder under path HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\ .... i can only see the SystemCertificates folder under Microsoft folder. I am the Admin for my PC and i have WINDOWS XP SP3.
Can you please advise...
Thanks
VG
^^ Create the key manually. :)
vinod
Great it worked!
Thanks VG..
VG
^^ Glad to help you. :)
vinod
hi Vg,
I am trying to use the registry script file that avialable here from download, but how to edit .reg file to insert home page URL of my choice.
can you please advise.
thanks
vinod
vinod
Hi VG,
Can you also please advise how to restrict visibilty of the Address and toolbar in IE.
Thanks
Vinod
VG
^^ You can edit .REG file by opening them in Notepad. Regarding restrictions, check following:
http://www.askvg.com/all-kinds-of-restrictions-for-windows-2000-xp-2003-and-vista/
vinod
Thank you VG... Have a great week ahead!
vinod
Hi VG,
Is it possible to Edit the registry script file to change HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\fullscreen
This STRING value set to "yes"
and save it and run the script file for the changes to take place.
Thanks
Vinod
VG
^^ Why not? Edit the REG file in Notepad and make required changes.
vinod
Hi VG,
The registry entry in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main will affect only the currently logged in user, but if there are other user profiles in the same computer and if we want to enforce this in their profiles too, can we make changes in..
HKEY_LOCAL_Machines\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
is this a feasible option:, beause i tried it already but no positive results. Can you please advise how to enforce this for all user profile whoever logs into that profile.
Thanks
Vinod
VG
^^ HKEY_LCAL_MACHINE key should do the job. It applies to all users.
vinod
Hi Vg,
I tried to use HKEY_LOCAL_Machines\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main key to restrict homepage and even Re-started the PC but all user profiles shows the previous settings only. But in regedit console i can see the HKEY_LOCAL_Machines\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\ Start page updated with the url i had given in the script file. Below is the script i have used, can you please advise if this is correct.
__________________________________________________________________________
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"Start Page"="www.google.com"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel]
"HomePage"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbars\Restrictions]
"NoNavBar"=dword:00000000
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"AlwaysShowMenus"=dword:00000000
_______________________________________________________________________
VG
^^ Try to use HKEY_USERS\.Default key.
vinod
Hi Vg,
I tried using HKEY_USERS\.Default key, as shown below,,,
________________________________________________________________________
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"Start Page"="www.google.com"
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel]
"HomePage"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbars\Restrictions]
"NoNavBar"=dword:00000000
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main]
"AlwaysShowMenus"=dword:00000000
[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3]"1609"=dword:00000000
____________________________________________________________________
The regedit shows the modified keys but IE restrictions doesnt seem to be enforced even after a restart in any of the user profiles...
This works if i use HKEY_CURRENT_USER but i want these restrictions to be enforced in All user profiles of a computer...
Can you please advise, iam in a great confusion :-(
Thanks
Vinod
VG
^^ Then I think it can't be applied to all users.
vinod
Okay...
Thanks for your ideas VG...
Have great weekend
Teresa
Hi VG, I typed the youtube.com.hk/ address in IE Home Page option, clicked OK, since then, whenever I opened IE I got an error message "this channel is not available", plus, the "Use current" button on IE Option is disabled. I followed your steps above but cannot find "Internet Explorer\Control Panel" under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\ Anyway, I created the sub-folder Internet Explorer\Control Panel and created a new DWORD value HomePage and set its value to 0. I then open IE Option and typed google.com/ now IE opened, has a split of switch to goggle page but my "Use Current" button is still dim. I am using Windows8 on Sony VAIO SVE14122CGW. Please advise how to reset my IE Option "Use current" "Use default" buttons/ Thanks.
VG
^^ Set a URL as homepage in IE and then delete the DWORD HomePage from registry. It might work.
Sudesh
Great! Very good solution.