IE Run-Once won't go away on domain computers!

[genistas]

Hello,

Over this past summer, all the computers in our 700+ PC domain were updated with Internet Explorer 7. Since the update all of our computers automatically go to the Microsoft Run-Once screen everytime we open Internet Explorer, EVEN IF WE SAVE THE SETTINGS. We have a certain web page specified in Group Policy, and even if we manually change it within Internet Options, it still reverts back to RunOnce after we restart IE7. I have found some utilities that will remove runonce, but they have to be run for each individual user account on each computer, which is impossible for us to do on 700 computer, 1200 user network.

Is there anything that can be done from our Windows 2003 R2 server to elimate runonce from our workstations? If not, is there at least a fix out there that can be run only once from each workstation to eliminate runonce for all users?

Thank you!

 

[Osiris]

regedit from Start --> Run
and find the key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
Change the "RunOnceHasShown" on the right to: 1

You can make a script that applies this to all workstations when they login in


or

Click Start > Run and type the following into the Open box:
gpedit.msc
Click OK.
Using the left hand pane, navigate as follows:
User Configuration
> Administrative Templates
> Windows Components
> Internet Explorer
In the right-hand side pane double-click on Prevent performance of First Run Customize settings
Change the setting for Prevent performance of First Run Customize settings to Enabled and use the drop-down box to select Go directly to home page

Click OK and close Group Policy
Restart Internet Explorer 7

 

[genistas]

Hi,

Thanks for the advice!
I could not find Prevent Performance of First Run Customize settings in Group Policy editor. I went to UserConfig-Admintemplates-windowscomponents-internetexplorer but that option was not in there. Is there anywhere else that could be?

Could I add that registry patch to the end of the users' current login scripts? How do you go about writing a registry edit into a login script?

 

[bla!!]

Make sure you have the most current ADM file for Internet explorer on your DC. Download details: ADM files for Internet Explorer 7 for Windows

Group Policy is a much better way to apply these kinds of settings.

 

[genistas]

I installed the ADM files for IE 7 but Prevent Performance of First Run Customize was still not there. Does that update require a restart of the server?

 

[TheEmperor]

Just in case you can't get the group policy to work here is the line to add to the end of the login script to fix it.
reg add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main /v RunOnceHasShown /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

 

[genistas]

Thanks for the reg key, I'll definitely use that if I can't figure out the group policy method. Does anyone have any ideas why I can't find the Prevent Performace of IE First Run in my group policy?

Thanks!

 

[bla!!]

Not that is should matter, but what are you using to administer your group policy?

Group Policy Management Console, or the one built into Active Directory Users and Groups?

 

[genistas]

Hi,

I'm running gpedit.msc

Sorry for the delay in reply!

 

[Osiris]

Try this

Microsoft thought it would be nice to present a configuration screen to users who have installed or upgraded to Internet Explorer 7. The user can change the default search provider in this initial setup or pick some additional plugins. This runonce page is not really needed in my opinion because all the changes can be made directly in the options as well.
You can take a look for yourself if you load runonce.msn.com/runonce2.aspx in Internet Explorer 7. But it's only once, not a big deal Martin ? That's right for most users. Some however have experienced that the runonce script is running all the time when they start Internet Explorer 7 which reminds me just a little bit of the bug that made users activate their Windows after every system start.
Users who experience the runonce configuration all the time can either change the browser or edit the Registry and change the value of it manually so that Windows believes it already has shown the message to you.
Press Windows R, type regedit and hit enter. Now navigate to the Registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main and change the value of the Registry string RunOnceHasShown to 1.
Setting this key to 1 means that runonce has already shown on your system and that it will not be shown again, hopefully. Restart Internet Explorer 7 to test if this has worked.
The Online Tech Tips blog has two more ways to get rid of the Runonce setup screen, one is a freeware called Runonce Remover, the other is by editing the Group Policies.

Runonce Setup Running all the time in IE ?