In one of your answers you showed how to turn on the Run command in the
Start menu. On my machine the settings you pointed to aren't there. What do I
do?
This turns out to be relatively easy, but I'm concerned that it's also a
symptom of a deeper problem.
Let's look at what that problem might be and then how to go about
re-enabling Run.
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First, to be clear, in this prior article Where is the Run command
on Windows Start Menu?, I discussed how the properties of the Windows Start
menu include a checkbox for displaying the run menu. For example, in classic
view:
However, I started getting reports that what many people were seeing was
this:
So, where did it go?
As I've remarked in a previous article about Task Manager being
disabled, if you didn't disable it then a virus probably did.
Disabling Run is yet another way some viruses cause trouble and try to make
it harder for you to deal with their infections. You should run a complete and
up-to-date anti-virus scan of your machine. It's possible, perhaps even
likely, that you've been infected.
Once you come back virus-free, we can proceed with the fix.
•
If you have Windows XP Pro you can use the Group Policy Editor to change the
setting you want to repair. Click Start, then click
Run, and type in gpedit.msc:
And press OK. This runs the Group Policy Editor.
Oh. Wait. You don't have Start, Run do
you? That's why you're here. 
In that case, using Windows Explorer, navigate to c:\windows\system32 and
double-click on gpedit.msc:
Once in the Group Policy Editor, expand in turn:
-
User Configuration
-
Administrative Templates
And click on Start Menu and Taskbar. You should see
something much like this:
Double click on Remove Run menu from Start Menu to change
its setting:
It should be enough to click on Not Configured and then
OK. If you now look at your Start menu properties, you should
have the option of displaying the Run menu once again.
•
If you don't have Windows XP Pro, then you'll need to edit the registry
manually.
Click Start, then click Run type in
regedit and click on OK.
Or, since you probably don't have Run, using Windows
Explorer you can double click on regedt32.exe in
c:\windows\system32.
Expand these registry keys in turn:
-
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
-
Software
-
Microsoft
-
Windows
-
CurrentVersion
-
Policies
-
Explorer
You should see something similar to this:
Right Click on the NoRun item and click on
Delete. Confirm that you want to delete, and you should have
the option of displaying the Run menu once again.
•
One thing to note is that it's quite possible that if you're in an
environment managed by a centralized policy, these settings may have no effect.
Your IT administrator may set things up so as to disable the run command, and
other things as well at the domain level. You'll need to ask them if this is
the case.
thanks for the solution…
i twas hit by a virus, and the run command wasnt working, the task manager had been disabled too…
i use trend micro pc cillin, updated it.. ran a scan, but the problem persists.. i’m worried that the virus is not letting my antivirus software upgrade itself. what can i do?
kindly help
Wow, cool. Explaination on the problem and recification process was very neat and is easliy understandable to a non computer professional too.
Thanks a lot. Actually my comp was infected with a virus.
i think i’ve been hit by a virus..
my task manager has been disabled and the run command is missing in the start menu.. this months news letter was useful.. but the solution given worked only momentarily.. in no time the run command and the task manger were disabled… i think its a virus.. i use trend micro’s pc cillin 2006 which has been updated two days back.. but it failed to detect viruses… is the virus preventing the update?? cant find any other reason.. what should i now do?
To get to run without it in your menu, use the “Windows” key + R simultaneously!
Ok i’m going through all the steps but now i can’t get access to the regedit32, it’s telling me access denied, how can i bypass this is there somewhere that i should go
I cant enable my run command. i tried to open the run command in start menu but it is missing then i also tried to open the c:\windows\system32 but the the message appear like this: access denied c:\windows\system32 was disallowed.pls help me tnx
Go here and see the post from Hunter on how to re-enable regedit. Once you’re done you should be able to follow the rest of the instructions here.
Good luck :-)
Mo
Sorry, half asleep! The URL I meant to include in previous post is
http://www.gladiator-antivirus.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t12925.html
Great Tips. I was affected by New Folder.exe and in my Start Menu the Run Command disappeared. Thanks to you I have it up and running.
i dont know who u r? but ur absolutely terrific..
not many people help like this….thankssss fo me enablin my run command and task managerrr
this article really helped me…..ask-leo is the best at explaining thing in layman’s terms…now that ive enabled my run command(it was disabled by a virus) thanks again leo u saved my life……
when i tried to edit my registry it said that its been disabled by administator…whats up with that?
Very helpful indeed…Thanks a lott!!
This is very useful for me. The explaination for the problem is very clear.
hi! i was infected with quicknews.info but since then i have gotten rid of it but still suffering from the repercussions of the virus. i have fixed my homepage and my task manager but can’t fix my RUN. i tried the regedt32.exe method above but did not find the NoRun item under “Explorer” key. Is there any other way to fix the problem? much thanks
This article has been very useful to me as i was able to return back my run command.
Thanx.
regards
Francis.
you are gr8. You explained everything so nicely, that I am now sorted wih all my problems.Thank you
Thank you so much!!!!
you are a computer mastermind this problem was annoying me so much for the last three weeks i looked up many solutions to fix this but the virus i had stopped me from completing these methods, your way was the only one that worked thank you again
Sorry but the particular file i.e. gpedit.msc appears to be hidden in my machine and the folder options is also missing from the tools menu i would be eternally grateful for a fix and also the svc keeps trying to access the net should i allow it?
help I just have default and nodrivetypeautorun
i have scanned my computer for viruses and have folow all ur steps but then it doesnt work.I still dont have run command in my start menu.give me some advise.tanx
sir i still don’t have the run command in the start menu and also the shutdown button disappeared. i have tried the regedit process, and i have deleted the “no run” item but still nothing happens. i’ll be very grateful if you can help me with my problems. thanks in advance sir!
sir sorry for my other comment, the problem is fixed now. i just restart it and the run command appears now. thanks! your’re the greatest!!! i will recommend you to my friends sir!
You are the best!! This finally worked. All I had to do was restart and their was the run command!! Thank you so much!
i am unable to see flophy drive icon in mycomputer
i have crosseed checked floppy drive,IDE cable then also problem is occuring ……..plz help me out.
oh my, i just couldn’t believe it!:) you should open some kind of workshop in teaching these things because they are essential knowledge that people need to know for everyday life, especially when dealing with computers and that we’re preparing for a future deffinitely full of these kinds of problems. and on the plus side, you’ll earn millions! haha! well, god bless, and thank you ever so much. you’re a pc-miracle-doctor!
thank you so much! i learned so much with this… but, like sandeep singh, i couldnt find my gpedit.msc… though i managed to return back my folder options and the run command (because of a virus), the gpedit.msc is really not existing in my computer… can you help me with that please?
I tried all these options. I have got error message: ‘This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please conatct your system adminstrator.’ I am the only user of this computer. What can I do further than this. Please help me.
This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please conatct your system adminstrator.’ I am the only user of this computer. What can I do further than this. Please help me.
It was Basic for me.
But When i try to give shortcut command by pressing Winlogo+r for run Command
It displays an following error “Run command is disabled by Administrator” And one more funda is I am logon as administrator mode. Please provide an solution and mail to my E-mail address.I tried to find with GPedit.msc also Nothing is working. I hope you provide an answer for me…….
Thanks a million for putting me on the right path! However, I found my “NoRun” entry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StartMenu\StartMenu\StartMenuRun\Policy\NoRun
I deleted it and had my Run command back after reboot. I know this was caused by a nasty virus I had a couple of months ago.
i checked the run command and ok, but it still doesn’t show on the start menu? how do i find it?
what keys is the “windows” key?
I HAVE ENABLED the run command but it still doesn’t show…What now?
My computer running Win 2000 is virtually hijacked by some virus. Though I did run the AV, The ‘Run’ Command window still does not show, clicking regedit32.exe / regedit.exe gives the message “Disabled by Administrator’. It is a Standalone System installed at home. How do I make the Run Command appear in such a case? and how do I regain control of my computer…ie how do i remove that Administrator…One Thing is for sure and that is the Administrator cannot be disabled from the Administrative Tools… It says cannot disable ‘Built in Administrator Accounts’. Looking forward to a solution at the earliest
Thanks, I sorted out the question
Tushar i was working on a computer that had this problem where Registry editing was disabled by an administrator and i came across a form that provided a link to a scrip that will change the settings so you will have access again to the registry. The download page for the scrip is here: http://www.dougknox.com/security/scripts_desc/regtools.htm
you r realy great man i apreciate your work about windows xp and inform me also. due to viruses my control pannel was disable and with the help of your article i enable it in very short time thnx for this
My Pc has been infected by a virus which disables Task manger,regedit,control panel,the programs on my menu the disk drives in my computer heaven knows what else can anyone assit me ive been trying for a week now
Thanks so much for this explanation. It was ver very useful for me.
You are the best !!! I found some other stuff that helped me get Task manager and Regedit back they were little programs called Registryfix, EnableTM and TaskManagerFix just google them and you will find them. Offcourse the Run prompt was gone as well and no one was able to figure it out but you. You are a real genious my friend. Thank you, thank you.
Herb.
i use group policy and i allowed only microsoft word, excel and powerpoint.Unfortunately, I can not revert the plicy because all the applications are not running except those applications that i mention.I want to allow again all application but group policy is not opining anymore
Hi Leo, a little trouble, on this example, you use the run option to execute policy editor to enable run option, it confuses me. thanks
-Leo
My Pc has been infected by a virus which disables Task manger, gpedit,run, and can not run any spyware, please help me
Mr.Leo ,i got some real hidden facts from ur articles regarding registry editing & manipulating other utilities manually and i want to thank you for this.
bro, in my pc someone has disable/restrict c:/ drive also & run command also thru gpedit.msc, now what shud i do. how do i find this gpedit.msc in c:/ drive system32 bcoz its also disable/hidden whatwever u say pls help dude pls.
it doesnt help. I did everything in this tutorial but still, i cannot display my run command… please, is there any other way how top do it?
thanks for the tip leo! it really helps me a lot! i have one more problem.. my search window wont display and its gone in mg start menu.. pls help me with this
I have solve all my Porblems using this article. It is helpfull especially when you have ideas about registry.
i went through the info yougave above but stll my run didnt appear
Hey Leo,
I read your article and was really impressed with the amount of work you done with this and the others. However, my system doesn’t run Windows XP Pro so I followed the second part of this article which was to run “regetit” manually. I followed your instructions step by step but when I tried to open “regedt32” (registry Editor) it comes up with an error saying “registry editing has been disabled by your administrator”. Is there another way I can get through it? My computer has an anti-virus system called “The Shield Dulex” and I do full computer scans every 1-2 weeks. I tried running my computer on safe mode and tried a couple of tricks that I know but I still can’t solve this problem (learnt during my schooling years. 2003 – 2008 studied Info Tech and now have a Cert II in IT).
I would be really grateful if you helped me solve this problem and I am sure there are many with the same problem I am experiencing.
thank you
For some reason, GPEDIT.msc was not in my system32 folder, how can i find it, i searched it, and it immediately stoped the search and said search is complete. Please tell me how i can fix this, I scanned my computer, and i found the virus that disabled my task manager, so now i have that, but w/e i do, i cannot find out the virus that disabled run, even if it is gone, i cannot enable it yet.
please help me by emailing me:
[email address removed]
When I click on Start>Run I get a window saying that a shortcut cannot be created here Do I want to create a shortcut on the desktop instead?
I’m not really finding any ideas to try to get by this. I did foind a RUN replacement that I can place on the desktop, but I work for a school district and placing stuff on the desktp is not a good idea. If possible, I need to fix the original Start>Run dialog box.
Hi Leo. I went ahead and tried to run regedt32.exe but then a thing pops up saying “registry editing has been disabled by administrator”… now what?
Thanks,
Tulga
ahmmm… i followed all your solution but it doesn’t work… when i followed the last solution you posted i cannot find the “current version” you told… please help me… thanks… farrah
GREAT!
I FOLLOW his your instruction bro.. tHANKS A LOT
but please make it a shortcut to everyone..
1. go FIRST C:\WINDOWS\system32
2. LOOK FOR GPEDIT
3. UNDER user configuration, administrative templates, startmenu and taskbar,
4. On the rightside of your screen, look for remove run from startmenu
5. click first enables, then click apply
6. open again the remove run from startmenu then click disabled, then click apply again.
7. That’s it, you have your RUN OPTION WITHOUT RESTARTING YOUR SYSTEM.
thank you so much leo..
one problem, i cant find the “GPEDIT.MSC” in my System23. I found the glu32.dll and the gpkcsp.dll that it’s suppose to be between but the gpedit.msc isnt there
Exellent!! Even if you did not make it as shorter way of guiding it’s very easy to follow with the use of pictures as a visual guide.. thanks a lot!! ^^
thanks leo this all stuff was troubling me alot and i was not willing to format masystem or restore it.thanks anyway….keep up the good work
hello,
i have had troubles with this problem and many others like the registry editor and the folder options in windows explorer for the past 2 weeks or so.
i have been on the web for hours looking for solutions and i have only fixed the registry.
i followed all the instructions to the punctuation points in these instructions and the problem re-appears and the registry keys re-apear on reboot.
i have got up to date avast and have run several full computer and thorough scans and have an active firewall.
please help me! im going insane!
This no run command could be caused by a Virus. BackDoor-EEC.gen. McAfee DATS 9/24/09 can pick it up. Other symptoms include virus being copied to a memory stick when you insert it. No folder options to change your folder views to see hidden files in Windows XP. Watch out it is nasty…still trying to clean it out.
article is really nice but its not working on my computer, Joe was right the virus seems to be the same, i am not having my run command,no folder options etc etc, i have avast professional edition but so far it cant detect the virus, any help or advice appreciated, thank you
I am using XP service pack3 and it doesnt have run command prompt box. I have tried all the way that u have mentioned in this link
http://ask-leo.com/why_cant_i_enable_the_run_command.html
In registry editor there is no NoRun item in explorer section. what shoul i do? Is there any file missing?
and i have tried using GPEDIT.msc and it is not working either. what should i do?
Thanks Dude! Registry is always a complicated affair. Thanks for breaking it down for us!
http://ask-leo.com/why_cant_i_enable_the_run_command.html . hello man,i tried the procedure given in the above link but didnt work…..so what shld i do…please reply
THANKS ALOT BRO.THIS WAS A GREAT HELP! JUST WANT TO ASK U FOR ANOTHER FAVOR MY ACCOUNT USER CAN’T BE OPEN CAN U HELP ON THIS. PLEASE!THIS IS WHAT IT SAY’S…
WINDOWS CANNOT OPEN THE USER ACCOUNTS CONTROL PANEL.
I am using Windows server 2003 suddenly my run command Disabled.How to recover this problem.
I’ve tried your steps on how to back the run command at start up and it really works. But my problem is, after i restart my PC the run is gone again. Please advise me wat to my bro..Please help me
How do I get command from start menu to run a disc or do anything.I get “device not ready” but yet a person was using it a couple months ago.
I also just get bad command
i’ve done all the steps you’ve said
but when the command box comes up
it says “The command prompt has been disabled by the administrator” but i am the administrator
thanks leo
Now i,m able to view the run command
why my command prompt just appear for while second..?i just try your steps but it doesn’t working..
Please tell me! How can I enable RUN and also tell me to enable Folder option in Control Panel as well as in Tools option in
where is my run command and command promt?
18-Feb-2011
When i try going to c:\windows\system32 it says i am not allowed for some reason.
06-Apr-2011
Dear I follow all the above instruction I could run the regedit after cracking the Admin password but any how the Run not appearing and also the properties of the descktop change the wallpaper ETC. is that because of the Domin? I still believe that we can find a solution !?
thanks and Cheers
Pl, my computer is window 7 ultimate, My computer operate window 7 normally, and all icons on the desktop are appear but icons on the desktop are can’ open and run box can’t call , how I try this problem , reply me, thanks
you tell right but at the last point when i delete the no file from the regedit then it says UNABLE TO DELETE ALL SPECIFIED VALUES please reply to me