Note: These solutions work in all versions of IE.
A very common question comes up often in the Microsoft forums:
When clicking on a hyperlink in an e-mail, I get this Message : “This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator.” I get this message every time that I attempt to use the hyperlink. I am the administrator on this stand alone computer. How do I deactivate this feature so that I activate hyperlinks ?
This is not an Outlook error. The most common cause is a corrupt registry key in Internet Explorer. The registry key found at
HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Classes\htmlfile\shell\open\command
is either damaged or corrupt.
To fix it, try resetting Web settings in Internet Explorer. If this does not resolve the issue, set IE as the default browser following the steps in Set Program Access in Control Panel. If you use a different browser as your default, you need to set IE as the default until you verify the links work in Outlook.
If you uninstalled Chrome (or Firefox) and then received the error, see Edit Registry, Part 2
In addition to Chrome and Firefox, other HTML rendering and editing programs may take the HTML open command and cause this error. Greg reports UltraEdit is one such program. See Edit Registry, Part 2 for the fix.
You can find solutions suggested by others users below. Many users report successfully using Alan’s suggestion here.
Import the Registry Key | Edit Registry, Part 2 | Set Program Access in Control Panel
Other Causes | More Information
Reset Web Settings
To Reset Web settings in Windows XP:
- Close Outlook
- Open Internet Explorer.
- On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
- Click the Advanced tab, and then click the Reset button.
- Under Internet programs, verify that the correct e-mail program is selected.
- Click to select the Internet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default browser check box.
- Click Apply, and then click OK.
If you receive a message when Internet Explorer starts telling you that IE is not currently your default browser, click Yes to make it your default.
If you are using Windows 7 or Vista:
- Close Outlook
- Open Internet Explorer.
- On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
- Click the Advanced tab, and then click the Reset button.
- On the Programs tab, under Internet programs, click Set Programs, then “Set your Default Programs”, select your e-mail program and click “Set this program as Default”. Repeat for Internet Explorer.
- Click OK and close the dialogs.
Note: You need to set Internet Explorer as default and verify the problem is fixed. If you prefer a different browser, you can set it as default later.
Import the Registry Key
When resetting the web settings doesn’t help, you’ll need to recreate the corrupt key. The easiest way to do this is by exporting the key from another computer. To save exporting it from another computer, download this registry key exported from my computer. Right click on the link and choose Save target as then double click on it to run it. If you prefer to use a key from a computer you have access to, follow the instructions in You receive an error message when you click a hyperlink in Outlook (MSKB 310049).
Edit Registry, Part 2
If you received this error after uninstalling any application that takes over the HTML open command (including, but not limited to, Chrome & Firefox browsers) you may also need to change the HTM/HTML association in the registry.
- Start, click Run, type Regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
- Browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.html
- Right click the value for the .html key and select Modify…
- Change the value from “ChromeHTML” to “htmlfile” (or from FireFoxHTML to htmlfile)
Repeat these steps for htm and .shtml keys if they exist. You may also want to check the xhtml and xhtm keys. Don’t want to edit the registry? Download this file (right click and choose Save target as…) Then double click on the file to run. From After uninstalling Google Chrome Links in e-mail don’t work any more
Set Program Access in Control Panel
Windows XP and Vista allow you to control program defaults through Control Panel. If the above methods fail, use this method to set the default browser. In Windows XP, go to Add and Remove Programs, Set Program Access and Defaults. In “Choose a default web browser”, check on the “Internet Explorer” option and click the OK button. In Vista, access the Default Programs applet from the Start menu or Control panel. Click on the “Set program access and computer defaults” (last option) then expand Custom. In “Choose a default web browser”, check on the “Internet Explorer” option and click the OK button
Users Solutions
tgrf makes this suggestion as one possible cause and solution: “I am using Outlook in Office 2010, Windows 7, and IE8. I just fixed this problem when trying to set up my junk mail filter. Click on any email header. Select Junk mail menu, then Junk mail options. Clear the check mark at Disable links and other functionality in phishing messages. “
I can’t vouch for this solution (as I haven’t experienced the restrictions error with Outlook 2010) but its painless and easy to try. Links are disabled by default for all users. The restrictions error is typically caused by browser settings
Alan’s Solution
Alan has this suggestion: I found that re-installing Google Chrome or FireFox and setting it as the default, the hyperlinks worked. I then went to Internet Explorer and set it as the default browser. I again checked the hyperlinks, and again they worked. I then un-installed Google Chrome and have had no problems since. Hopefully this will work for others as well.
While I haven’t tested Alan’s solution, logic tells me it will work. Possibly the most common cause is because users uninstall Firefox or Chrome while either is set as default and setting IE as default before uninstalling would prevent the problem. If Alan’s solution doesn’t work, make sure Chrome is not running when you set IE as the default browser.
From Greg Chapman: “This is IMPORTANT – Close Chrome and make sure it isn’t running in Task Manager because even when you close it, it can remain running. Open IE and reset it as default.”
Other Causes
There are several other causes of this error. In most cases, they do not affect hyperlinks in Outlook. If you found this page searching for the error message, check out the following pages. Note that if you receive this error on a computer at work, you should contact your administrator, they may want access to applications restricted for security reasons.
MSKB Articles
You receive the message when:
More Information
You receive an error message when you click a hyperlink in Outlook Links in Outlook are prefixed with BLOCKED::
Articles that may interest you:
Last reviewed on Oct 16, 2011
Alan’s solution worked for me on win7 and IE8. Thx Alan!!
Thanks for this!
I have just uninstalled Chrome & Firefox, I then got the error message when clicking on e-mail links. I have followed your instructions on the “htmlfile” Regedit – and it worked…
Thank you so much… : )
I have been trying and I mean TRYING to get this issue fixed for about a month since I became aware of it. I wasted time with Microsoft and was treated like crap by them, they claim they tried ever possible deal to fix this issue however not one of them worked. I gave edit register 2 a try but this did not work, then I read down further and gave Alan (User soulution) a try and all I can say is Alan THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! You should work for Microsoft for these stupid problems that can so easily be solved! I wish that I had read this link earlier because I am so so so pleased to see that I now can use ALL of my Microsoft Office without any problems or issues what so ever!
For me, it did not work, but it got me close. After regedit, I already had .html …. But I following the next suggestion and went to Access and Default settings. It was set to CUSTOM. (Both FireFex and Chrome had previously been removed. I changed it back to MICROSOFT, and everything if fine. Thank you for the original post and suggestions.
Thanks. “Edit registry, part 2″ helped. html in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes was missing.
Many thanks! When I saw the note about Google Chrome being previously installed and uninstalled, I was confident I had the right fix. My daughter installed Chrome, which I subsequently removed, and it was some time after that I started noticing this error cropping up. The simple fix of the registry took care of it.
Brilliant! Have been going around in circles for ages. I have never put Google chrome on my computer but when I sorted the Regedit as above it was there in the files. Anyway I followed the very clear instructions and it has WORKED. Thank you very much
This one works for me just changing the registry value.
Thanks
Edit Registry, Part2
If you received this error after uninstalling any application that takes over the HTML open command (including, but not limited to, Chrome & Firefox browsers) you may also need to change the HTM/HTML association in the registry.
1.Start, click Run, type Regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2.Browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.html
3.Right click the value for the .html key and select Modify…
4.Change the value from “ChromeHTML” to “htmlfile” (or from FireFoxHTML to htmlfile)
Repeat these steps for htm and .shtml keys if they exist. You may also want to check the xhtml and xhtm keys.
Don’t want to edit the registry? Download this file (right click and choose Save target as…) Then double click on the file to run.
From After uninstalling Google Chrome Links in e-mail don’t work any more
Changing the Junk mail option properties in Outlook worked for me.
Clear the check mark at Disable links and other functionality in phishing messages. “
After applying Alan’s solution – re-installing FireFox and setting it as the default, – the hyperlinks work. I then went to Internet Explorer and set it as the default browser. I again checked the hyperlinks, and again they worked.
Thank you for this tip, as anything else didn’t work
JK
this solution works for me in windows 7 sp1.thanx for that. just downloaded registry file and intalled it.
Thanks for your solution, Alan!!!
Good for Windows7 & IE9.
This has been extremely helpful.
My wife was getting the “This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions” error message, and blaming me for messing up her computer. She is now very happy.
Thank you.
Excellent!! The Edit Registry Pt 2 worked a charm for Outlook 2007 on an XP machine, where I had previously uninstalled Chrome.
I get that message. none of the above fixes works for me. I can’t access Control Panel–get the same message. Can’t restore–same message. It does not seem to be an IE problem as I have the same message when not online. I really need help here. I’ve looked all over Microsoft, various help sites and none seem to be the same problem. I can only go online, write text documents; I lost everything in “All Programs” and most of my desktop icons went away (thought I found the solution on that one, but it only restored a few). AND I have the Microsoft EULA stuck on my desktop, can’t click it closed. HELP PLEASE!
Thanks in advance
have you seen this KB article: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=278839? While its probably not for your version, the cause and solution is basically the same – a policy blocking access.
Also see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310049
i used the reset websettings…..after a couple of tries, it worked. I had to have my outlook closed when i performed the process. It did not work when it was opened.
thank goodness for forums such as this!
Oh, thank goodness! Links are functioning in my emails again. I had uninstalled Chrome without really noticing (just housekeeping…) when this mess started. Reinstalling Chrome didn’t help at all. Thanks to all who posted the fix!!!
Set Program Access in Control Panel worked for me on WIN7, Office 2010, thank you!
Hi. Thanks for this information. The Regedit operation worked for me. Excellent !!
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! NOT REALLY :) BUT THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME HOW TO FIX THIS ERROR. I HAD TO CHANGE THE REG AND NOW AFTER TWO MONTHS OF PULLING THE REST OF MY HAIR OUT AND CUSSING ALOT, IT ALL WORKS PERFECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
This issue was driving me crazy. I tried doing everything to fix this unfixable problem until I read your solution. Thank you so much for this utterly easy fix. My blood pressure is almost back to normal!
Ran into this after uninstalling Chrome. Turned out that the keys referenced in teh post were missing!. Importing the reg file fixed it. Thanks!
Hank Arnold (MVP)
Brilliant – this worked a treat!
You’re a genious!!!!
Thanks so much
Only Alan´s solution worked – Everything works fine now! This is great as it was driving me crazy!!!
Thanks….
Tried all suggestions above, didn’t currently have Google Chrome (had uninstalled it in the past because I heard it was a memory hog) and when I performed the regedit….sure enough…there was Google Chrome hiding in the registry. I am VERY happy to say….the registry edit worked!!! Thank you for this information!
Well, Edit Registry, Part 2 works for me!! thank you!
Thanks a lot, the Remedy:
Edit Registry, Part 2
worked great, I just downloaded the registry key and let it run.
The Cat
Thank you Alan!! Nice, easy fix that worked for me on win7 and IE9 when nothing else did.
Brilliant – was driving me nuts – worked a treat thank you
Thanks a lot for the help. Your solution helped me.
Chrome sucks. Screwed up a bunch of stuff. Microsoft was no help. Thank you for supplying the ONLY solution that actually worked!
Thank you so much. I followed your instructions and changed the HTML/HTM association in my registry and now my links from Outlook works.
Thank you so much! OMG! You don’t know how MUCH that error has been driving me crazy!!!!!!!
Thank you so much – after unistalling Google Chrome this was driving me nuts – your first and very simple fix made it all go away!!!
Windows 7 and Int Exp 9
Thank you so much – after unistalling Google Chrome this was driving me nuts – your first and very simple fix made it all go away!!!
Windows 7 and Int Exp 9
You guys are the Mac daddy on this problem. I thought I was lost!!!!!! I had spent several hours trying to fix the problem!!!!!
For those who want to know the nitty-gritty details: In my testing (Outlook 2003 SP3 on Win XP Pro SP3), it appears that Outlook is looking for the file association registered for “.HTML” files, and then looking for a “shell” subkey named “open”, and invoking that. It has to be named “open”.
Outlook will chase the .HTML handler properly, using the default value for “HKCR\.html\” — mine is “htmlfile_custom”. However, it appears Outlook ignores the default action (the default value for “shell” — “HKCR\htmlfile_custom\shell\” in my case) and is hard-coded to look for a key named “open”. I originally had keys named “firefox”, “msie”, “chrome”, “safari”, etc., with the default specified, per Microsoft’s docs. Apparently Outlook doesn’t follow Microsoft’s own standards. So I had to rename “firefox” to “open” to get Outlook to work.
Many thanks for posting the solution, this problem had been troubling me for a couple of days.
I too had this problem and I found this page by Googling the error message. Modifying the reg solved this, thank you very much!!!
After trying to sort this for 1 week updating the registry worked 1st time – Thank You!
Treid many different “fixes” before I ran on to this “Edit Registry, Part 2″
This worked great thank you so much.
“htmlfile”
I had just uninstalled Ghrome and used the above. It worked!
Problem solved with “Edit Registry, Part 2″ . Thank you so much.
nice tip, works great. thanks for sharing
tgrf’s solution worked for me too: I’m using Firefox and the problem was definitely Outlook Junk Mail: Click on any email header. Select Junk mail menu, then Junk mail options. Clear the check mark at Disable links and other functionality in phishing messages. “ Thanks
Excelente, já estava desistindo, quando achei esta solução! Parabéns! Desinstalei o Chrome e desabilitou os meus hiperlinks em EXCEL 2010. Segui os passos Redefinir Configurações da Web.
Alan, I just wanted to send a zillion thanks for your super-simple solution to this problem. The steps were easy to follow and I didn’t have to retry to get it resolved. In my case Maxthon was the issue even though it was never my default browser. A quick fix in the Registry and all is well. Thanks again.
Excellent advice. Worked a treat!
thanks for your assistance with the outlook disbled hyper links. it was chrome which had prefixed the html files etc and was stopping them from working.
thanks
i downloaded the reg file key you offered and it work a treat thanks again, have to admit was sceptical about using the file but worked well.
regards
Thanks for the advice. How dare Google go stomping all over the registry leaving chrome marks everywhere. Methinks Google is more of an evil empire than Microsoft.
It’s not just google – firefox does it to. :)
I tried all the I.E. and Outlook solutions and none worked, I they uninstalled Google Chrome and reinstalled it, and voila! The hyperlinks work on Outlook and use I.E. So while I do not have to use “Chrome”, I must have it installed as “default” to use the Outlink hyperlinks. Much simplier than all the other solutions I tried.
Great Guys… very much appreciated. It solved my problem
Everyone,
I bet this is part of the new internet bill that Congress is trying to pass.
And Microsoft is denying that the last upgrade to everyone’s computer did something to cause this problem
they’re not going to fix it. all hyperlinks are to be cut based on the two bills going through Congress.
I’m trying to emilinate microsoft off my computer and use other programs. maybe that will fix the problem, nothing else is working (i have tried the IE tools, the control panel solution, changing to firefox, nothing works)
Also, i never had Chrome on my computer
Did you try rebooting? The changes don’t take effect for some users until they reboot. Use the fix in Import the Registry Key section and either use my key or the FixIt in the other link in that section (it’s to a Microsoft KB) then reboot.
Many thanks to Slipsticks Systems. My day is clogged enough without computer snags. You corrected the error (links would not open after uninstalling Chrome – change registry keys) on the first try. Waydago!
Great Job! Thanks for the info it worked on the first try.
WINDOWS 7, IE 9: Okay, here is the fix that worked for me… With Outlook closed, open IE, click on Tools, then Internet Options and select the Programs Tab. Click on the Set Programs Button and then select the fourth selection down “Set Program Access and Computer Defaults”. The Custom option was selected for some reason on my machine – click on the down arrows to the right of the Custom option to expand the setting options and then select Internet Explorer as the default web browser and Outlook as the default email client and click okay. Okay your way out of the Option windows and open Outlook – Hyperlinks should work in Outlook again!
Alan’s approach did not solve a Word 2010 problem which prevented at least two functions:
Ctrl+C from the Table of Contents and Check for Updates.
I did try the install/uninstall of Chrome, plus setting IE as default, but within its Options and Also from the Control Panel.
What worked for me was editing the Registry as suggested. I found the following entries when I went there:
.thm & .html were Max3.Association.HTML
.shtml & .xhtml were FirefoxHTML
I changed them all to htmlfile
Good luck!
WORKED FOR ME THANK YOU!!!!!!!
1.Start, click Run, type Regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2.Browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.html
3.Right click the value for the .html key and select Modify…
4.Change the value from “ChromeHTML” to “htmlfile” (or from FireFoxHTML to htmlfile)
I too got this problem after uninstalling chrome toolbar. I have Win7 SP1 & MS Outlook 2007 SP2. The “Edit Registry, Part 2″ worked flawlessly. But be sure to set a restore point before you change the settings, just in case. Also be sure to change all the keys to “htmlfile”: html; htm; shtml; xhtml; xht. You should NOT have to reset IE8 or 9. Once you finish, do a cold startup so that the new registry entries can take effect.
P.S. I did try the Microsoft Fix-It, but it just hung-up and didn’t do anything.
Alan’s solution worked fro me after many hours of trying other solutions. Thank you Alan.
I don’t know whether the default reset in IE or the downloaded file resolved it for me.
Chrome was resident and the problem only started after uninstalling. Chrome hasn’t been installed as default for a long time.
I took both steps before testing and the problem’s gone
Thanks
Hello: Since I uninstalled internet explorer I have been unable to use the Table of Contents Links in Word 2007. Is the only way to get the ability to use the links restored to reinstall internet explorer? The links are not http:// links but rather they are links pointing to sections of the word documents themselves.
Thanks so much – it worked !
grt..thanks a lot..
Edit Registry, Part 2 solution worked for me. THANK YOU!!!!!
After getting no help from my local IT repair shop, I tried Alan’s solution for not being able to access internet links from emails in Office 2010 – it worked perfectly and I now have no problems. Thanks, one less headache to worry about.
Alan’s solution worked perfectly. Use the download file instead of trying to to edit your registry. Very easy. Thanks Alan!
The change of the registry settings worked for me, thank you very much!!!
regedit. This worked for me. Thanks a mil!