Windows 10 users with older versions of Outlook who are unable to open email hyperlinks in Internet Explorer: Outlook Links Won't Open In Windows 10. If you removed Internet Explorer as an Optional feature, see User solutions.
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?
If you use Outlook 2013 or newer, you'll receive following error message instead of the "restrictions in effect error" message.
Your organization's policies are preventing us from completing this action for you. For more info, please contact your help desk
This is not "an Outlook error" and the solution will fix the error message in all Office applications.
It's due to a problem with the default browser configuration, often caused by uninstalling Chrome or Firefox while the browser is set as default. It's most common when another application installs Chrome and sets it as the default browser, then the user uninstalls it before setting Internet Explorer or Edge as their default browser. (Because, honestly, who would even think that would be necessary, right?)
Start with Edit Registry, Part 2 if you uninstalled Chrome , Firefox, or another HTML rendering application, such as Maxthon or UltraEdit, and then received the error.
If you don't want to edit the registry (or use my reg file), Alan suggests reinstalling Chrome (or the offending program). Set Internet Explorer as default browser before uninstalling Chrome.
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 need to change the HTM/HTML association in the registry.
- Right click on the Start menu, click Run, type Regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
- Browse to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.html
- If a default value (Default) has a value other than htmlfile or (value not set), right click on it and select Modify...
- Change the value from "ChromeHTML" to htmlfile (or from FireFoxHTML to htmlfile)
- Repeat for the .htm, shtml, .xht, .xhtml, .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 and restart Windows.
Restart Outlook after trying this. You need to restart Windows for the change to take effect.
Reset Web Settings
If the problem is not due to uninstalling Chrome or Firefox, it could be a corrupt registry key in Internet Explorer. The registry key is at
HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Classes\htmlfile\shell\open\command
Also use these steps if Edit Registry, Part 2 didn't fix your problem.
- Close Outlook
- On the Start menu, type Internet Options and open it when it comes up.
- Click the Advanced tab, and then click the Reset button.
- On the Programs tab, under Internet programs, click Set Programs, then click Set your Default Programs. Verify your e-mail program (Outlook) is set as the default, if not, set it as the default. Repeat for the Web Browser. Note: In Windows 10, this opens the Settings, Default Apps dialog
- 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 the default browser later.
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.
Import a Registry Key
When resetting the web settings doesn't help, you'll need to replace the corrupt key, using this registry file if you have Windows 10. (Older versions of Windows will use this registry file). Right click on the link and choose Save target as then double click on it to run it.
Restart Outlook after updating this registry key. In some cases, you may need to restart Windows.
If you prefer to use a key from a computer you have access to, follow these instructions to export the registry key:
- Press Windows key + R to open the Run command
- In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
- Browse to the following registry key:
HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Classes\htmlfile\shell\open\command
- On the File menu select Export.
- Type in a filename and Save.
- Close the Registry Editor.
Copy the *.reg file to the other computer and double-click on the .reg file. Ok the dialogs to update the registry.
These instructions are the same as found in the Microsoft article Hyperlinks are not working in Outlook (MSKB 310049).
Restart Outlook after trying this. You may need to restart Windows for the change to take effect.
Set Program Access in Control Panel
You can set program defaults through the Control Panel or Settings. If the above methods fail, use this method to set the default browser.
In Windows 10, open the Settings app then find Default Apps (or search for Default Apps using Cortana.) Find Web Browser in the list and change it to Edge or Internet Explorer.
In Windos 7/8 or 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 but its painless and easy to try. Links are disabled by default for all users. The restrictions error is typically caused by browser settings.
Removed Internet Explorer as an Optional Feature in Windows 10
Albert discovered removing Internet Explorer as an Optional Feature in Windows 10 is responsible for this error:
I stumbled on another cause that I don't see mentioned here. I had noticed that in Windows 10, Internet Explorer is one of the things that can be removed using "Optional Features". So since I wasn't using it, I uninstalled it. That's when the problem started: any links in Excel or Word to external files, URLs, etc., stopped working and gave the error message described here. Solution, of course, was to re-install IE from "Optional" features and reboot. Then, everything worked, and the system even still retained Chrome as the default browser.
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, it's logical that 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.
Empty Outlook's Securetemp folder
This solution suggested by Lain should not cause the restriction error message, however, it's not harmful (and can be beneficial for other reasons) so I'm going to include it here. If it works, it doesn't have to make sense to me and if it doesn't work, you cleaned some old files off your hard drive. It's a win-win either way.
For Outlook 2007 and newer, type Shell:cache in File Explorer's address bar and press Enter. Outlook uses the folder Content.Outlook. If you don't see the Content.Outlook folder, its because you are not showing hidden files and folders. You can type Content.Outlook at the end of the file path and press Enter or show hidden files and folders.
See Outlook SecureTemp Files Folder for more information and steps needed to find the folder.
More Information
You receive an error message when you click a hyperlink in Outlook Links in Outlook are prefixed with BLOCKED::
Outlook Links Won't Open In Windows 10
Search "Windows Features" then activate "Internet Explorer 11" I installed uninstalled did the default and all the other suggestions but this was my problem. Seems you cannot deactivate it and not get the error message.
Thanks for the information. I know Outlook desktop requires IE for a few things, but was not aware that it also affected this. Thanks!
This solution worked for me. Many thanks.
Same here. I added IE back into the system, even though Edge is installed already, and I use Firefox. Links in Outlook 2007 work now.
Spent so long going through other more popular methods that came up on google and resetting internet options did it for me. Thank you sooooo much Diane.
Resetting the browser to default browser in the settings, fixing the registry with HTMLfile, and deleting from the said registry keys some AVAST codes, solved the problem. Note that Avast was my antivirus program, and I just cancelled it for another program. The problem started about that time.
Thank You
I do not use Outlook, ( the reasons for that decision are irrelevant in this forum ) my issue was with Excel and Word where embedded hyperlinks refused to work.
I hadattempted to rectify the issue with suggestions from other forums,with no success however the Edit Registry, Part 2 fix worked with little issue.
Yeah, the fix is not outlook-specific - it fixes it for all of office.
Windows 10 - Hyperlinks not working in Outlook emails, Office, or Word.
None of the solutions worked for me. What DID work turned out to be a simple fix.
Control Panel - Programs & features - Left pane “Turn features on and off”
I found Internet Explorer 11 “unchecked”! I checked the box and clicked ‘Ok’. Went back into ‘turn features on & off’. Box was still unchecked. It was not saving the check mark. This time I clicked check mark and clicked again. Window popped up:”‘are you sure you want to remove this feature”! Clicked ‘Yes”. Took about 2 minutes to remove. Clicked the check mark on Internet Explorer 11 again. Pop up said: Do you want to enable this feature? Yes! Took another 3 minutes. This time I clicked Ok. Came back into ‘features’, the check mark “remained”! All hyperlinks are now working!
This generic answer has nothing to do with my question. Did it ever see human eyes? I neither use nor have a problem with Outlook. I've already followed all these steps, even though the registry edits are out of date for my specified build of Windows 10. Nothing in here mentions Word or OneNote. Please take a look and try again.
Did you post a question here previously? I don't see it.
The error message on this page applies to all Office applications - not just Outlook.
What is your version of Windows 10? Do you have 32 or 64bit?
I did post a question, and I thought it was at the top of this thread. However, in fairness, as I read it again, I see that is NOT my question. I assumed it was because I got a link to this thread in a notification about an answer to my question???. I only have this problem with OneNote and Word, nothing else. Word 2013 Pro and Windows 10 64 bit, latest build. NONE of the suggestions here have worked.
Looking back through email, I see that I'm getting notifications about any thread on the topic of "this operation has been cancelled ..."
interesting, this address in only listed once in the comment subscriptions. Assuming the 'relay' part of the address means it is forwarded, it could be under the original address. Or you posted in another forum (or you subscribed to ta thread there) and someone who answered your question linked to this article.
>>
I only have this problem with OneNote and Word, nothing else. Word 2013 Pro and Windows 10 64 bit, latest build.
>>
And it's the same error? But links in Excel and Outlook (if you use Outlook for email) open without error?
Do you get the error if you set a different browser as default?
What a pain following win10 updates! The reg file worked for me thanks so much!
-Reset IE settings
-Set default app for mail to Outlook
-Set default app for browser to IE
Worked for me
A combination of Edit Registry Part 2 and Albert's uninstall/reinstall IE did the trick for me. I had removed FF at some point without setting IE as default bowser.