# This operation has been canceled due to restrictions in effect on this computer..... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 20, 2003, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-operation-has-been-canceled-due-to-restrictions-in-effect-on-this-computer/183130 "2003-06-20T11:15:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SkyBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@SkyBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkyBum)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-operation-has-been-canceled-due-to-restrictions-in-effect-on-this-computer/183130/1 "2003-06-20T11:15:26Z")
This operation has been canceled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator. I get this message whenever I chose Tools \> Internet Options in my browser (IE6 and XP). It just started doing this very recently though I do not recall changing any administrative settings of late. So for example, I can change my Cookie settings in Internet Options at the Control Panel but not from my browser. This is my personal PC so I AM the administrator but I have limited knowledge with which to remedy the situation. Any suggestions as to where I can change this setting? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Derfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lord\_Derfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Derfel)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-operation-has-been-canceled-due-to-restrictions-in-effect-on-this-computer/183130/2 "2003-06-20T12:21:39Z")
[Here’s an article from MS support](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;216583) that is similar to your problem. Different versions, though. Strange. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-operation-has-been-canceled-due-to-restrictions-in-effect-on-this-computer/183130/3 "2003-06-20T12:50:51Z")
Wow, I have this problem at my office on my NT 4 box and the sysadmins have been banging their heads on the wall trying to figure out what’s wrong. I’ll send this over to them. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-operation-has-been-canceled-due-to-restrictions-in-effect-on-this-computer/183130/4 "2003-06-21T18:38:21Z")
Does this happen if you try to get into Tools|Options while IE is (slowly) loading a page? I’ve seen this a lot - seems like an insidious bug. ---
**Author:** ![SkyBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@SkyBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkyBum)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-operation-has-been-canceled-due-to-restrictions-in-effect-on-this-computer/183130/5 "2003-06-25T06:52:39Z")
Nope. I can never access the Internet Options menue in IE6 toolbar. The only place I can adjust any internet settings is from within the control panel. Not that big of deal but very frustrating that I do not have permission to adjust settings from IE toolbar. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-operation-has-been-canceled-due-to-restrictions-in-effect-on-this-computer/183130/6 "2003-06-25T12:44:31Z")
Same problem here with IE6 running on Win 2K. Their solution was to wipe the drive and reload the OS. What a PITA. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-operation-has-been-canceled-due-to-restrictions-in-effect-on-this-computer/183130/7 "2003-06-25T13:21:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lord Derfel \* > \*\*[Here’s an article from MS support](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;216583) that is similar to your problem. Different versions, though. Strange. \*\* I did this and it worked for me. Not W2K, though–NT 4.0 with SPs and IE 5. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-operation-has-been-canceled-due-to-restrictions-in-effect-on-this-computer/183130/8 "2003-06-25T13:23:07Z")
I should add that I was not missing the cpl file, I had to do the Registry edit. ---
**Author:** ![lexi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lexi/32/6806_2.png) [@lexi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lexi)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-operation-has-been-canceled-due-to-restrictions-in-effect-on-this-computer/183130/9 "2003-06-25T13:25:48Z")
I had the same problem after used the immunization features in SpybotSD. I can still chage the internet setting in the control panel. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-operation-has-been-canceled-due-to-restrictions-in-effect-on-this-computer/183130/10 "2003-06-25T14:56:19Z")
[http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/win98/n1053488777](http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/win98/n1053488777) Just cut part of the message you get at anytime & paste into a search box & you can have a solution. It doesn’t matter what the message is, someone has already seen it 🙂 Spybot can cause it sometimes too. try this for a search: > **[Google](https://www.google.com/)** > > Happy Day of the Dead 2021! #GoogleDoodle ---
**Author:** ![Thin\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Thin\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Ice)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-operation-has-been-canceled-due-to-restrictions-in-effect-on-this-computer/183130/11 "2003-06-25T21:32:07Z")
When I first saw this thread a few days ago I had never had the problem in 4 years of browsing so I didn’t read it. Well, it happened the other day (yesterday?) but only for an instant. The message popped up when I clicked IO on the Tools menu but before I could click it off it went away and hasn’t come back. I use IE6 and am always changing my setting as I surf. I think DarrenS may be on to something because I was downloading something at the time and it was slow. Of course I have dial-up service so nothing loads really fast. ---
**Author:** ![SkyBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@SkyBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkyBum)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-operation-has-been-canceled-due-to-restrictions-in-effect-on-this-computer/183130/12 "2003-06-26T04:51:50Z")
I have used Spybot S&D. Based on what others have said here I am now assuming that my problem lies with Spybot. Ah well, I have bigger problems now. My $400 creative audigy platinum soundblaster seems to have taken a #%@ My audio is so broken up that I cant even recognize my favorite song. Gaming is shot as well without sound cues. Ive checked all the connections, re-seated the card in its slot and also tested the Klipsch 5.1 pro media’s on a seperate machine. No Luck. What is odd is that when I boot my machine, as windows loads and plays the default music blurb, it sounds almost perfect with only a couple of very minor skips, no other sounds are recognizable but most of the bass comes through at a very muted level. The highs only come through in short bursts every 3 or 8 seconds. Everything in the panel indicates that my card is working properly. any ideas what could cause this? I would trade the IE problem for this one any day. Looks like I might be in the market for a new sound card after only 1 year! a