@majortom1029: Some corporations lock down their Windows desktops so that you can't access the Start menu properties. Of course, in an environment like that, bypassing the controls with this utility would also be strictly forbidden.

LeeHunter

@majortom: From the article, "If you're on a locked-down system ***without the "Run" command available,*** or you just prefer its more command-line-like functions to Vista's "Start Search" box, the Run Dialog"

MiddleGeek

Maybe i am just dumb but why not just go to the properties of the start menu go to customize and enable the run menu. Why download a utility to do something that is already in windows?

majortom1029

I rather pin the address bar to my taskbar, since Windows key+R can take forever to open a run dialog on Vista. Works the same way for launching programs with the bonus of also being a shortcut to your default browser.

lash

@JW:

But...but... how dare my work IT department tell me, the uber-user, how to run their computer? I mean, just because they have 5 people to support 10,000 PC's, and it helps if they're all close to the same, that shouldn't mean that I can't install iTunes, Google Chrome, FireFox, and all the neat web games I can download, right?

GregDinAL

@anebg: True enough, and a dumb thing to miss.

Kevin Purdy

Why not just got to start and then accessories, or even type run in the start search bar? Why would you need to access the start properties at work anyways, especially if it's not your pc?

JW

... Or you could just use [Windows Key] + R

anebg

I take executor around on a USB, it's fantastically good for both app launching, file system navigation, AND getting around effing silly restrictions.
(Can't open windows explorer unless it's at the very root of the drive... wat?)

Phoshi

@anebg: Not a dumb thing to miss...it won't work! Not if it's blocked by Group Policy...read my comment below...

akishore

@anebg, @JW - On a "locked down" system, i.e. Group Policy in a corporate environment, you cannot access the Run command by pressing Windows + R or by searching for the Run command using the search bar.

The only point of the program is if you CANNOT access the Run command the normal way because of over-zealous IT administrators!

akishore

@akishore: Overzealous IT administrators. Haha. How about overzealous end users that hose up their systems and then piss and moan about their slow/broken systems. Yes. It's always the IT department's fault.

The irony is that most of the lockdown settings are requested by upper non-IT management, who have no clue about computers in the first place and are more prone to screwing up their own systems.

Bill Clark

@WB3000: Forgot, where are you getting that this runs from VB scripts? This is a VB6 Windows application. I'm fairly certain that parts of the .NET Framework are required. Really it's just a GUI around the Process.Start() command in System.Diagnostics.

WB3000

Bah, this thing writes to the Registry (saves the previous entries submitted). I'll just recompile my own version without registry writing, maybe make it look like the XP version.

With the regular Windows system applications (cmd.exe, regedit.exe, etc.) all you have to do is patch out the Group Policy checks, but since Run is different in that it is incorporated into explorer, an external clone-application is probably what's necessary.

WB3000

First off. IF the IT admin is good then having the run command wouldnt do much.

ALSO a locked down system would not allow vb scripts to be run anyway.

majortom1029

@Bill Clark: I agree with you Bill about users who have no clue what they are doing. I was an IT admin myself, but found that I only needed to lock down the computers of those people who thought they were really smart and basically knew just enough to mess up their systems.

Everyone else didn't even know what the Run command was! I don't like it though when admins lock down everybody's computer, even those people who are developers, programmers, etc.

akishore

I did it an easier way. Copy one of the Accessory applications shortcuts, like Calc, and since it that shortcut is allowed to start programs from within C:/Windows/System32/, change it's target to cmd.exe. Bamf, you get a command prompt.

But, as an IT worker, the only people who really need the command line are not going to be the people working for your average company. Anyone who really needs it can ask IT or their supervisor to ask IT, because they can show they need it.

silver-bolt

In previous jobs where I was the victim of IT lockdown, I used to create a batchfile with Notepad, containing the line "cmd.exe" and saved it to my desktop. Whenever I needed a command-line, there it was.

LindaRail

Is there a replacement command prompt for places where it (the computer) is locked down?

MePerson

@lash: Really? When I used Vista, WindowsKey+R worked perfectly. I would say WindowsKey+R for Run command and WindowsKey+F for search are two really good features of XP and Vista.

SJRNWT

Who needs this utility to replace what is already included?

Adding un-necessary utilities to Windows (especially Vista) is not a good thing.

j3zmund

@MePerson: You just need to hex edit out the Registry check for 'DisableCMD' from cmd.exe. I have a patched version I created myself, I don't think there's many floating around.

WB3000

@MePerson:
What I used at my high school is to install Portable Python on my USB drive, then use

import os
os.system("command here")

but considering I use this just to access Freecell, it's pretty intense.

[www.portablepython.com]

runiteking1

I've been in "lock down mode" more than I like. It may not be the best, but I create a small batch file and call the command prompt. A one line .bat file that "says" "call command".

Frank From Virginia

This can also be changed via registry hack. Save it as a bat file and run it. I do this regularly on corrupt systems that I repair.

dwroth

@WB3000: The registry editor's blocked too. I don't want to be changing settings, just being able to access the command line.

Can you send me the patched version? You can PM it to me, or just ask for my email and I'll give it to you.

MePerson

@MePerson: Oh yeah, and it's one file too. Portable!

MePerson

@MePerson: I just found this [www.winasm.net] . I need to test on a locked-down computer, but I think it should work.

You need to login to download the file, so you can use this (bugmenot)
user: bugmenot
pass: bugmenot

MePerson

@majortom1029: I was thinking the same thing. I worked in one place not too long ago where IT was so paranoid you couldn't even use the Internet - except to visit the corporate site - woo-hoo. Even Intranet was off-limits to all but a few head head honchos and lower life forms with passwords.

A few people cracked the Internet block when they found a tiny Yahoo! search box embedded in one of the corporate Internet pages, but IT caught onto that within hours and blocked that page, too.

IT wasn't ever on site - they were just tuneling in rather effectively from a distance. I knew how to get around the block all along, and I did it all the time (they didn't block most addresses that use https: socket for a variety of reasons, the name one being that's how we accessed the corporate Internet site, ha ha).

The OS lockdowns were even worse. On most computers you couldn't modify, install, add or delete anything. Complete bummer. Just for fun I made a habit of finding all the insecure computers that us lower lifeforms had access to and making them more...insecure. On some of those computers, though, even the right-click, Tools, and Properties menus were disabled, so it was pretty hopeless.

emnem

This is really kind of pointless. "or you just prefer its more command-line-like functions to Vista's "Start Search" box, the Run Dialog" Sure let's download a crappy little app that does something Vista already does. Or better yet that I can do with the same keyboard shortcut (Windows + R) that has worked since Windows 95.

ThaliaDogg