I'm looking to modify the "Zone Information" settings for all users on machines that aren't part of a domain. Specifically, I need to disable the "block" or "from internet" flag for files downloaded via browsers or email attachments. I've found some resources that explain how to adjust the registry settings, such as adding a property under [HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesAttachments]. However, I'm running into permissions issues when trying to modify this as a standard user. When I try using "run as admin" in regedit, it only changes the settings for the admin account, not the individual users.
Should I instead edit the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE to apply changes for all users? Which setting takes priority if users already have properties set—Local Machine or Current User? Is there a simpler way to script these changes for all users, including new accounts, by modifying the HKEY_USERS subtree?
3 Answers
If modifying the settings under HKEY_CURRENT_USER is proving difficult, you might consider directly tackling the user profiles through the HKEY_USERS path. You can run a script that adjusts these settings for each user subtree, which includes defaults for new accounts, letting you set it up once for all future users!
It's a good idea to consider using a Group Policy Object (GPO) or an Intune remediation script to push these changes. Some people have run into issues with how 32-bit and 64-bit settings are imported, but generally, it should be pretty simple to set the HKCU registry through those methods. Just a quick search for 'set HKCU registry via GPO' or 'via Intune' might help you figure out the right approach.
If you're testing this with HKLM and it's still blocking new folders, remember that when you run regedit as an admin, you're viewing the admin's HKCU hive, not the users'. You'll need to load each user's registry hive and apply the settings directly to their HKCU. This can be automated with a PowerShell script. I found PDQ has some useful guidelines on how to do just that!
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