Enable Right-Click on Windows 2000 | Win2000 Tips and Tricks

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a playful conflict between two users of Windows 2000, where one has disabled the right-click functionality on the other's computer. Participants explore potential methods to regain access to right-click features, as well as discuss security aspects of NTFS compared to FAT file systems.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant speculates that the right-click functionality may have been disabled using the NoViewContextMenu registry key, which they could not find.
  • Another participant suggests obtaining an admin account, possibly by cracking the password, unless a BIOS password is in place.
  • There is a humorous suggestion to disable the left mouse button as a countermeasure, though it is acknowledged that this may not be wise.
  • A participant proposes using a Windows XP password cracker to regain access to the admin account and change the password to restore right-click functionality.
  • Another participant shares a detailed plan involving renaming the shutdown executable to create a shutdown loop unless the right-click feature is restored.
  • One participant expresses interest in learning from the challenge rather than resorting to the shutdown trick immediately.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the best approach to restore the right-click functionality, with multiple competing ideas and methods presented throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Participants discuss the security differences between NTFS and FAT file systems, but do not fully resolve the implications of these differences or how they relate to the current situation.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to users dealing with Windows 2000, those exploring computer security, or individuals looking for creative solutions to technical challenges.

SynapticSelf
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Okay...

My brother and I work together, and our machines have Windows 2000 installed. When we get bored, we screw with each other's computers...little things to annoy each other. Well this time he got me pretty good...he disabled my ability to right click.

He has an admin account, but I don't. I assumed that he just used the NoViewContextMenu Key under HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer. But I looked, and no key exists (which is like null). I've resorted to the old logon.scr hack to enter the "unprotected shell", and gave myself full access to the registry. I read that I can't reset the Admin password with Net Use if using NTFS... Question 1: How exactly does NTFS get around those old security issues? Why was FAT so unsecure?

Question 2: is there some other way to disable my right-click? This is asanine. It's like stealing someone's shoe. I tried to get a hint, but he just smiles and walks away. Argh!
 
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get yourself an admin account? You can probably crack the password to the main account unless he has a bios password... at which point you'd need to start messing with the hardware.
 
Just disable the left button till he tells you how to enable the right click.

Hmm.. On second thought.. That might not be too smart.. lol

Is auto-hotkey running? Maybe he's using some kind of program to catch the click and then cancel it out. Without an admin account, I'm not sure what you can do with it.

There are ways to crack admin accounts in xp though.. :) (Just don't delete the password! Any encrypted files he has will be permanently unreadable!)
 
Actually.. Here's an idea..

Download a WinXP password cracker (a boot cd), then after you crack the password, log into the admin account (and/or his account), change the password(s). Tell him to re-enable right click or you'll leave it like this.

If he cracks the password, then crack it again, rename "shutdown.exe" (located in the c:\windows\system32 folder) to "shutdown2.exe". Then put the following into his registry as a startup item:
c:\windows\system32\shutdown2.exe -s -f -c "enable right click or die!" -
t 10

This will shut his computer down in 10 seconds everytime he logs in and he won't be able to type "shutdown -a" to cancel the shutdown because you renamed the executable.. :) (and if you want to be nice, rename shutdown2.exe back to shutdown.exe)

Once he re-enables the right click, log into windows with his username, type "shutdown2 -a" to cancel the shutdown, and delete the startup entry. :)
 
Ha! That's a great suggestion BoredNL! I don't think I'll pull it at work, because to be honest with you I don't really want to give up on this challenge. How else will I learn and all that jazz. I'll definitely play around with your trick though - I got a kick out of that. Maybe I'll pull it on him later...
 
The following has to be one line btw. The forum wrapped the line because it was too long.
c:\windows\system32\shutdown2.exe -s -f -c "enable right click or die!" -t 10
 

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