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Summary: The option to display the Run command on your Start menu is controlled by options that themselves can be hidden. We'll look at restoring those options.
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In one of your answers you showed how to turn on the Run command in the Start menu. On my machine the settings you pointed to aren't there. What do I do? |
This turns out to be relatively easy, but I'm concerned that it's also a symptom of a deeper problem.
Let's look at what that problem might be and then how to go about re-enabling Run.
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First, to be clear, in this prior article Where is the Run command on Windows Start Menu?, I discussed how the properties of the Windows Start menu include a checkbox for displaying the run menu. For example, in classic view:
However, I started getting reports that what many people were seeing was this:
So, where did it go?
As I've remarked in a previous article about Task Manager being disabled, if you didn't disable it then a virus probably did.
Disabling Run is yet another way some viruses cause trouble and try to make it harder for you to deal with their infections. You should run a complete and up-to-date anti-virus scan of your machine. It's possible, perhaps even likely, that you've been infected.
Once you come back virus-free, we can proceed with the fix.
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If you have Windows XP Pro you can use the Group Policy Editor to change the setting you want to repair. Click Start, then click Run, and type in gpedit.msc:
And press OK. This runs the Group Policy Editor.
Oh. Wait. You don't have Start, Run do
you? That's why you're here. 
In that case, using Windows Explorer, navigate to c:\windows\system32 and double-click on gpedit.msc:
Once in the Group Policy Editor, expand in turn:
User Configuration
Administrative Templates
And click on Start Menu and Taskbar. You should see something much like this:
Double click on Remove Run menu from Start Menu to change its setting:
It should be enough to click on Not Configured and then OK. If you now look at your Start menu properties, you should have the option of displaying the Run menu once again.
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If you don't have Windows XP Pro, then you'll need to edit the registry manually.
Click Start, then click Run type in regedit and click on OK.
Or, since you probably don't have Run, using Windows Explorer you can double click on regedt32.exe in c:\windows\system32.
Expand these registry keys in turn:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Software
Microsoft
Windows
CurrentVersion
Policies
Explorer
You should see something similar to this:
Right Click on the NoRun item and click on Delete. Confirm that you want to delete, and you should have the option of displaying the Run menu once again.
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One thing to note is that it's quite possible that if you're in an environment managed by a centralized policy, these settings may have no effect. Your IT administrator may set things up so as to disable the run command, and other things as well at the domain level. You'll need to ask them if this is the case.
Related:
Article C3089 - July 17, 2007
it doesnt help. I did everything in this tutorial but still, i cannot display my run command... please, is there any other way how top do it?
Posted by: eliza at October 21, 2008 2:42 AMthanks for the tip leo! it really helps me a lot! i have one more problem.. my search window wont display and its gone in mg start menu.. pls help me with this
Posted by: Ron at October 26, 2008 1:00 AMI have solve all my Porblems using this article. It is helpfull especially when you have ideas about registry.
Posted by: ABDULHAKIM at October 30, 2008 3:52 AMi went through the info yougave above but stll my run didnt appear
Posted by: Sonam at January 16, 2009 4:11 PMHey Leo,
Posted by: Kea Jones at January 26, 2009 5:41 PMI read your article and was really impressed with the amount of work you done with this and the others. However, my system doesn't run Windows XP Pro so I followed the second part of this article which was to run "regetit" manually. I followed your instructions step by step but when I tried to open "regedt32" (registry Editor) it comes up with an error saying "registry editing has been disabled by your administrator". Is there another way I can get through it? My computer has an anti-virus system called "The Shield Dulex" and I do full computer scans every 1-2 weeks. I tried running my computer on safe mode and tried a couple of tricks that I know but I still can't solve this problem (learnt during my schooling years. 2003 - 2008 studied Info Tech and now have a Cert II in IT).
I would be really grateful if you helped me solve this problem and I am sure there are many with the same problem I am experiencing.
thank you
For some reason, GPEDIT.msc was not in my system32 folder, how can i find it, i searched it, and it immediately stoped the search and said search is complete. Please tell me how i can fix this, I scanned my computer, and i found the virus that disabled my task manager, so now i have that, but w/e i do, i cannot find out the virus that disabled run, even if it is gone, i cannot enable it yet.
Posted by: Steven at March 11, 2009 6:22 PMplease help me by emailing me:
[email address removed]
When I click on Start>Run I get a window saying that a shortcut cannot be created here Do I want to create a shortcut on the desktop instead?
I'm not really finding any ideas to try to get by this. I did foind a RUN replacement that I can place on the desktop, but I work for a school district and placing stuff on the desktp is not a good idea. If possible, I need to fix the original Start>Run dialog box.
Posted by: David Stoehner at April 8, 2009 10:48 AMHi Leo. I went ahead and tried to run regedt32.exe but then a thing pops up saying "registry editing has been disabled by administrator"... now what?
Thanks,
Posted by: Tulga at May 1, 2009 11:42 AMTulga
ahmmm... i followed all your solution but it doesn't work... when i followed the last solution you posted i cannot find the "current version" you told... please help me... thanks... farrah
Posted by: farrah at June 9, 2009 10:40 PMGREAT!
I FOLLOW his your instruction bro.. tHANKS A LOT
but please make it a shortcut to everyone..
1. go FIRST C:\WINDOWS\system32
2. LOOK FOR GPEDIT
3. UNDER user configuration, administrative templates, startmenu and taskbar,
4. On the rightside of your screen, look for remove run from startmenu
5. click first enables, then click apply
6. open again the remove run from startmenu then click disabled, then click apply again.
7. That's it, you have your RUN OPTION WITHOUT RESTARTING YOUR SYSTEM.
thank you so much leo..
Posted by: JR at June 26, 2009 3:10 PM