How to restrict Yahoo Messenger from running

Can anyone please kindly tell me on how to restrict Yahoo Messenger from running when users have downloaded it into their PC's using regedit.exe?

Please note that I cannot disable it by closing the port since there are other applications using the port. Company's policies will not prevent users from running the Yahoo Messenger for reasons that I cannot mention here.

Thank you in advance for all of your help!

 

Can you just un-install it?

 

Hello redfish,

I've changed your title to reflect what you're asking.

Please explain this users have downloaded it into their PC's using regedit.exe

As far as I know, regedit cannot "download" (import) anything other than reg type files.

A possibility, the registry was changed to allow Yahoo to start up.

What version of XP? Home or Pro.

Regards - Charles

 

what version of xp do u have?

do u have a server/domain envrionment and, if so, what server version?

see group policys basically or make the users 'guests'

 

How to restrict Yahoo Messenger from running [Changed title]

Hi Charles,

Sorry for the late response and thank you for answering my question.

Please explain this users have downloaded it into their PC's using regedit.exe >>> There is a misunderstanding, sorry for that! What I mean is when users have downloaded YM into their PC's, how can I disable YM from running via the registry in their local PC's?

Most of the users are currently using XP SP1 and a few numbers have started using XP SP2.

Thank you for your help.

Regards,
Peter

 

Hi skeet6961,

We are using Novell for our network (for file and printer sharing), thus I cannot use Windows' Group Policy. I also cannot make the users 'guests', since there are applications that require users to have local Administrator.

 

Hi Peter,

Given the conditions you layed out, no matter what you do to the registry or the program itself - such as stopping it from starting up and renaming the execute in the Program Files folder or uninstalling it, someone can just download and re install it again.

The other possibilities are user restrictions which you've ruled out or a third party app that has the ability to restrict executes, but that needs restricted users to work as well and is a can of worms in itself.

Regards - Charles

 

I have found that the single best way to thwart stuff like this is at the firewall. You have control over everything that comes in and out. That can be good (if you know what you're doing) or very bad (if you don't!), but I can assure you that YM would not be a tough one! Take a look at Fortinet's Fortigate products. Very nice and extremely stable. Lots of "services" built-in like AIM and very easy to block or restrict.

 

Agreed, but redfish cannot close the ports as other applications are using them.