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I have a locked down environment where users are prohibited from doing, well, basically anything but run the specific programs we specify.

We just switched a program from using the venerable "WinHELP" help format to HTML help (CHM) but that seem to have an unwanted and rather dangerous side effect: when a user click on a hyperlink inside the HTML help, a new internet explorer window is opened and the user is free to browse and do terrible things to my server (well, not that much, but still...)

I have checked the session in this case and the IE window is actually hosted within the help engine: there is no iexplore.exe process running in the user session (and it cannot: it's explicitly prohibited).

We have disable all help right now until we find a solution. I'm working with the help team to have all external URLs removed from the help file but that is going to be a long and error-prone task. Meanwhile, I've checked all the group policies option but I have to say that I was unable to find anything that would prevent a standalone IE window hosted in a random process from running.

I don't want to disable WinHTTP or the IE rendering engine or anything of the sort. But I need to prevent all users members of a specific AD user group from ever having an IE window displayed to them.

The servers are running Windows 2003 and Citrix metaframe 4.5.

Thanks in advance

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I don't think you can. If its not running as IEXPLORE.exe the only option available is to continue blocking the help application from starting.

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What's the process name when it runs as a help file? You can use the local firewall to deny it internet access.

You can also write a simple Autohotkey script to watch for that window to appear and kill the task by window name.

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The process name is "hh.exe". The firewall idea is good but is it possible with 2003 ? –  Stephane Jun 9 '10 at 8:21
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