How to Restrict Users from Changing Internet Explorer Homepage Settings?

In many organizations, administrator wants to set a permanent Homepage in Internet Explorer like their Intranet address and they also want to restrict users from changing it. Some spyware also change IE Homepage to some other URLs. So I'll tell here the tricks for both "Setting your desired page as homepage" as well as "Restricting users to change the homepage":

A. To Set the Homepage:

1. Open regedit and goto:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main

2. In right-side pane, change value of Start Page to your desired URL, like http://www.AskVG.com/

B. To restrict users from changing homepage:

1. Open regedit and goto:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer

2. Under this key create new key "Control Panel". Now in right-side pane, create a new DWORD value HomePage and set its value to 1. It'll disable all 3 buttons "Use current", "Use default" and "Use blank" in Internet Options.
TIP: If these buttons have been disabled in your system by spyware and you want to enable them, then simply change value to 0.
If you want a ready made .REG file to automate the task, then download following ZIP file, extract it and then run the extracted .REG file:
askvg_ie_homepage_restrict.zip
NOTE: in the above .REG file, I have set "Start Page" to "http://www.AskVG.com/", change this URL with your desired URL and then save the file.

Posted in: win vista