Removing the Explorer Nag Screens in Windows 2000

By default, Windows 2000 tries to hide the complexity of the system from users while also providing a level of protection for itself from those same users. It does this in a variety of ways, including:

Why the nag screens?
Microsoft knows that most of the users of its operating systems are "normal" people, not computer savants that like to tweak every last feature on the system. But for the power users and administrators out there, some of Microsoft's safeguards are downright annoying. Take the Explorer nag screens, for example (Figure 1). Please. This little HTML roadblock appears whenever you try to access one of the following folders:

C:winnt
C:winntsystem32
C:Program Files

Though this "feature" offers less than a minimum of security, it's a major stumbling block when you're racing around the system, trying to get at a specific folder or file. And, of course, you can click "Show files" (Figure 2) to turn on the normal Explorer view for that folder.

It's not quick enough.  Any self-respecting power user will want to get rid of this feature.


Removing the nag screens
Removing the nag screens is simple enough:

Now, when you navigate into these folders, you won't have to deal with those annoying nag screens.


Other things you can do to get your system back
In Microsoft's overly zealous attempt to protect the system from its own users, it has created a number of small defenses against user stupidity.  But we're all power users here, right?  I recommend the following actions to get your system back: 

In short, you don't have to accept the defaults Microsoft gives up. The system is yours to modify: Take it back.