What do you get when you cross a slight case of Insomnia with Group Polices?

What do you do when you wake up at 4am and you cannot sleep and have to be relatively quiet.  The choices are quite amazing when you think about it:

Watch commercial TV (I did not know a potato peeler could do all that and for a mere $19.95)
Surf the Web
Check Email
Play XBOX

So I did what all good Microsoft Employees do…Check Email.  <sigh>  Yes I know what your thinking, I am making this up because no Microsoft Employee ever reads email from customers.  Not true, I actually read my own email and respond directly…err eventually.  :-)  So back to email and I received a very interesting question about Group Policy.  (A topic I am very passionate about, in fact I did a 14 Part Web Cast series on Group Policy (just click and enjoy 14 hours of Group Policy content).  Here is the question: 
I need to update the following setting: User Configuration / Administrative Tools / Network / Network Connections / Prohibit TCP/IP advanced configuration **

I know the GP works since the HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Network\Connections!NC_AllowAdvancedTCPIPConfig
do update from 1 to 0 (or vice versa) if I check the PC registry, but the problem is the users PC ignores this registry key. I can still access the advanced TCP/IP button without issues. And yes… I’ve rebooted a zillion times although I know it’s not really necessary since the update did go through to the PC. Obviously this is not really a GP issue, but a client PC that ignores the registry entry. In fact I’ve tried this on a lot of Windows XP Prof PC’s and they all ignore this key. (Actually they ignore all the keys under “Network Connections” in the registry.)

Aside from the use of the word a Zillion this email intrigued me.  I thought the problem could not possibly be GPO.  But I was wrong and it comes from the explanation (the explain tab is awesome with Group Policy) of the particular setting that was being changed:  “Determines whether users can configure advanced TCP/IP settings. If you enable this setting (and enable the Enable Network Connections settings for Administrators setting)”   AHA the culprit, you just half to throw another switch and eureka the settings will work.  All that was left is finding that setting and getting a screen shot.   So ready to run naked as Archimedes did (when he discovered a bathtub or something like that.)  :-) I diligently searched and searched, to no avail, was it a Group Policy setting at all?  Stumped and ready to email all of  Microsoft, I stumbled into a nice little insight.  This is where I point out the correct name of the setting:
“Enable WINDOWS 2000 Network Connections settings for Administrators” 
Can you find the missing phrase?  It is amazing to me, how quick you can find things,  when you use the correct name.  As it turns out the setting can be found in GPO at: User Configuration|Administrative Templates|Network Connections.

Still clothed, and it is now 8am and the customer has received the response (with appropriate screen shot) and I hear Sesame Street coming on.  I have to go.   I think they are learning all about the letter Z (maybe they will use the word Zillion). 
:-)