Tweaking Registry for Start Menu - XP & Vista
This post is next part to earlier post Tweaking Registry for Start Menu and focuses on “Start Menu” tweaks added with XP onwards. The tweaks mentioned in earlier posts also work for XP and Vista unless stated so. For more Registry tweaks see “Tweaking Registry” series.
Tweaks added with Windows XP
Open Regedit and browse through to the key as below (or create if doesnot exist)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Creating a DWORD valuename (names as below) and setting its value to 1 (numeral one) will have effect as mentioned corresponding to it. To regain the original settings either set them to 0 (numeral zero) or delete them.
| ValueName | Description |
|---|---|
| NoStartMenuEjectPC | Remove the “Undock PC” button from the Start Menu |
| NoTrayItemsDisplay | Hide the notification area(previously called the “system tray”) on the taskbar |
| NoToolbarsOnTaskbar | Do not display any custom toolbars in the taskbar |
| NoTaskGrouping | Prevent grouping of taskbar items |
| HideClock | Remove Clock from the system notification area(previously called the “system tray”) |
| NoSimpleStartMenu | Enabled by default (Start menu displays in the new style) Disabling will Force classic Start Menu (Windows 2000 style and displays the standard desktop icons) |
| NoSMMyPictures | Remove Pictures icon from Start Menu |
| NoStartMenuNetworkPlaces | Remove Network icon from Start Menu |
| NoStartMenuMyMusic | Remove Music icon from Start Menu |
| NoStartMenuPinnedList | Remove pinned programs list from the Start Menu |
| NoStartMenuMorePrograms | Remove “All Programs” list from the Start menu |
| NoStartMenuMFUprogramsList | Remove frequent programs list from the Start Menu |
| NoSMBalloonTip | Remove Balloon Tips on Start Menu items |
| NoAutoTrayNotify | Turn off notification area(also called the “system tray”) cleanup |
| LockTaskbar | Lock the Taskbar and prevents the user from moving or resizing it |
| NoUserNameInStartMenu | Remove the user name label from the Start Menu. Does not work on Windows Vista |
| NoSMConfigurePrograms | Remove Default Programs link from the Start menu |
Tweaks added with Windows Vista
Open Regedit and browse through to the key as below (or create if doesnot exist)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
“Start Menu” tweaks in Windows Vista are different from previous ones in a way that the actions performed by these are already available with “Start Menu” Control Panel item. Enabling these using registry however prohibits user from controlling the said actions.
| ValueName | Description |
|---|---|
| QuickLaunchEnabled |
This policy setting controls whether the QuickLaunch bar is displayed in the Taskbar. If you enable this setting, the QuickLaunch bar will be visible and cannot be turned off. If you disable this setting, the QuickLaunch bar will be hidden and cannot be turned on. If you do not configure this setting, then users will be able to turn the QuickLaunch bar on and off. |
| ForceRunOnStartMenu | If you enable this setting, the Run command is added to the Start menu. If you disable or do not configure this setting, the Run command is not visible on the Start menu by default, but it can be added from the Taskbar and Start menu properties. If the “NoRun” is enabled, this has no effect. |
| UseFoldersInStartMenu | User folders links launch a folder view of users files instead of a library view. |
| NoUserFolderInStartMenu |
If you enable this setting the start menu will not show a link to the user’s storage folder. If you disable or do not configure this setting, the start menu will display a link, unless the user chooses to remove it in the start menu control panel. |
| NoSearchCommInStartMenu |
If you enable this setting the start menu search box will not search for communications. If you disable or do not configure this, the start menu will search for communications, unless the user chooses not to in the start menu control panel. |
| NoSearchProgramsInStartMenu |
If you enable this setting the start menu search box will not search for programs. If you disable or do not configure this setting, the start menu will search for programs, unless the user chooses not to in the start menu control panel. |
| NoSearchInternetInStartMenu |
If you enable this setting the start menu search box will not search for internet history or favorites. If you disable or do not configure this setting, the start menu will search for internet history or favorites, unless the user chooses not to in the start menu control panel. |
| NoSearchFilesInStartMenu |
If you enable this setting the start menu search box will not search for files. If you disable or do not configure this setting, the start menu will search for files, unless the user chooses not to in the start menu control panel. |
| NoSearchComputerLinkInStartMenu |
If you enable this setting, the “See all results” link will not be shown when the user performs a search in the start menu search box. If you disable or do not configure this policy, the “See all results” link will be shown when the user performs a search in the start menu search box. |
| NoStartMenuMyGames |
If you enable this setting the start menu will not show a link to the Games folder. If you disable or do not configure this setting, the start menu will show a link to the Games folder, unless the user chooses to remove it in the start menu control panel. |
| ClearRecentProgForNewUserInStartMenu |
If you enable this setting, the recent programs list in the start menu will be blank for each new user. If you disable or do not configure this setting, the start menu recent programs list will be pre-populated with programs for each new user. |
statutory warning : Tweaking registry in irresposible Manner can damage your system settings and can stop your operating system to function properly or stop the functioning. Perform tweaking only if you are sure of what you are doing
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Tweaking Registry for Start Menu « Jalaj
25 Jul 07 at 5:58 am
i recently rather foolishy deleted a folder containing programs, accessories, games , system. i must have dragged a copy of programs folder on to the desktop. now when I go to the start menu none of thes items appear there. what can i do other than a reinstall.
Herb Bassen
4 Nov 07 at 7:56 pm
If I am correct only problem you are ffacing is the absence of “Program icons” that you accessed from Start Menu and that you might be able to access them from the desktop…
Right Click on “Start” button and click on “open”. cut-paste the folder that moved to desktop in the window that opened. (There may be a very slight variation, as I am unaware of the folder structure in vista, not being it’s regular user.)
Jalaj
5 Nov 07 at 11:46 am
i recently rather foolishy deleted a folder containing programs, accessories, games , system. i must have dragged a copy of programs folder on to the desktop and deleted them. Now when I go to the start menu to Programs none of these items appear there. Usually there is an Accessories folder containing System Tools, Ease of Access, Games and so on and a list of all the programs. Are there any registry entry’s that can be tweaked to restore these items.
Herb Bassen
6 Nov 07 at 2:03 am
” and deleted them”…
OK now it’s clear that you deleted them… Those icons on start menu were a result of nested folders and (shortcut) files and have no corresponding entries in registry that you can use to recover them… but you don’t need to worry as all that you have deleted is the shortcuts and the actual programs are still present in your “Program Files” folder…
you can at least create workable shortcuts and arrange them at your will by going to each program folder, right clicking on the main executable, click on “Send to” and then “Desktop (Create Shortcut)”… a short thus will be created on desktop for each program and you can rearrange them in nested folders.
Jalaj
6 Nov 07 at 4:18 am
thank you for your help
Herb Bassen
6 Nov 07 at 5:23 am
I was trying to move my user profile and everything in it from my windows partition to a separate one. In the process I broke my links in the right pane of the start menu. How do I fix start menu and properly move my user profile to a separate partition that my windows one?
nick
15 Nov 07 at 4:58 pm
Open Regedit and surf to the following path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
If you don’t find the path (above is for win2k) search for
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ProfileList
surf theough all keys and check the string value “ProfileImagePath” one of the key would be pointing you your profile path
%SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\<your login ID>
change that value to your new profile folder say
m:\my path\my folder
Hope I was clear…
Jalaj
16 Nov 07 at 4:09 am
yes. thank you.
nick
16 Nov 07 at 5:08 am
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28 Nov 07 at 12:39 pm
Hi.Can anyone help me with this.I recently lost the “send to” option from the right klick menu.Please can u tell me how to restore it.
Stefan
14 Dec 07 at 12:16 am
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my frienz say that someone is posting comments about my bullitins or pictures??????????????????? wath is it?
karina
10 Mar 08 at 1:00 am
I wonder if there is a way in Vista to have the programs menu show by default, so that you don’t have to pause over the “Programs” menu for it to unfold. It really, really, annoys me and I have not been able to find a solution to it yet. But I don’t like the looks of the classic start menu because it doesn’t have glass (not even in WindowBlinds! because I tried that too)…
trouba
20 Mar 08 at 12:08 pm
global free white house microsoft busy
greedmicroso
6 Jul 08 at 1:43 am
I have a strange problem in Win XP SP3 prof. If I right click on any folder within Start -> Program I am unable to use Open or explore but am able to open the root i.e Start - Programs right click - Open / Open all users / Explore etc. Can any one help with this please as it is driving me nuts..!
Hocus
14 Sep 08 at 11:39 am
Hello, I have this situation: I want to have windows taskbar but I don’t want minimized windows to go there because I use objectdock for that. Is there any way of taking them out of there or hidding them or something like that because I couldn’t find any registry key to that. I use Vista Basic. Thanks!
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21 Oct 08 at 4:57 am
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