Classic Shell: Forum

Let me start this by saying I read the Help> Classic start menu> Administrative Settings and feel no wiser for it. If it was talking about what I am asking for then help me by explaining it in different terms. And or give me some relevant examples.



Under Customize start menu in settings for classic start menu 4.1.0 there are lots of options that I don't want my users to see. Example "Games"





I have it switched "Don't display this item" for administrator and it looks fine. So the best idea would be for me to set this for all users and make sure they cant change it. Now in the help document it gives an example of EnableContextMenu and set it to 0. I see the Context Menu tab and I see that it has a check box for Enable right-click menu however I don't understand where you got the verbiage you decided to use "EnableContextMenu" . Based on this example do I create a DWORD value called EnableGames and set it to 0. OR DontDisplayThisItemGamesCustomizeStartMenu and set it to 0. None of that seems to work.





I also looking in the Group Policies that were provided. I saw no options in there for what I wanted. If I some how missed it please let me know.

I did find the setting under policies User Config> administrative templates> Classic shell> classic start menu> Menu items for the windows 7 style.

I was able to able to then go into the registry for the administrator HKCU per the Help and then copy everything from MenuItems7 then paste it under Menu items for the windows 7 style.

For single user, the settings are stored at this key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\IvoSoft\ClassicStartMenu\Settings (Note the \Settings subkey). Copy the MenuItems7 string value from here.

But for all users, the settings are stored at: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IvoSoft\ClassicStartMenu (HKLM branch and no \Settings subkey). The MenuItems7 string value you copied above should be created here.

Finally, exit the Start menu and start it again or log out and log in again.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IvoSoft\ClassicStartMenu " didn't exists.. I had to create the location before I could add the key.

Yes, that key doesn't exist by default because it is only needed if you want to add your own admin settings. Most people don't do that.

My 64-bit Windows7 sp1 laptop has only one user (me), but two accounts: Admin and User. Currently, Classic Start Menu (v4.0.4, but I am considering v4.0.6 or v4.1.0) is located in two places (one for each account), at
C:\Users\AccountName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

If I change something in one account's Start Menu, of course it doesn't change in the other account's Start Menu. So to make the two Start Menus match, I use ZabKat's Xplorer² (an alternative to Windows Explorer) which lets me look at each account's Start Menu simultaneously (a column for each). I then use Xplorer² to copy the changes in one account's Start Menu into the other account's Start Menu.

This is not a major hardship, but I have been wondering: Could Classic Start Menu be put into a location common to --- and usable by --- both accounts? For example, could it be put somewhere into ProgramData (the alternative name for All Users)? (There already is a C:\ProgramData\Start Menu, but the Start Menu icon is blocked. There also is a C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu folder, but it doesn't include a full Start Menu.)

Alternatively, could both C:\Users\AccountName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu be replaced by a position in the registry --- as suggested (for reasons different from mine) --- at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IvoSoft\ClassicStartMenu?

If Classic Start Menu has to be put into two separate user accounts (as at the beginning of this post), no need for anyone to reply. This post is just an idea.

R.N. (Roger) Folsom

The start menu shows the combined contents of these two folders:
C:\Users\AccountName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

The second folder is shared for all users and most installers put their shortcuts there. Only admins can write to that folder.

Ivo:

Thanks for your response. I know that ProgramData could be altered only by an administrator account. And since I am the only user of my computer, I always could alter ProgramData Start Menu settings by first switching to my Admin account.

What I don't know is whether a Start Menu located entirely in ProgramData (at C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu) would work for --- that is, be fully used by --- a Standard User account.

R.N. (Roger) Folsom

Yes, all contents of the shared start menu folder are visible to all users. They just can't modify it (unless they are admins).

Ivo: Thanks for that confirmation that I can put the entire start menu into ProgramData, thereby allowing the admin to make any changes available to all accounts.

I very much appreciate your recent assistance on this and other issues.

R.N. (Roger) Folsom