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How do you get rid of everything in the Windows XP Start Menu?


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For the image where creating where using Windows XP SP2 very slimed down, where controlling users through policies and when they click there start menu they should have the application launcher folder from Zenworks in there only, with only the programs for that user in it.

Agghh.. my frustration i've looked all over ther internet today on trying to find out how to do this, I dont want that stupid programs folder thats built into the start menu to be there anymore. If theres a way to hide that whole folder or just remove it all together that would be great.

When a user clicks the Start menu all of the choices they should see is this, Shutdown, or logoff, then theres that seperating line in the start menu and just above that all they should see is the the application launcher folder that shows the programs for that user.

Can this be done?

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have you looked up polices for the OS - you should be able to do it with group polices

All by me:

"Sometimes you have to go back to where you started, to get to where you want to go." 

"Everybody catches up with everyone, eventually" 

"As you teach others, you are really teaching yourself."

From my dad

"Do not worry about yesterday, as the only thing that you can control is tomorrow."

 

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have you looked up polices for the OS - you should be able to do it with group polices

Been there done that, it only allows you to do so much, im needing to basically clear all of the items in start menu but the logoff,shutdown and have just the application launcher folder in the start menu, some kind of registry hack is needed im sure.

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Been there done that, it only allows you to do so much, im needing to basically clear all of the items in start menu but the logoff,shutdown and have just the application launcher folder in the start menu, some kind of registry hack is needed im sure.

In 95&98 they used poledit to do what you are talking about

Look at this LINK at the very bottom it tells you where to go.

All by me:

"Sometimes you have to go back to where you started, to get to where you want to go." 

"Everybody catches up with everyone, eventually" 

"As you teach others, you are really teaching yourself."

From my dad

"Do not worry about yesterday, as the only thing that you can control is tomorrow."

 

WindowsError.gif

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what happens if you just delete all the folders and stuff that are there

I'm not sure, but i'm not about to try

:D

I just read this - all the icons that are listed in the ALL PROGRAMS are just that icons (shortcuts). If you deleted everyone of them - you would still be able to run your programs - you would just have to enter them in the run command or double click them in explorer - other ways would be device manager.

All by me:

"Sometimes you have to go back to where you started, to get to where you want to go." 

"Everybody catches up with everyone, eventually" 

"As you teach others, you are really teaching yourself."

From my dad

"Do not worry about yesterday, as the only thing that you can control is tomorrow."

 

WindowsError.gif

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I just read this - all the icons that are listed in the ALL PROGRAMS are just that icons (shortcuts). If you deleted everyone of them - you would still be able to run your programs - you would just have to enter them in the run command or double click them in explorer - other ways would be device manager.

I know if you deleted on the things in the programs folder that I would still be able to run programs thats not the problem, the problem is I need to get rid of all icons that you see show up when you first click the start menu in Windows XP.

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I just took a test machine with Windows XP Sp2.

1) Open Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs and delete everything that I can.

2) Open Documents and Settings\Default User\Start Menu\Programs and delete everything that I can.

3) Right click Taskbar and choose properties

4) Select tab named Start Menu and press customize...

5) On the Programs section bring down to zero.

6) On Show on Start Menu uncheck Internet & Email

7) Select Advanced tab and go start menu items: remove checkmarks from applicatan that you don't want to display

Hit Ok and the apply after all this is done, start menu only show you All Program\starup, log off & shut down

Edited by Danny35d
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I know if you deleted on the things in the programs folder that I would still be able to run programs thats not the problem, the problem is I need to get rid of all icons that you see show up when you first click the start menu in Windows XP.

The ones at the root of the start menu are shortcuts at:

%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\

and,

%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Start Menu\

However, the most satisfying solution would be to download and install this!

:D

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The ones at the root of the start menu are shortcuts at:

%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\

and,

%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Start Menu\

However, the most satisfying solution would be to download and install this!

:D

Havent tried what you suggested yet, heres what I did and it worked this way.

Download a program called resource hacker, which is free, open up explorer.exe, click on menu then clicked the folder called 204, then click the item in it called 1033. Then I took out this line of code and then moved everything up to fill the space.

{

MENUITEM "", 65535, MFT_SEPARATOR, MFS_ENABLED

POPUP "&Programs", 504, MFT_STRING, MFS_ENABLED, 0

{

MENUITEM "(Empty) ", 513, MFT_STRING, MFS_GRAYED

Make a copy of your explorer.exe and rename it to explorer.bak

When you've taken out the line of code above, click the compile script button then go up to File, Save as and name it explorer.mod.

Shutdown the computer and boot it up with safe mode with command prompt.

change directories to c:\windows

do a ren c:\windows\explorer.exe explorer.bak2

do a ren c:\windows\explorer.mod explorer.exe

do a Ctrl + Alt +Del choose shutdown

Reboot the machine and when you click the start menu you dont see a programs folder at all.

Note: If there is another way to do this without having to hack the explorer.exe file, let me know it was just brought up that with user profiles we may not want every profile to be missing the programs folder in the start menu. The way I just did it all of the profiles will be missing the programs folder from the start menu.

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Did you try what I mention on Post #8? Yes you still see the program folder but it is empty. Also, if you do step 2 any body that login will have an empty program folder.

The thing is I dont want to see the program folder at all, the way I just described above removes programs completly from the start menu.

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Been there done that, it only allows you to do so much, im needing to basically clear all of the items in start menu but the logoff,shutdown and have just the application launcher folder in the start menu, some kind of registry hack is needed im sure.

I am 100% sure you can do this by simple using the policy. I know for sure because i have done it before :D

Just use the gpedit.msc on the machine wich you wanna use that.

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I am 100% sure you can do this by simple using the policy. I know for sure because i have done it before :D

Just use the gpedit.msc on the machine wich you wanna use that.

I have no clue why he did not click on the link that I showed him. I stated the same thing. I tested it last night and was able to get rid of about everything in the start menu. :D

All by me:

"Sometimes you have to go back to where you started, to get to where you want to go." 

"Everybody catches up with everyone, eventually" 

"As you teach others, you are really teaching yourself."

From my dad

"Do not worry about yesterday, as the only thing that you can control is tomorrow."

 

WindowsError.gif

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I am 100% sure you can do this by simple using the policy. I know for sure because i have done it before :D

Just use the gpedit.msc on the machine wich you wanna use that.

Im in Microsoft group policy editor now under user, administrative templates, start menu and taskbar

Remove pinned programs list from the start menu is an option, tried it, programs still showed up on the start menu.

To be clear about this I know you can clear everything out of the programs folder thats on the start menu but the actual programs folder always remains.

Remove all programs list from the start menu is the other choice, tried that the programs folder still remains on the start menu.

If I knew the exact policy you used that successfully removed the programs folder from the start menu that would be a great help.

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Im in Microsoft group policy editor now under user, administrative templates, start menu and taskbar

Remove pinned programs list from the start menu is an option, tried it, programs still showed up on the start menu.

To be clear about this I know you can clear everything out of the programs folder thats on the start menu but the actual programs folder always remains.

Remove all programs list from the start menu is the other choice, tried that the programs folder still remains on the start menu.

If I knew the exact policy you used that successfully removed the programs folder from the start menu that would be a great help.

go down a couple more where it says All PROGRAMS

All by me:

"Sometimes you have to go back to where you started, to get to where you want to go." 

"Everybody catches up with everyone, eventually" 

"As you teach others, you are really teaching yourself."

From my dad

"Do not worry about yesterday, as the only thing that you can control is tomorrow."

 

WindowsError.gif

WIKI | Tabs; | Arrays; | Strings | Wiki Arrays | How to ask a Question | Forum Search | FAQ | Tutorials | Original FAQ | ONLINE HELP | UDF's Wiki | AutoIt PDF

AutoIt Snippets | Multple Guis | Interrupting a running function | Another Send

StringRegExp | StringRegExp Help | RegEXTester | REG TUTOR | Reg TUTOT 2

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I just rerun the step that I mention on Post #14

if you select disable all programs still showing up, in the other hand if you select enable all programs is gone.

The point is that you can do this network wide with the policy - other wise you have to touch each box.

Look at my post 5 there is a link there that explains policy for 95&98 and later it explains XP. In either case using PDC is a better way.

All by me:

"Sometimes you have to go back to where you started, to get to where you want to go." 

"Everybody catches up with everyone, eventually" 

"As you teach others, you are really teaching yourself."

From my dad

"Do not worry about yesterday, as the only thing that you can control is tomorrow."

 

WindowsError.gif

WIKI | Tabs; | Arrays; | Strings | Wiki Arrays | How to ask a Question | Forum Search | FAQ | Tutorials | Original FAQ | ONLINE HELP | UDF's Wiki | AutoIt PDF

AutoIt Snippets | Multple Guis | Interrupting a running function | Another Send

StringRegExp | StringRegExp Help | RegEXTester | REG TUTOR | Reg TUTOT 2

AutoItSetOption | Macros | AutoIt Snippets | Wrapper | Autoit  Docs

SCITE | SciteJump | BB | MyTopics | Programming | UDFs | AutoIt 123 | UDFs Form | UDF

Learning to script | Tutorials | Documentation | IE.AU3 | Games? | FreeSoftware | Path_Online | Core Language

Programming Tips

Excel Changes

ControlHover.UDF

GDI_Plus

Draw_On_Screen

GDI Basics

GDI_More_Basics

GDI Rotate

GDI Graph

GDI  CheckExistingItems

GDI Trajectory

Replace $ghGDIPDll with $__g_hGDIPDll

DLL 101?

Array via Object

GDI Swimlane

GDI Plus French 101 Site

GDI Examples UEZ

GDI Basic Clock

GDI Detection

Ternary operator

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@nitekram I know the way you mention on Post #5 is better, anyway thanks for the link I even bookmarked for reference later on. But I thing Dan25 is creating a image so, he can apply all the changes need it and recreate the image with all this policy apply.
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