Classic Shell: Forum

Can this be done with GPO with out removing the ability altogether to pin stuff there either manually or with a powershell script? Also
is there a way to redirect the documents folder to %homeshare% .... I have it set in folder redirection and it works on servers without
classic shell. Is there something specific that you have to do with classic shell? TIA

To pin/unpin, check out syspin: http://www.technosys.net/products/utils/pintotaskbar

Classic Shell only adds a Start menu, and some Explorer add-ins. It shouldn't affect folder redirection in any way. If the Documents item in Classic Start Menu does not point to the new folder, just go to the Customize Start Menu tab and double click its icon. Change its path by erasing the Command field and entering the new redirected path in the Link field.

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Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

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

Thanks... I saw on a webpage the guy who created it said not for commercial use. Besides, I tried it on Server 2012 with this syntax and it didn't work...
Start c:\scripts\syspin\syspin "%appdata%\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\Taskbar\File Explorer.lnk" c:5387 .... That is running
in a login script batch.. Am I doing something wrong with this?

I haven't got to the second part of your reply, but thanks for responding.

So I did what you said, and changed the documents command field and put in %homeshare% and then checked the documents folder and it pointed to where it should be... Cool BUT when I restarted the computer it went right back to the original setting.... Also I need this to be set for all users that log into the computer. Can this be done in group policy? Also, the setting in group policy "customize taskbar"... There are no setting in it... Do you set that only if you want to set the other gpo settings Taskbar look and Taskbar opacity? Otherwise with no other settings in it, I am not sure of its purpose.
I am still desperately trying to figure out how to keep file explorer from pinning to taskbar. Thanks for any help

Sorry that syspin tool that I suggested didn't work for you. It's more of a hack because it automates the context menu so it can also cause an access violation. Microsoft disabled programmatic ability to pin and unpin from Windows 10 because they feel it's a user preference. It was possible Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

If after a restart it's going back to the original setting, then change the Link field in Classic Start Menu Settings as instructed above.

See this topic to learn how to change default settings for all users: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6332

Yes, you set "Customize taskbar" policy if you have to customize any of the Taskbar related settings: Taskbar look to opaque/transparent, opacity, color, text color or texture.

The pinned taskbar shortcuts are all stored by Windows in this folder: %AppData%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar (it might be hidden because Appdata is hidden). See if a File Explorer shortcut exists there and simply delete it. Then see if logging out and logging back in makes it unpin from the Taskbar.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

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

No problem on the syspin, it was a good shot. What you explained above about the taskbar, I already knew... The problem is that it is for users that are already created.. I need to get rid of it
for new users to machines and since we have thousands of users here..... big problem...

I was able to get the document folder to redirect and I was aware of how to export those settings and put them into the menu items for one column, which is what I am using... A couple of questions..
The first is if you export settings from that key to that gpo item, and there is another gpo item like say user docs (display as menu, display as link) and you already set it with the registry export, then
which takes effect? The other thing is I have set the user docs (in both places) to display as menu and display as link) but it all looks the same.. See file attachment... Why does it always look like this
no matter if I choose link or menu? And if I can ask a last question, I choose printers and it shows up in my user as seen in same picture, but when I log into my test user, printers is gone.... Do you know why that could be? Thanks for all help

This is really strange to me.... This is what the current menu settings look like.... Then the admin user which has the printers but missing the disconnect and logoff.... Then my test user account that is missing the printer but is showing the disconnect and logoff...Any ideas on this? The admin still has the metro thing at the top because group policy doesn't get applied to admins... But I am wondering why this is missing icons on one and not the other and vice versa.

Found the answer to the first part I was looking for.... Even though this is classic shell, I will post it as I would think other admins might be looking for
a similar solution... What works for me (to get rid of explorer.exe from the taskbar, but still allows us to pin our companies apps to the taskbar is to do
it in two steps through vb script that we put in the all users startup folder. The first step is to call a bat that wipes out the taskbar icons all together..
The bat follows:

DEL /F /S /Q /A "%AppData%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar\*"
REG DELETE HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskband /F
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exe

That kills all icons on the taskbar.... The second part of the vbscript calls the powershell that pins whatever
icons you want to pin to the taskbar... There are many powershells out there that do that, so I won't bother posting
that.... But FINALLY a solution that works!!!!!

So now if I may re ask my question that I posted above that is perplexing.... Does anybody have any idea of why my printers
icon is missing from my Test user, but it shows up for the admin user? The only thing I can think of is the test user gets an
RD/Citrix desktop and the admin user, I am logging on locally.... If I can figure that part out, I think I will be golden... That
and how to keep classic shell from asking if you want the newer versions....

ANY HELP IS DEFINATLY APPRECIATED....

Run Classic Shell Update from Start -> All Programs -> Classic Shell and turn off the option to check for new versions. There is also a Group Policy setting for it.

I don't know about your printers issue unless I see the exact user account setup you have.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

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

Thanks.... I went ahead and took the time to update to 4.3.0 and when I downloaded it and installed, there was an option to not install the updater, and so I did
that. I hope that works as well, plus I can look at GP as well, because I didn't see a check for new versions options... How do I get you to see the exact user account
setup? I posted above what the screen looks like... This is what I have in the menu item key if that helps....


Items=UserDocumentsItem,RecentDocumentsItem,PrintersItem,SEPARATOR,SEPARATOR,SEPARATOR,SEPARATOR,SEPARATOR,DisconnectItem,LogOffItem,LockItem
UserDocumentsItem.Link=%homeshare%
UserDocumentsItem.Label=My Documents
UserDocumentsItem.Tip=$Menu.UserDocumentsTip
UserDocumentsItem.Icon=shell32.dll, 16772
RecentDocumentsItem.Command=recent_documents
RecentDocumentsItem.Label=$Menu.Documents
RecentDocumentsItem.Icon=shell32.dll,327
RecentDocumentsItem.Settings=ITEMS_FIRST
PrintersItem.Command=printers
PrintersItem.Label=$Menu.Printers
PrintersItem.Tip=$Menu.PrintersTip
PrintersItem.Icon=shell32.dll,138
DisconnectItem.Command=disconnect
DisconnectItem.Label=$Menu.Disconnect
DisconnectItem.Tip=$Menu.DisconnectTip
DisconnectItem.Icon=shell32.dll,329
LogOffItem.Command=logoff
LogOffItem.Label=$Menu.Logoff
LogOffItem.Tip=$Menu.LogOffTip
LogOffItem.Icon=%SystemDrive%\Scripts\SingleSignOff\Exit1.ico
LockItem.Command=lock
LockItem.Label=$Menu.Lock
LockItem.Tip=$Menu.LockTip
LockItem.Icon=shell32.dll,48



That is it in a nutshell.... If I may ask one last question... I obviously am using the single menu item... How come I see no difference when I choose for say the documents folder to show as a
link or show as a menu? Looks the same to me... I have a pic of it posted... Thanks for any help on this....