Resolved Remove or Disable Address Bar in Windows Explorer

Does anyone know how to do this?

The consensus on the web is that the way to do it to add the dword value "NoAddressBar" to the following keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions

But there are no such keys on my Win 7 Home Premium 32-bit registry.

So I created the keys and values. But of course it did not work.

Can anyone help?

 

Is there any reason why you want to disable/remove the address bar? Did you back up your registry. It's a lot more involved then the registry entries you've listed. If you truly want to get rid of the address bar. Try reading this: Originally posted by ExpertsExchange member Bill.
Answer





by:BillDLPosted on 2005-08-14 at 23:23:44ID: 14672674



Is this a restriction you wish to impose on different users of one computer (or several on more than one machine), or simply a way to get rid of the address bar from all open Windows because YOU have no need for it and find it a nuisance like I do?

Have you tried setting explorer to "Classic View "?

It sounds to me as though you have the option in "Folder Options > View" > "Remember Every Folder's View Settings" selected, and it is somehow hanging onto the individual settings previously set for each folder. Try disabling (unchecking) that box and then try setting up one folder without the address bar, and then applying the "Like Current Folder" setting. Close Windows Explorer and then reopen it to effect the changes.

I have a feeling that the "Address Bar" is NOT one of the actual "Views" that are controlled by this action though. I think it is universally applied to Windows Explorer no matter what settings you might create for the icon views, etc.

*********
In MY opinion, it is NOT possible to completely remove the option to show or hide the Address Bar in Windows Explorer without some radical registry surgery, and it IS NOT worth screwing up your system by experimenting. Here's why:
*********

The INTERNET Explorer "AddressBar" is defined in the registry with the CLSID (Class Identifier):
{01E04581-4EEE-11D0-BFE9-00AA005B4383}
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\BROWSEUI.DLL
&Address
"Shell Browser UI Library "

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{01E04581-4EEE-11d0-BFE9-00AA005B4383}]
@= "&Address "
"MenuTextPUI "= "@browselc.dll,-13137 "

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{01E04581-4EEE-11d0-BFE9-00AA005B4383}\InProcServer32]
@= "C:\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM\\BROWSEUI.DLL "
"ThreadingModel "= "Apartment "

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{01E04581-4EEE-11d0-BFE9-00AA005B4383}\Implemented Categories]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{01E04581-4EEE-11d0-BFE9-00AA005B4383}\Implemented Categories\{00021492-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]

and is set as an "Approved" and SHARED resource defined in the key:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Approved]
"{01E04581-4EEE-11d0-BFE9-00AA005B4383} "= "&Address "

The file "BROWSEUI.DLL" is an Internet Explorer file, but it is a shared resource and is what WINDOWS Explorer uses to show its Address bar also. There are two separate registry keys that seem to differentiate between the Windows Explorer Toolbar and the Internet Explorer one:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\ShellBrowser]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\WebBrowser]

The registry settings for the "Address Bar" (and the other toolbars like the Links Bar and Radio Bar) are identical in each of those keys my registry:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\ShellBrowser]
"{01E04581-4EEE-11D0-BFE9-00AA005B4383} "=hex:81,45,e0,01,ee,4e,d0,11,bf,e9,00,\
aa,00,5b,43,83,10,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,01,e0,32,f4,01,00,00,00

The relevant setting that controls whether the Address Bar is visible in Windows Explorer SEEMS as though it MAY be stored in the following registry key:

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ExpView]
"Settings "=hex:5c,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,b8,0b,00,00,b8,0b,00,00,ff,\
ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,1e,03,00,00,3c,02,00,00,04,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,2c,00,53,00,00,00,00,00,26,d0,50,71,07,00,00,00,00,77,7e,\
13,73,35,cf,11,ae,69,08,00,2b,2e,12,62,01,00,00,00,0f,00,00,00

You see that "26" on the 3rd line down and the 11th paired value from the rightmost ,\ on that line?

If that is 26, then I believe that the Address Bar will not show. If that were 36 instead, then I think that the Address Bar WILL show.

However, another setting that relates more directly to the "Address bar" is:

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\Explorer]

I noted some changed values on the 2nd and 3rd lines, but I will have to verify which of those values store the "Show/Hide Address Bar ". Initially, it looks like the following value changes. First, here's the contents of an exported .reg file from that key while my Address Bar WAS set to SHOW:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\Explorer]
"ITBarLayout "=hex:11,00,00,00,4c,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,30,00,00,00,1b,00,04,00,\
5c,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,a0,06,00,00,a0,0f,00,00,05,00,00,00,22,04,00,00,26,\
00,00,00,02,00,00,00,a1,06,00,00,da,02,00,00,04,00,00,00,a1,00,00,00,36,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
(Additional 18 lines exactly the same as the above one full of pairs of zero's)
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

The relevant paired values that change in MY registry are:
1st line 4th pair from right - 19 = don't show address bar, 1b = show it.
2nd line 1st pair - 44 = don't show address bar, 5c = show it.
3rd line 2nd pair from right - 00 = don't show address bar, 36 = show it.
3rd line 6th pair from right - 00 = don't show address bar, a1 = show it.
3rd line 10th pair from right - 00 = don't show address bar, 04 = show it.

Remember that this relates to MY system and to MY toolbars. YOUR's may well differ. Those, however, are the values that changed on MY system.

What you have though, when you talk about userS is that it seems you may have several users to which this setting should be applied. Because the Address Bar is really an Internet Explorer component, and because different users' Internet Explorer preferences tend to be saved on a "per-user" basis, you might have some difficulty applying this restriction to all users. have you also considered that Microsoft Office applications like Word can also show a Web toolbar in which you can "goto" a file or online url from the address bar?

I am about to check the values in the key:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ToolbarState]
to see if they change when I show or hide the Address bar, but this is out of curiosity more than anything.

I recommend that you visit the following site for hundreds of registry tweaks and restrictions:
http://www.winguides.com/registry/

Start here:
http://www.winguides.com/registry/category.php/41/
http://www.winguides.com/registry/category.php/19/
http://www.winguides.com/registry/category.php/11/

Note that the following registry restriction ONLY hides the Address Bar in Internet Explorer, and NOT in Windows Explorer, just in case you are tempted to try it:

http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/1111/

There certainly IS a way of disabling the Right-Click > "Open" context menu option for folders in Windows Explorer (and the "My Computer view which is still Windows Explorer), but how do you intend that users navigate the system?

The relevant registry settings relate to "Drive ", "Directory ", and "Folder ".

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder

With most file types, you can use the Start Menu > Settings > Folder Options > File Types tab to edit the associated "actions" for them, but Drive, File Folder (Directory), and Folder (Folder) are all protected and you will find the "Edit" button deliberately greyed out because of a registry value named "EditFlags" and its data value. This is by design, because you aren't supposed to mess with these settings. They form the very core of the Windows "shell ".

Do this:

1. Start Menu > RUN > and type Regedit > Click OK
2. In the LEFT pane, locate HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder
3. Registry Menu > Export Registry File > Selected branch only
4. Save each as Folder.reg
5. Close Regedit
6. Right-Click on Folder.reg and choose "Edit" to open in Notepad.

Your "Open" action and associated command is dictated by the following lines which will open Windows Explorer in the manner you are accustomed to:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell]
@=" "

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open]
@=" "

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec]
"NoActivateHandler "=" "
@= "[ViewFolder(\ "%l\ ", %I, %S)] "

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec\application]
@= "Folders "

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec\topic]
@= "AppProperties "

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\ddeexec\ifexec]
@= "[] "

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\open\command]
@= "C:\\WINDOWS\\Explorer.exe /idlist,%I,%L "

It's that last command:
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.exe /idlist,%I,%L
that opens the selected folder (set in the % variables) or drive in Explorer.

Feel free to replace all instances of "open" in the above lines of the registry extract with "BONZO" or "ZZAPP ", or "POW ", but you are still left with an "action" that will be named something else, but will do the same: eg

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\YABADABADOO]
@=" "

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\YABADABADOO\ddeexec]
"NoActivateHandler "=" "
@= "[ViewFolder(\ "%l\ ", %I, %S)] "

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\YABADABADOO\ddeexec\application]
@= "Folders "

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\YABADABADOO\ddeexec\topic]
@= "AppProperties "

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\YABADABADOO\ddeexec\ifexec]
@= "[] "

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\YABADABADOO\command]
@= "C:\\WINDOWS\\Explorer.exe /idlist,%I,%L "

You are still also left with the "Explore" action as well, and my advice is DON'T MESS with any of these settings!!!

Persevere with the standard options in Windows Explore's "Folder Options" and let us know what happens.

Bill

 

WOW! It will take me a while to digest this.

Yes. No need and nuisance.

Thank you!

 

You're welcome.

 

This has become at least temporarily moot; on my last clean install I have no address bar!?

 

Thank you for the update and for marking this thread as resolved.