Move the address bar below the menu bar in Windows Explorer

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  1. Posts : 195
    Windows 7 Professional x64
       #1

    Move the address bar below the menu bar in Windows Explorer


    This is something I've wanted to do for a long time. In Windows XP, you were able to unlock the toolbars and move them around freely, including the Address Bar. In Windows Vista/Windows 7, however, the Address Bar is always at the top of the Explorer Window. For a long time, I had disregarded it as impossible to change the location of the address bar, until I found this:

    How to Put the Menu Bar Always on Top in Internet Explorer 8

    Now I realize this is for Internet Explorer (I don't use IE anyway) but I also know that Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer share some code or something, and work very similar. So would it be possible to move the address bar using a similar registry tweak? Google has turned up no answers to help me, so I would appreciate any sort of help. Thanks in advance.
    Last edited by Brink; 07 Jan 2013 at 01:46. Reason: update link
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  2. Posts : 53,365
    Windows 10 Home x64
       #2

    I have searched for this before, and never found any way to do it. A Guy
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  3. Posts : 195
    Windows 7 Professional x64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Hi, A Guy.
    Thanks for your input. I know this may sound a bit stupid, but do you think it would be possible to completely remove the Address Bar altogether? I remember reading that you could remove the 'Explorer Bar' (or whatever people call it) by editing some UIFILE in Shellstyle.dll or or ExplorerFrame.dll (I don't remember which one it was, nor do I really care enough to do it) using Resource Hacker. I was wondering if there was a UIFILE string that could be modified to get rid of the Address Bar.

    Now I know this may sound absurd, and perhaps it is. But let me explain my logic here:
    I'm a user of Classic Shell, and that program has a feature which allows you to have a 'Classic Explorer Bar', which is really nice. I was thinking perhaps you could hide the Address Bar altogether, and maybe get an alternative (that could be moved around). To be honest, I really don't know much about how the internals for Explorer work, but I don't see why this wouldn't be possible. Any info would be nice.
    Last edited by Butters; 07 Jan 2013 at 23:40.
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  4. Posts : 12,120
    Win 7 Pro x64 / Win 10 Pro
       #4

    I have found a way to remove the address bar with the help of the window style builder forum.
    Move the address bar below the menu bar in Windows Explorer-computer.png
    If you are using the default aero theme I can change that for you, using Windows Style Builder and post it here in a zip folder.
    If you are using a custom theme you will need to ask the theme maker. It's not cool to change someone else work.
    &
    This will be a custom theme and you will need to do 1 of these 2 ways of Enabling custom themes for it to work.
    Enabling Custom Themes - Windows 7
    Or
    Theme - How to Apply Custom Themes

    Let me know.
    Jerry
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 195
    Windows 7 Professional x64
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Thanks, Jerry.
    I'm actually using the Windows Classic theme. Would it work for that? I mean, does it have to do with the 'Aero.msstyles' file or 'Shellstyle.dll'? Because if it's Shellstyle.dll, couldn't I modify the file in system32 (%SystemRoot%\system32\Shellstyle.dll) to make it universal for pretty much all themes (that is unless they use their own Shellstyle.dll file, which I could fix if I knew how). And does the Windows Classic theme even use the Shellstyle.dll file, or is it just for msstyles? if that's the case, then what other options do I have. Thanks again!

    EDIT:
    So I actually tested, Windows Classic DOES in fact use Shellstyle.dll. (I just used the Explorer Bar removal trick, just for testing). So does anyone have any information on UIFILE strings to change? Or is it in msstyles?

    EDIT (again):
    I feel kind of stupid, I meant UIFILE, not UFILE. Sorry. :/
    Last edited by Butters; 07 Jan 2013 at 23:39.
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  6. Posts : 12,120
    Win 7 Pro x64 / Win 10 Pro
       #6

    Customizing Windows classic theme is something I have tried with very little success, only thing I can recommend is trial and error and see what you can come up with. The msstyles has nothing to do with Windows classic theme.

    Sorry
    Jerry
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 195
    Windows 7 Professional x64
    Thread Starter
       #7

    Bongo said:
    Customizing Windows classic theme is something I have tried with very little success, only thing I can recommend is trial and error and see what you can come up with. The msstyles has nothing to do with Windows classic theme.

    Sorry
    Jerry
    Yes, I'm aware that Classic doesn't use msstyles. But would you mind putting the custom Aero theme anyway? If it uses a custom shellstyle.dll, then I might be good to go. If not, I'll check it out anyway.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 12,120
    Win 7 Pro x64 / Win 10 Pro
       #8

    Sure will, will post it later today.

    Jerry
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 12,120
    Win 7 Pro x64 / Win 10 Pro
       #9

    Here you go, download the zip folder below and extract it and put both 1 Butters folder and 1 Butters.theme file in C:\Windows\Resources\Themes
    Move the address bar below the menu bar in Windows Explorer-butters.pngMove the address bar below the menu bar in Windows Explorer-themes.png

    It will show up as Butters under Installed Themes in Personalization
    Move the address bar below the menu bar in Windows Explorer-personalization.png

    Jerry
    Move the address bar below the menu bar in Windows Explorer Attached Files
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 195
    Windows 7 Professional x64
    Thread Starter
       #10

    Thanks allot, Jerry. It's much appreciated. I'll keep looking for a solution for the classic theme, but at least thanks to you, I'm a little bit closer. I'll update on any information I find on this. And if anyone finds anything, I'd appreciate it if you'd post here. :)
    Last edited by Butters; 10 Jan 2013 at 13:53.
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