Windows 7: Windows Explorer Toolbar Buttons - Customize

   Information

This will show you how to customize the command bar (toolbar) in Windows Explorer to add, remove, or rearrange command bar buttons of your choice for all users in Windows 7.

You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do this tutorial.

OPTION ONE

To Add and Remove Command Bar Buttons using "Explorer Toolbar Editor" Program

1. Download, install, and run Explorer Toolbar Editor.
NOTE: Detailes instructions for how to use the program are at the site's download link below.

OPTION TWO

To Add and Remove Command Bar Buttons using "Custom Explorer Toolbar" Program

1. Download and run CustomExplorerToolbar.exe.

   Note

System Requirements And Limitations

• This utility only works on Windows 7. It doesn't work on Windows Vista. Both 32-bit and x64 systems are supported.
• Some buttons might not be displayed on Explorer toolbar, even if you added them with CustomExplorerToolbar tool.
• Be aware that CustomExplorerToolbar cannot remove the default buttons provided by Windows operating system. It can only remove buttons that you previously added.

OPTION THREE

To Manually Remove Command Bar Buttons in All Windows in Windows Explorer

   Note

You will not be able to remove the default Burn, Print, E-mail, Play all, and Slide show command bar buttons provide by Windows 7 unless you had previously manually added them, or change the folder template to another one that doesn't have them by default.

If you really wanted to completely remove Burn from the command bar in all windows, then you could disable the built-in burning features in Windows 7.

1. Open the Start Menu, then type regedit in the search box and press enter.

2. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

3. In regedit, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CommandStore\shell

4. To Backup the Command Bar Button before Deleting it
NOTE: See the table under step 8 in OPTION THREE below to know what each key below the Shell key is for which command bar button.

   Warning

If you do not backup (export) the key for a command bar button before deleting it in step 5, you will not be able to restore the command bar button again.

A) Under the Shell key in the left pane of regedit, right click on the key (ex: Windows.includeinlibrary) for the command bar button (ex: Include in Library) that you want to remove, and click on Export.

B) Save this .reg file backup to your desktop, then move it to where you like to keep it backed up at.

5. Under the Shell key in the left pane of regedit, right click on the key (ex: Windows.includeinlibrary) for the command bar button (ex: Include in Library) that you want to remove, and click on Permissions.

6. Take ownership of the registry key and set permissions of the key to "Allow" your user account "Full Control" of it. (see screenshot below)

7. Under the Shell key in the left pane of regedit, right click on the key (ex: Windows.includeinlibrary) for the command bar button (ex: Include in Library) that you want to remove, and click on Delete. (see screenshot below step 3)

8. Click on Yes to confirm the deletion. (see screenshot below)

9. Repeat steps 4 to 8 for any other command bar buttons that you would like to remove from all Windows Explorer windows.

10. When finished, close regedit.

11. If open, close and reopen Windows Explorer to see the changes applied.

   Note

To Restore a Command Bar Button Deleted in OPTION TWO

1. Double click on the backup .reg file from step 4.

2. If prompted, click on Run, Yes, Yes, and OK to approve merging the .reg file.

3. If open, close and reopen Windows Explorer to see the changes applied.

OPTION THREE

To Manually Add, Remove, or Rearrange Command Bar Buttons in Specific Windows

1. Open the Start Menu, then type regedit in the search box and press enter.

2. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

3. In regedit, navigate to the location below of the Windows Explorer window that you would like to add, remove, or rearrange a command bar button(s) in.

Folder Templates

NOTE: To remove default command bar buttons for these type of windows, you will need to use the OPTION TWO section above instead.

General Items Folder Template Windows (see also step 4)

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{5c4f28b5-f869-4e84-8e60-f11db97c5cc7}

Contacts Folder Template Windows (see also step 4)

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{de2b70ec-9bf7-4a93-bd3d-243f7881d492}

Documents Folder Template Windows (see also step 4)

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{7d49d726-3c21-4f05-99aa-fdc2c9474656}

Music Folder Template Windows

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{94d6ddcc-4a68-4175-a374-bd584a510b78}

Pictures Folder Template Windows (see also step 4)

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{b3690e58-e961-423b-b687-386ebfd83239}

Videos Folder Template Windows

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{5fa96407-7e77-483c-ac93-691d05850de8}

Libraries

General (Generic) Library Folder Windows

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{5f4eab9a-6833-4f61-899d-31cf46979d49}

Documents Library Folder Windows

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{fbb3477e-c9e4-4b3b-a2ba-d3f5d3cd46f9}

Music Library Folder Windows

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{3f2a72a7-99fa-4ddb-a5a8-c604edf61d6b}

Pictures Library Folder Windows

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{0b2baaeb-0042-4dca-aa4d-3ee8648d03e5}

Videos Library Folder Windows

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{631958a6-ad0f-4035-a745-28ac066dc6ed}

Search Results

General (Generic) Search Results Windows

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{7fde1a1e-8b31-49a5-93b8-6be14cfa4943}

Contacts Search Results Windows

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{20338b7b-531c-4aad-8011-f5b3db2123ec}

Documents Search Results Windows

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{36011842-dccc-40fe-aa3d-6177ea401788}

Federated "open" Search Results Windows

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{8faf9629-1980-46ff-8023-9dceab9c3ee3}

Music Search Results Windows

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{71689ac1-cc88-45d0-8a22-2943c3e7dfb3}

Pictures Search Results Windows

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{4dcafe13-e6a7-4c28-be02-ca8c2126280d}

Videos Search Results Windows

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{ea25fbd7-3bf7-409e-b97f-3352240903f4}

4. If the name of the Windows Explorer location you selected above is in RED (General Items, Contacts, Documents, and Pictures folder templates), then:




NOTE: If not in red, then skip this step and go to step 5 or 6.

• In the left pane under FolderTypes, right click on the {long number} CLSIDkey below and click on Permissions. Take ownership (step 3 in Option Two of Method TWO at this link) of this key with your administrator account, and set permissions to Allow your administrator account Full Control of the key. (see screenshots below)

• Continue on to step 5 or 6 below.

5. To Add or Remove Buttons to be Displayed when a Item is Selected
NOTE: When you select an item (ex: file or folder), the buttons displayed on the Windows Explorer command bar locations below are defined in the TasksItemsSelected registry key.

A) In the left pane, click on the TasksItemsSelected key under the exanded {long CLSID number} key above. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If there is not a TasksItemsSelected key, then right click on the {long CLSID number} CLSID key, click on New and Key, type TasksItemsSelected and press enter.

B) Go to step 7.

6. To Add or Remove Buttons to be Displayed when No Items are Selected
NOTE: When you open a folder without anything selected, the buttons displayed on the Windows Explorer command bar locations below are defined in the TasksNoItemsSelected registry key.

A) In the left pane, click on the TasksNoItemsSelected key under the exanded {long CLSID number} key location above. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If there is not a TasksNoItemsSelected key, then right click on the {long CLSID number} key, click on New and Key, type TasksNoItemsSelected and press enter.

B) Continue on to step 7.

7. In the right pane of TasksItemsSelected or TasksNoItemsSelected, right click on (Default) and click on Modify. (see screenshots below steps 5A and 6A)

A) Do steps 8, 9,and/or 10 below for what you would like to do.

8. To Add a Command Bar Button

A) Type in the Value data (see table below) for the button that you want to add in the order you want it to be displayed within the other listed buttons. (see screenshot below step 11.
NOTE: Be sure to leave only one semicolon (;) inbetween each Value data entry to separate them.

FOR EXAMPLE: If I wanted to add the Cut and Paste buttons to the Pictures Library command bar after the default Burn button, I would add Windows.Cut and Windows.Paste in the Edit String (modify) window with the other default command bar button entries like this below.

Code:

Windows.slideshow;Windows.burn;Windows.Cut;Windows.Paste;Windows.CscWorkOfflineOnline

Command Bar Button	Value Data	Description
Burn	Windows.burn	It allows you to burn the folder or the file selected.
Close	Windows.closewindow	It allows you to close the active window
Copy	Windows.Copy	It allows you to copy the item selected in the clipboard
Cut	Windows.Cut	It allows you to move the item selected into the clipboard
Delete	Windows.Delete	It allows you to delete the item selected
Details pane	Windows.previewpane	It allows you to toggle the Details pane on or off
(Details view)	Windows.topviewrestoredefault	It allows you display the details view
E-mail	Windows.email	It allows you to send by email the item selected
Folder and search options	Windows.folderoptions	Opens Folder Options
Include in library	Windows.includeinlibrary	It allows you to include in any library the folder selected
Layout	Windows.layout	It allows you to turn on or off the navigation pane, the detail pane, the reading pane or the library pane
Library pane	Windows.librarypane	It allows you to turn on or off the library pane
Manage Default Printers	Windows.ManageDefaultPrinters	It allows you to manage the printer installed by default
Menu bar	Windows.menubar	It allows you to turn the menu bar on or off
Navigation pane	Windows.navpane	It allows you to turn the navigation pane on or off
New folder	Windows.newfolder	It allows you to create a new folder in the folder you have open or selected
Organize	Windows.organize	It allows you to turn on or off the options for the organization of items
Paste	Windows.Paste	It allows you to paste the content of the clipboard
Play all	Windows.playmusic	It allows you to play all the music files in a opened folder
Properties	Windows.properties	It allows you to display or hide all the properties of the item selected
Preview pane	Windows.readingpane	It allows you to turn the Preview pane on or off
Print	Windows.print	It allows you to print the document selected
Print server properties	Windows.OpenPrinterServerProperty	It allows you to display or hide the properties of your printer
	Windows.OpenSearchViewSite
Redo	Windows.redo	It allows you to cancel the last modification made
Rename	Windows.rename	It allows you to rename the item selected
Remove Properties	Windows.removeproperties	It allows you to delete all the properties you want about the item selected
See what's printing	Windows.OpenPrintQueue	It allows you to display or hide all the files you're printing
Select all	Windows.selectall	It allows you to select all of the items in the opened folder
Separator	Windows.separator	It allows you to create an empty space between the tasks
Share with	Windows.Share	It allows you to share the item selected in private or with your homegroup
Share with	Windows.ShareHomegroupFullAcces	It allows you to share the item selected in private or with your homegroup
Share with	Windows.ShareHomegroupReadAccess	It allows you to share the item selected in private or with your homegroup
Share with	Windows.SharePrivate	It allows you to share the item selected in private or with your homegroup
Share with	Windows.ShareSpecificUsers	It allows you to share the item selected in private or with your homegroup
Slide show	Windows.slideshow	It allows you to see any images through a slideshow
Start scan	Windows.StartScan	It allows you to execute a quick scan of the selected item
Sync	Windows.CscSync	It allows you to synchronize your folders or files with your device
Undo	Windows.undo	It allows you to cancel the last modification made, or restore the folder or file deleted from the Recycle Bin
Work Offline or Work Online	Windows.CscWorkOfflineOnline	Offline Files to Work Offline or Online
	Windows.UpdatePrinterDriver	It allows you to update your printer's drivers

9. To Remove a Command Bar Button

A) Remove the Value data (see table below step 8A) for the button that you want to remove. (see screenshot below step 11)
NOTE: Be sure to leave only one semicolon (;) inbetween each remaining Value data entry to separate them.

FOR EXAMPLE: If I wanted to remove the Cut and Paste buttons added to the Pictures Library command bar from step 8, I would edit out Windows.Cut and Windows.Paste in the Edit String (modify) window like this below.

BEFORE

Code:

Windows.slideshow;Windows.burn;Windows.Cut;Windows.Paste;Windows.CscWorkOfflineOnline

AFTER

Code:

Windows.slideshow;Windows.burn;Windows.CscWorkOfflineOnline

10. To Rearrange the Display Order of the Command Bar Buttons

A) Arrange the Value data (see table below step 8A) listed in the Edit String (modify) window in the order of how you would like them displayed on the command bar. (see screenshot below step 11)
NOTE: Be sure to leave only one semicolon (;) inbetween each Value data entry to separate them.

FOR EXAMPLE: If I wanted to rearange the Cut and Paste buttons added to the Pictures Library command bar from step 8, I would edit the Windows.Cut and Windows.Paste value data in the Edit String (modify) window like this below.

BEFORE

Code:

Windows.slideshow;Windows.burn;Windows.Cut;Windows.Paste;Windows.CscWorkOfflineOnline

AFTER

Code:

Windows.slideshow;Windows.burn;Windows.Paste;Windows.Cut;Windows.CscWorkOfflineOnline

11. When finished adding, removing, or rearranging the button's Value data (ex: Windows.burn) in the Edit String box, click on OK. (see screenshot below)

12. Repeat the steps above if you would like to add, remove, or rearrage command bar buttons for any other Windows Explorer location in step 3.

13. When finished, close regedit.

14. If open, close and reopen Windows Explorer to see the changes applied at the location you selected in step 3 (not the registry location).

   Note

To Undo All Changes Made in OPTION THREE and Restore All Default Command Bar Buttons

1. Click on the Download button below to download the file below.

Restore_Default_Toolbar_Buttons_in_Windows_Explorer.reg

2. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the desktop.

3. Right click on the downloaded .reg file and click on Merge.

4. Click on Run, Yes, Yes, and OK when prompted.

5. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

6. If open, close and reopen Windows Explorer to see the changes applied at the location you selected in step 3 (not the registry location).