Solved Move the address bar below the menu bar in Windows Explorer

[Butters]

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.

 

[A Guy]

I have searched for this before, and never found any way to do it. A Guy

 

[Butters]

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.

 

[Bongo]

I have found a way to remove the address bar with the help of the window style builder forum.

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.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/34579-enabling-custom-themes-windows-7-a.html
Or
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/28377-theme-how-apply-custom-themes.html?filter

Let me know.
Jerry

 

[Butters]

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. :/

 

[Bongo]

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

 

[Butters]

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.

 

[Bongo]

Sure will, will post it later today.

Jerry

 

[Bongo]

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


It will show up as Butters under Installed Themes in Personalization


Jerry

 

[Butters]

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.

 

[Bongo]

You're welcome

 

[Butters]

Well, it seems that the Address Bar has nothing to do with Shellstyle.dll. It looks more like it has something to do with the .msstyles file, or the file ExplorerFrame.dll (although I'm still looking for it in ExplorerFrame.dll's UIFILEs). If anyone else happens to find something, let me know.

 

[joshtitus]

Removing Address Bar

@Jerry,

You referenced that you had removed the Windows Explorer address bar in the default Aero theme. Could you please send me the edited files that you created and/or point me to the forum where you found this information?

 

[Bongo]

@Jerry,

You referenced that you had removed the Windows Explorer address bar in the default Aero theme. Could you please send me the edited files that you created and/or point me to the forum where you found this information?

Welcome to the Seven Forums

It's in the zip folder at the bottom of this post.

You need to replace the shellstyle.dll in C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero\Shell\NormalColor folder, save the original in case you ever want to go back.

Jerry

 

[joshtitus]

Thanks Jerry,

I have done as you stated and replaced my original shellstyle.dll with the one that you provided. It does not appear to have made any difference, even after a reboot.

I compared the two files via WinMerge and it states that they are identical. If you can instruct me as to what the actual changes made were, I can try to edit my existing version via ResHacker.

Just FYI....The environment that I am testing this on is Win7 Embedded (WS7E) x86.

 

[Bongo]

Thanks Jerry,

I have done as you stated and replaced my original shellstyle.dll with the one that you provided. It does not appear to have made any difference, even after a reboot.

I compared the two files via WinMerge and it states that they are identical. If you can instruct me as to what the actual changes made were, I can try to edit my existing version via ResHacker.

Just FYI....The environment that I am testing this on is Win7 Embedded (WS7E) x86.

I just tried it with aero and it did not work, go to Post #9 http://www.sevenforums.com/customiz...ow-menu-bar-windows-explorer.html#post2245940 and download Butters theme I made it works. I just tried to compare the shellstyle.dll and came back the same will have to do some checking.

You will need to do 1 of these 2 ways of Enabling custom themes for it to work.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/34579-enabling-custom-themes-windows-7-a.html
Or
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/28377-theme-how-apply-custom-themes.html?filter

Jerry

 

[Bongo]

Thanks Jerry,

I have done as you stated and replaced my original shellstyle.dll with the one that you provided. It does not appear to have made any difference, even after a reboot.

I compared the two files via WinMerge and it states that they are identical. If you can instruct me as to what the actual changes made were, I can try to edit my existing version via ResHacker.

Just FYI....The environment that I am testing this on is Win7 Embedded (WS7E) x86.

I just tried it with aero and it did not work, go to Post #9 http://www.sevenforums.com/customiz...ow-menu-bar-windows-explorer.html#post2245940 and download Butters theme I made it works. I just tried to compare the shellstyle.dll and came back the same will have to do some checking.

You will need to do 1 of these 2 ways of Enabling custom themes for it to work.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/34579-enabling-custom-themes-windows-7-a.html
Or
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/28377-theme-how-apply-custom-themes.html?filter

Jerry

OK it's not in the shellstyle.dll it's a content margin setting in the .msstyles that can be changed with Ave's Windows7 Style Builder

Jerry

 

[joshtitus]

I appreciate your assistance Jerry! I feel kind of 'slow' actually at this point. Perhaps if I had spent a little bit more time looking at the previous posts yesterday, I could have found the solution within the 'Butters' files.

I have confirmed that the .msstyles file included there is in fact working and has removed the Windows explorer address bar in my test environment.

 

[Bongo]

I appreciate your assistance Jerry! I feel kind of 'slow' actually at this point. Perhaps if I had spent a little bit more time looking at the previous posts yesterday, I could have found the solution within the 'Butters' files.

I have confirmed that the .msstyles file included there is in fact working and has removed the Windows explorer address bar in my test environment.

Cool

 

[mic9]

Hi Guys..

i want to make this thread alive since, i have the same problem on this thread..
but i getting confused and getting a hard time to implement it..

here's the problem,

I want to re-sized my address bar on my windows explorer to make my address bar invisible to the user..
i use windows 7 style builder to customized the theme..

the theme that i have custom is the default aero theme.
Toolbars, Headers and Rebar> Rebar> NavBar> Basic> Base> Band - CONTENTMARGINS:MARGIN (0, 0, 0, -33)

Since i followed the tutorials, still i don't have luck.. if i change its value then apply after saving, Im getting an error, windows style cannot apply.

If i export the theme and put in other location then proceed to customized the theme and copy it back to its original location. C:\windows\resources\themes. I can save the settings but if i applied it, it wont apply. still no luck..

This is what i want on the theme, no address bar and no navigational buttons (forward, back)
If you can give me all back theme with no address bar and no navigational buttons (forward, back), very much appreciated..

Please help me.. any help i can get. will be much appreciated..
If you have time guys, please kindly provide me a link to a theme with no address bar and no navigational buttons (forward, back)


Thank you


Note: To bongo, please forgive me for using your picture! since your picture is very good example to my problem.. hope you allowed me to use it here.