Homegroup - Add or Remove from Navigation Pane

How to Add or Remove Homegroup from Navigation Pane in Windows 7​

   Information

This will show you how to add or remove Homegroup in the Windows Explorer Navigation Pane in Windows 7.

   Warning

• You can only do this while logged into an administrator account.
• This will affect all user account's on the computer.

EXAMPLE: Homegroup in Navigation Pane
NOTE: This is Homegroup added (default) (left screenshot below) and removed (right screenshot below) from the Navigation Pane.



Here's How:
1. Open the Start Menu and type regedit.exe in the search line, then press enter.

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

3. In Regedit, go to the location below: (See screenshot below step 4)

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{B4FB3F98-C1EA-428d-A78A-D1F5659CBA93}\ShellFolder

4. In the left pane of regedit, right click on the ShellFolder key and click on Permissions. (See screenshot below)

5. At the top, select the Administrators group. At the bottom, check the Allow box to the right of Full Control and click on OK. (See screenshot below)

6. In the right pane of regedit, right click on Attributes and click on Modify. (See screenshot below)

7. To Add Homegroup to the Navigation Pane
NOTE: This is the default setting.
A) Type in b084010c and click on OK. (see screenshot below)

B) Go to step 9.
8. To Remove Homegroup from the Navigation Pane
A) Type in b094010c and click on OK. (see screenshot below)

9. If you have 64-bit Windows 7 Installed

   Note

CREDIT TO: Kookster for this addition.

To also add or remove Homegroup from the "Open" and "Save as" type windows as well in 64-bit Windows 7, you will also need to do this step.

If you have a 32-bit Windows 7 installed, then skip this step since doing steps 1 to 7/8 will add or remove Homegroup from the "Open" and "Save as" type windows as well.

A) In Regedit, go to the location below:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Classes\CLSID\{B4FB3F98-C1EA-428d-A78A-D1F5659CBA93}\ShellFolder

B) Repeat steps 4 to 7/8 above.
10. Close regedit.

11. Restart the computer to fully apply.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Add or Remove the "Libraries" Folder from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove "Favorites" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove "Computer" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove "Network" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove "Control Panel" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove your "User Folder" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove the "Recycle Bin" from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Add or Remove the "HomeGroup" Desktop Icon in Windows 7
• How to Change the Default HomeGroup Icon in Windows 7
• How to Link your Live ID and Share Files in Windows 7 HomeGroup
• How to Show or Not Show All Folders in the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Turn On or Off Expand to Current Folder in Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to View or Print Your Windows 7 Homegroup Password
• How to Change the Windows 7 Homegroup Password
• How to Create a Homegroup in Windows 7
• How to Join or Add a Computer to a Windows 7 Homegroup
• How to Leave a Windows 7 Homegroup
• How to Change Windows 7 Homegroup File and Folder Sharing Settings
• How to Turn the Navigation Pane On or Off in Windows 7
• How to Create a HomeGroup Troubleshoot Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Rename "Homegroup" in the Windows 7 Explorer Navigation Pane
• How to Create a HomeGroup Settings Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Create a HomeGroup Folder Shortcut in Windows 7

 

[vonesser]

Re: How to Add or Remove Homegroup...

Will this also remove the icon from my desktop? That's all I would care about. All other computers on my home net are XP, so Homegroup is superfluous to me.

Nick

 

[Brink]

Hello Nick,

I don't believe it will, but if it does, then you should be able to use this.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/34580-homegroup-desktop-icon-add-remove.html

 

[vonesser]

Do I have to do both, or will the downloaded reg file merge alone work?

 

[Brink]

No, do the one here first to see if it is removed from the desktop first. We can go from there if needed.

 

[iottt]

thanx m8, home group and other links were getting really annoying, especially when i opened a small open or save file dialogue, i couldn't see my favorites because the space was taken up by homegroup and libraries​

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Iottt, and welcome to Seven Forums.

 

[cmhp2111]

Thanks, Brink! My laptop is my only Win7 computer and the homegroup in the Navigation tab was driving me crazy. This tutorial worked perfectly!

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome cmhp2111, and welcome to Seven Forums.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello Shawn.


This is odd in Windows 8, Homegroup goes away but on a reboot it's back. :shock:

 

[Brink]

Yep, this one is not working properly on Windows 8 yet.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Yep, this one is not working properly on Windows 8 yet.

Thanks mate, I guess I'll go set the values back to default just to be on the safe side.

 

[ksdixon]

I'm in Windows 8 too (Pro, x86 due to upgrading an older OEM PC), and I pulled up Services and disabled the two HomeGroup services. After a restart HomeGroup has not reappeared in my windows explorer left navigation pane.

 

[Brink]

Hello lilsting,

That will do fine as long as you do not want to create or join a Homegroup.

 

[Conditioned]

Any chance of automating this? How do you change perms in batched in the registrY?

 

[Brink]

Hello Conditioned,

I'll add it to the list to look into, and post back if I'm able to get it to work properly.

 

[speedgamer01]

I'd like to add an alternative way of removing homegroup

 

[b33z]

Perfect! didn't even have to restart!

cheers!

 

[xFiReStOrMx]

I'd like to add an alternative way of removing homegroup

The way provided on here is pretty simple, but yeah no doubt that way is for sure much easier and quicker and you are disabling the services too, but I am not sure if the method provided on here would have done that also.

Either way thanks to all!

 

[BuckSkin]

I have all of our machines in a Homegroup, but I never use the Homegroup in the navigation pane to access any of them; I always just use the Network.

That being said, if I remove Homegroup from the navigation pane, will it disable the Homegroup; and, if so, will it affect my Network abilities ?

Thanks for reading.