Window Explorer Toolbar - Remove

How to Remove Windows Explorer Toolbar in Windows 7​

   Information

In windows 7 Microsoft implemented a new toolbar in Windows Explorer. It has options like: Organize, Share with, Burn, New Folder. Do you want to get rid of this for good? This is how.

   Note

If you do this you will not be able to access any of the features that are on this bar, that includes changing which panes are up. You can however use these tutorials registry edits to turn them on or off:

• Navigation pane turn on or off
• Details pane turn on or off
• Preview pane turn on or off

To use custom themes after removing the explorer toolbar, you will have to extract the file to:

C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\"Custom Theme"\Shell\NormalColor

OPTION ONE

To Remove Windows Explorer Toolbar

1. Click on the Download button below to download the Remove Explorer Bar.zip file.

Download


2. Disable Aero.

1. Right click on the Desktop, select "Personalize"
2. Select "Windows Classic" theme:
   
   
   

3. Download and install "Add_Take_Ownership.reg".

1. Extract: "Add_Take_Ownership.reg"
2. Run: "Add_Take_Ownership.reg"
3. If prompted by User Access Control, then select "Yes".
4. "Registry Editor" will ask something like:
   
   
   
5. Select "Yes"
6. "Registry Editor" will say something like:
   
   
   
7. Select "OK"

4. Determine whether your operating system is 64 bit or 32 bit.

1. Right Click on "Computer", select "Properties"
2. Look next to "System type:", it will say one of these: "64-bit Operating System" or "32-bit Operating System":
   
   
   

5. Taking control of necessary files.

   Warning

You MUST back up the following files if you ever wish to revert back. One way you might backup a file is by copying the original file and then renaming the copy "shellstyle - Original.dll" or "shellstyle - Backup.dll". Make sure you do a backup file for each file that you are going to change.

1. Navigate to the folder:

   C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero\Shell\NormalColor

2. Right click on the file: "shellstyle.dll", select "Take Ownership":
   
   
   
3. If prompted by User Access Control, then select "Yes".
4. The following Steps 5-7 are for "64-bit Operating System" only.
5. Navigate to the folder: "C:\Windows\SysWOW64"
6. Right click on the file: "shellstyle.dll", select "Take Ownership":
   
   
   
7. If prompted by User Access Control, then select "Yes".

6. If your system is a "64-bit Operating System" perform steps 1-2.

1. Extract (drag and drop to your desktop) and run the following files: "Shellstyle Extract x64.exe", "Shellstyle Extract x64_2.exe" from the download in step 1 above.
2. If prompted by User Access Control, then select "Yes".

7. If your system is a "32-bit Operating System" perform steps 1-2.

1. Extract (drag and drop to your desktop) and run the following file: "Shellstyle Extract x86.exe" from the download in step 1 above.
2. If prompted by User Access Control, then select "Yes".

8. Re enable your original theme.

1. Right click on your Desktop, click "Personalize"
2. Enable your desired theme

9. You are Done!

OPTION TWO

To Restore Windows Explorer Toolbar

1. Disable Aero.

1. Right click on your desktop, click "Personalize"
2. Select "Windows Classic" theme

2. Restore Backups.

1. Navigate to the folder:

   C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero\Shell\NormalColor

2. Change the file "shellstyle.dll" to another name I.E. "shellstyle - NEW.dll"
3. Put the original file back in this folder and name it "shellstyle.dll"

1. Navigate to the folder: "C:\Windows\SysWOW64" (Note this folder is only on 64 bit versions of windows 7)
2. Change the file "shellstyle.dll" to another name I.E. "shellstyle - NEW.dll"
3. Put the original file back in this folder and name it "shellstyle.dll"

3. Re enable your original theme.

1. Right click on your Desktop, click "Personalize"
2. Enable your desired theme

4. You are Done!

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Add a Delete Button to the Windows 7 Explorer Toolbar
• How to Add, Remove, or Rearrange Toolbar Buttons in Windows 7 Explorer
• Add Windows Photo Viewer "Slide show" to Context Menu in Windows 7 and Windows 8

 

[Misfortune]

You can also use Resource Hacker to edit shell32.dll to remove the FolderBand. That's what I did, and it should work for any and all themes. But if you mess up, it's shell32, and Windows Explorer might fail to work.

But, here's how to remove the FolderBand. See this post, as well as this one. gumballguy, the author of the second post, stated that he tried that method on the release candidate and not on the RTM. Well, I'm here to tell you that his method works nicely on the RTM!

I also found this article from a German Wiki, and had to translate it through Google. The translation reveals two methods: the first, which kookster kindly provided here, and then the second ("Another method is:"), which involves editing shell32. In case you can't access the web page, though, the text that you're supposed to look for is

<Element layoutpos="Top" layout="filllayout()" sheet="folderbandstyle" animation="rectanglev|s|fast"> <TemplateBackground id="atom(BackLayer)"/> <TemplateBackground id="atom(FolderBandShineLayer)"/> <FolderBandModule ModuleID="FolderBandModule"/> </Element> <element Layoutpos="Top" layout="filllayout()" sheet="folderbandstyle" animation="rectanglev|s|fast"> <TemplateBackground id="atom(BackLayer)"/> <Template Background id = atom (Folder Shine Band Layer) "/> <FolderBandModule ModuleID="FolderBandModule"/> </ element>

In summary, you delete any references to FolderBand in the UIFILEs 12, 27, 28, 32, and 46. I hope I've helped!

 

[kookster]

yeah thats what I originally did, but i figured it would be easier to include self installing ones. Problem though is its pretty hard to actually edit this specific file, and if you do its pretty easy to screw things up.

Now I remember why i never did it, I could never successfully edit that file for some reason, resource editor and xn wont save it, dunno why.

 

[Misfortune]

yeah thats what I originally did, but i figured it would be easier to include self installing ones. Problem though is its pretty hard to actually edit this specific file, and if you do its pretty easy to screw things up.

Now I remember why i never did it, I could never successfully edit that file for some reason, resource editor and xn wont save it, dunno why.

What I had to do was copy shell32.dll to the Desktop, and then edit the copy with Resource Hacker. Once you're done editing, take ownership of the original shell32.dll, and rename it to shell32.dll.bak (or some other filename). Then move the copied shell32.dll back into the system32 directory.

If you use a 64-bit system, you'll have to do this for the SysWOW64 directory as well.

 

[kookster]

thats exactly what i did but the resource editors just wont save the changes for some reason.

 

[gllen]

This is exactly what I want to do, and I got it working, but only in Aero themes.

Does anyone have any idea how to make this work in "Windows Classic" theme? There is no shellstyle.dll in the "Ease of Access Themes" folder.

The other option that would work for me is an "Aero" theme that perfectly replicates "windows classic"... if that exists.

 

[cwzkevin]

Wow, this is exactly what I need. And I took about 6-7 hours to get to here! Thanks!

 

[Raargh]

Kookster, did you ever find any kind of a solution or work-around for used of customized classic themes? I use a customized classic theme, and also run Ivo's Classic Shell. I've tried everything but can't get rid of the dang toolbar. In the past tried to use the resource hacker but alas, I'm too stupid to figure it out.

After I go through the steps in your tutorial the toolbar is smaller (odd) but still present.

Thanks,

Steve

 

[kookster]

I havent. But I must admit I havent been trying. I used to have the problem that the reshacker wasnt saving but I found out what that problem was so I should try again. :sarc:

 

[RoyBatty]

Worked great here, thanks a lot. That toolbar is ugly and wastes space.

 

[kookster]

Kookster, did you ever find any kind of a solution or work-around for used of customized classic themes? I use a customized classic theme, and also run Ivo's Classic Shell. I've tried everything but can't get rid of the dang toolbar. In the past tried to use the resource hacker but alas, I'm too stupid to figure it out.

After I go through the steps in your tutorial the toolbar is smaller (odd) but still present.

Thanks,

Steve

I finally removed it successfully. I did a quick fix which I have no clue how stable and what effects this might have. But I will have a much more stable and thorough version up soon.

[Edit]
I uploaded the new files, there is one folder for the aero themes and then one folder for non that goes in windows/system32 which will alter the windows classic theme. Though they are not self installers they do work you just have to place them yourself. I am going to do a program that will install them for you and take control yadda yadda later. But this will do for now.

 

[Hyram]

A year on (and a bit) after my first experiments with Win7 -- which died and prompted a reformat back to XP when I couldn't get Exploder looking how I wanted -- I considered trying it again, and remembered I'd posted to this thread waaaay back when. Needless to say, I was very thrilled to log back in and see kookster had an update that was less than a month old that included a non-aero patched ready-to-rumble file!

Kookie ol' son, your new patch works a treat -- I am now enjoying Win7 as I want it to be (well, almost, but nuking FolderBand was a MAJOR block that's now gone!)

 

[Hyram]

*sigh*

I spoke too soon. If I then add Classic Shell (to eliminate the rest of the W7 crud) it breaks, badly.

Seems I can have Classic Shell to get a Windows2000-like Explorer look but with the godsawful FolderBand, or no FolderBand but then I'm stuck with the rest of the godsawful W7 Explorer window.

Ah well. Back to XP, until someone can figure out how to get the real W2K/XP Explorer runing as the default.

 

[kookster]

*sigh*

I spoke too soon. If I then add Classic Shell (to eliminate the rest of the W7 crud) it breaks, badly.

Seems I can have Classic Shell to get a Windows2000-like Explorer look but with the godsawful FolderBand, or no FolderBand but then I'm stuck with the rest of the godsawful W7 Explorer window.

Ah well. Back to XP, until someone can figure out how to get the real W2K/XP Explorer runing as the default.

I have Classic Shell with no problem. Hmm. If you post your working shellstyle.dll I can make the changes to it for you.

 

[jdavies]

This is absolutely fantastic. I'm *very* thankful for your help in my War on Screen Clutter.

 

[TonyTBR]

Thanks for the tutorial but for some reason the toolbar has diapered like it should on all of the menus except for "Documents,Music,Pictures,Videos" i have no idea why, can you help me.

 

[Alejandro85]

But will it work if I normally use the normal non-aero theme instead? Or will it work under aero only?

 

[cubefred14]

i got mine to work,, i am running win 7 starter 32 bit..
just follow step 1 download the shellstyle extract x86
then go to
C:\Windows\Resources\Themes\Aero\Shell\NormalColor and rename the shell.dll file into whatever you want it to be just make sure there is still .dll at the end of the name
but also before doing so check the security tab of that folder make sure you have the permission to change the name,
assume that you do know how to change permission right??
after successfully changing the name close the folder and run as administrator shellstyle x86.
if your not sure it runs just re run it and restart your pc,, am sure toolbars is gone now..

God bless......

 

[Aquifel]

I know this tutorial is pretty old, but still seems to have some activity every once in awhile, im just wondering, did anyone ever manage to fix the problem with 64 bit Windows users using the Windows Classic theme? I know its fixed for the 32 bit version, but dont know if anyone ever figured anything out for the x64 version (trying to repeat same process used in system32 in syswow64 is for some reason ineffective).

 

[Zspanky]

Signed up especially to thank author of this post.

It works with every theme, just too bad the paths to the .dll's are hardcoded.
Im using a custom theme, not Aero, its just that the file you have to modify has to be located in the Aero folder. Im on Windows 7 Ultimate x64.

---Use my solution for other styles than Aero below at own risk.---

1. If you want this on another theme than Aero make sure the theme you want is NOT selected, also Aero may NOT be select.

2. Backup your shellstyle.dll for your theme you want to mod and for Aero. (Backing up the SysNode64 one and modifying it works exactly as in OP post, so I will not mention it here.)

3. Take ownership of both the one you want to mod and orginal Aero .dll.

4. Delete Aero .dll (orginal, not backup!).

5. Copy the shellstyle.dll you want to modify to the Aero folder.

6. Run authors provided tool, the shellstyle.dll in Aero should now be modified.

7. Copy shellstyle.dll back to the theme you want to mod.

8. Restore original Aero .dll.

9. Select your Theme. This one should be modded and Aero should not be changed.


@Aquifel, maybe this helps you as well.

 

[shoober]

When I swap the shellstyle.dlls, the folder will freeze and I can't access the folder. I use a customized windows classic theme.

If anyone has trouble like I did with this shellstyle.dll, you can simply edit the shell32.dll file to remove the toolbar. Follow the instructions here to remove it.