How to Add, Remove, or Rearrange Command Bar Buttons in Windows 7 Explorer
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.
EXAMPLE: Windows Explorer Command Bar
OPTION ONE
To Add and Remove Command Bar Buttons using "Explorer Toolbar Editor" Program
NOTE: Explorer Toolbar Editor helps you add or remove buttons from the Windows Explorer toolbar in Windows 7. Explorer Toolbar Editor supports multiple folder types and displays the current set of buttons for each one. Also, you can use it to reorder the toolbar buttons.
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
NOTE: This option doesn't have as many folder type options as doing OPTION TWO or OPTION THREE below, but does make it easier do for the folder types included in the program. Custom Explorer Toolbar is small utility for Windows 7 only, which allows you to easily customize the toolbar of Windows Explorer, and add buttons that were existed in previous versions of Windows, like Copy, Cut, Paste, Select All, and more. This utility also allows you to remove the toolbar buttons that you previously added.
1. Download and run
CustomExplorerToolbar.exe.
Download
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: If you want to add, remove, or rearrange command bar buttons in specific windows in Windows Explorer, then do the OPTION THREE section below instead.
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.
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}
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}
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.
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
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).
That's it,
Shawn