Start button entries

[Bob]

Programs somes install entries that show up in places you do not want,
for example, when you right-click on the Start button.

How do I get rid of those entries? IOW, where in the Registry are the
keys for items that show up on the right-click Start button? How come
I can't find them by searching for the text string with regedit?


--

Map of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
http://home.houston.rr.com/rkba/vrwc.html

If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you are reading it in English, thank an American soldier.

 

[Mark V]

Programs somes install entries that show up in places you do not
want, for example, when you right-click on the Start button.

How do I get rid of those entries? IOW, where in the Registry
are the keys for items that show up on the right-click Start
button? How come I can't find them by searching for the text
string with regedit?

One method used is to place the menu item under the Folders entry
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\shell\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Directory\shell\

Don't neglect to include the "&" (used to define the hot-key) in your
search as that is often part of the string. Such as
My overzealous Pro&gram

 

[Bob]

One method used is to place the menu item under the Folders entry
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\shell\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Directory\shell\

Don't neglect to include the "&" (used to define the hot-key) in your
search as that is often part of the string. Such as
My overzealous Pro&gram

Yep - that's why I can't find it using text search. I should have
remembered that - I knew it once but I obviously forgot.

Thanks for the heads up.

--

Map of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
http://home.houston.rr.com/rkba/vrwc.html

If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you are reading it in English, thank an American soldier.

 

[Bob]

One method used is to place the menu item under the Folders entry
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\shell\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Directory\shell\

Don't neglect to include the "&" (used to define the hot-key) in your
search as that is often part of the string. Such as
My overzealous Pro&gram

I ran regedit but I could not find the ones belonging to the Start
Button right click.

One of them has no & because it is expandable.

The other comes and goes randomly. One minute it's there, the next it
isn't. It belongs to an AV program so it may be disappearing when I
have scanned recently or something. As long as it stays out of the
Start button, I don't care.

But the one with the expansion menu is alluding me. Any suggestions?




--

Map of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
http://home.houston.rr.com/rkba/vrwc.html

If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you are reading it in English, thank an American soldier.

 

[Mark V]

I ran regedit but I could not find the ones belonging to the
Start Button right click.

One of them has no & because it is expandable.

The other comes and goes randomly. One minute it's there, the
next it isn't. It belongs to an AV program so it may be
disappearing when I have scanned recently or something. As long
as it stays out of the Start button, I don't care.

But the one with the expansion menu is alluding me. Any
suggestions?

On a Right-click (context) Start menu? Or is it just on the Start
menu? Checked both
\Start Menu\ locations (user + All Users) in Docs and Settings?

Shell Extensions ?
http://www.nirsoft.net/
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html

 

[Bob]

On a Right-click (context) Start menu? Or is it just on the Start
menu?

Go to the Start button on the bottom left of the desktop. Right click.
The second entry is Explore. There are extraneous entries below that I
want to remove. But I still cannot find them in the Registry.

How do I hack the Registry to get rid of those items?

While we're at it, how do I do the same thing for Left click on the
Start button?

Shell Extensions ?
http://www.nirsoft.net/
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html

That's a nifty utility but it doesn't tell me where the specific
reference is made that causes the appearance in the Right click Start
button. If I remove the class I will destroy it for all instances,
like the context menu, which I do not want to do. Or so it would seem.

I want to remove it from that one instance, in the Start button right
click.



--

Map of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
http://home.houston.rr.com/rkba/vrwc.html

If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you are reading it in English, thank an American soldier.

 

[Mark V]

Go to the Start button on the bottom left of the desktop. Right
click. The second entry is Explore. There are extraneous entries
below that I want to remove. But I still cannot find them in the
Registry.

I think you need to give some actual examples that may be
investigated by a reader that can observe/duplicate what you see
there.

How do I hack the Registry to get rid of those items?

While we're at it, how do I do the same thing for Left click on
the Start button?


That's a nifty utility but it doesn't tell me where the specific
reference is made that causes the appearance in the Right click
Start button. If I remove the class I will destroy it for all
instances, like the context menu, which I do not want to do. Or
so it would seem.

Generally correct. The same is true for Shell entries under Folder
or Directory in that they are "global". All or nothing.

I want to remove it from that one instance, in the Start button
right click.

That may not be possible if you mean literally *just* the Start
menu's menu and no others.

For example my A-V adds "Scan with F-Prot Antivirus" (a shell
extension) as
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\FRISK\
by Class ID reference (no executable filename listed. No "F-Prot"
listed there either). Try searching/examining by software company
name? I could (backup) remove this entry removing the "Scan
with..." from "directory objects" context menus including the Start
button's context menu. All or nothing though for Directories.
This would leave "file objects" and "drive objects" context menus
unaffected.

You should IMO list some example menu entries and the associated
"culprit" programs (if known) in the hope that more information
will yield better feedback.

 

[Bob]

You should IMO list some example menu entries and the associated
"culprit" programs (if known) in the hope that more information
will yield better feedback.

There are two different behaviors. In one instance the entry is always
in the Start right click menu. In the other, it comes and goes.

In the case of the one that stays, it is for PowerArchiver 2002, an
unzip utility. I want it to show up when I highlight a file in Explore
and right click. But I do not want it to show up in the right-click
Start button menu.

In both instances there is a second meny that is displayed when you
mouse to the right side. That's because there is a little solid
right-pointing arrowhead (triangle) after the name.

Let's focus on that one for now. I do a Registry search for
"PowerArchiver 2002" (no & because there is no hot key) but I cannot
find it. I do not have "Match whole string" checked. I do find
"PowerArchiver" leaving the "2002" off but they could be from a
previous version which I did not uninstall before I installed this
latest version.

I find "PowerArchiver" all over the place, in particular under
"ContextMenuHandlers".

What is the name of the object specific to the right click Start menu?





--

Map of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
http://home.houston.rr.com/rkba/vrwc.html

If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you are reading it in English, thank an American soldier.

 

[Mark V]

There are two different behaviors. In one instance the entry is
always in the Start right click menu. In the other, it comes and
goes.

In the case of the one that stays, it is for PowerArchiver 2002,
an unzip utility. I want it to show up when I highlight a file
in Explore and right click. But I do not want it to show up in
the right-click Start button menu.

I have an older version of PowerArchive but long ago neutered it.
For one thing I disabled it's shell extensions altogether. Another
is that I've associated .ZIP file with another application. So I
cannot be specific for your current version and configuration.

Any directory or folder context menu items are very likely as
described earlier as Shell or ShellEx entries under the Folder and
Directory keys in HKCR. Example:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\PowerArchiver\

In both instances there is a second meny that is displayed when
you mouse to the right side. That's because there is a little
solid right-pointing arrowhead (triangle) after the name.

That is either something under a \Start Menu\ folder as noted up-
thread (such as a shortcut to a folder) or a shell extension.

Let's focus on that one for now. I do a Registry search for
"PowerArchiver 2002" (no & because there is no hot key) but I
cannot find it. I do not have "Match whole string" checked. I do
find "PowerArchiver" leaving the "2002" off but they could be
from a previous version which I did not uninstall before I
installed this latest version.

As noted previously these may be found in some case by a reference
to the publishers name, a CLSID or possibly by searching on the DLL
that provides the extension.

I find "PowerArchiver" all over the place, in particular under
"ContextMenuHandlers".

What is the name of the object specific to the right click Start
menu?

It's just a context menu, parts of which may be derived from
"Folder" or "Directory" entries in the registry.

I think a PowerArchiver forum (if such exists) may be a better
place to get specific information perhaps.

I'd be happy to continue, but I don't see a lot of additional help
coming from me. One of those "you gotta be there" things.

In any case please ensure you have made Full Registry Backups in
advance of any registry modifications. In addition to that I
suggest Exporting any affected Keys to .REG files as a reference.
And keeping notes on your conclusions and alterations for future
reference would also be advisable.

 

[Bob]

I have an older version of PowerArchive but long ago neutered it.
For one thing I disabled it's shell extensions altogether. Another
is that I've associated .ZIP file with another application. So I
cannot be specific for your current version and configuration.

Any directory or folder context menu items are very likely as
described earlier as Shell or ShellEx entries under the Folder and
Directory keys in HKCR. Example:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\PowerArchiver\


That is either something under a \Start Menu\ folder as noted up-
thread (such as a shortcut to a folder) or a shell extension.


As noted previously these may be found in some case by a reference
to the publishers name, a CLSID or possibly by searching on the DLL
that provides the extension.



It's just a context menu, parts of which may be derived from
"Folder" or "Directory" entries in the registry.

I think a PowerArchiver forum (if such exists) may be a better
place to get specific information perhaps.

I'd be happy to continue, but I don't see a lot of additional help
coming from me. One of those "you gotta be there" things.

In any case please ensure you have made Full Registry Backups in
advance of any registry modifications. In addition to that I
suggest Exporting any affected Keys to .REG files as a reference.
And keeping notes on your conclusions and alterations for future
reference would also be advisable.

Thanks for the assistance.

--

Map of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
http://home.houston.rr.com/rkba/vrwc.html

If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you are reading it in English, thank an American soldier.