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**Brink** · 03 Jun 2008

How to Enable or Disable "Taskbar and Start Menu Properties" in Vista and Windows 7

Information

This will allow (enable) or prevent (disabled) the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window from opening when users on the computer right clicks on a empty space on the Start Menu or Taskbar and clicks on Properties.

EXAMPLE: Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window

EXAMPLE: Error Message
NOTE: If disabled, this will be the error message that all users will get when they try to right click on the Taskbar or Start Menu and click Properties.

METHOD ONE

Using the Local Group Policy Editor

NOTE: This method is only available for the Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions. See Method Two or Method Three below for the Vista Home Basic and Home Premium editions.

1. Open the all users, specific users or groups, or all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor for how you want this policy applied.

2. In the left pane, click on User Configuration, Administrative Templates, and Start Menu and Taskbar. (See screenshot below)

3. In the right pane, right click on Prevent changes to Taskbar and Start Menu Settings and click on Properties. (See screenshot above)

4. To Enable Taskbar and Start Menu Properties

A) Select (dot) Disabled or Not Configured and click on OK. (See screenshot below step 5A)

B) Go to step 6.

5. To Disable Taskbar and Start Menu Properties

A) Select (dot) Enabled and click on OK.

6. Close Local Group Policy Editor window. Your done.

METHOD TWO

Using a REG File Download

NOTE: This method will work for all Vista versions.

1. To Enable Taskbar and Start Menu Properties

A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.

Enable_Taskbar_StartMenu_Properties.reg

B) Go to step 3.

2. To Disable Taskbar and Start Menu Properties

A) Click on the sownload button below to download the file below.

Disable_Taskbar_StartMenu_Properties.reg

3. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the Desktop.

4. Right click on the downloaded .reg file and click on Merge.

5. Click on Run, Continue (UAC-Vista) or Yes (UAC-Windows 7), Yes, and then OK when prompted.

6. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

METHOD THREE

Manually in Registry Editor

NOTE: This method will work for all Vista versions.

1. Open the Start Menu.

2. In the search box, type regedit and press Enter.

3. If prompted by UAC, then click on the Continue (Vista) or Yes (Windows 7).

4. In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below)

Code:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

5. To Disable Taskbar and Start Menu Properties

A) In the right pane, right click on a empty area and click on New and DWORD (32-bit) Value. (See screenshot above)

B) Type NoSetTaskbar and press Enter.

C) Right click on NoSetTaskbar and click on Modify. (See screenshot below)

D) Type 1 and click on OK. (See screenshot below)

E) The registry will now look like this. (See screenshot below)

F) Go to step 7.

6. To Enable Taskbar and Start Menu Properties

A) In the right pane, right click on NoSetTaskbar and click on Delete. (See screenshot above)

B) Click on Yes to confirm deletion.

7. Close regedit.

That's it,
Shawn

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**edwoodt** · 03 Feb 2011

dear shawn, i registered to this forum just to thank you SO MUCH for a wonderful explanation!!! i'm not sure how it happened (although i have an idea), but i had lost the ability to right click the start menu and task bar. i looked around trying to find info and yours was absolutely amazing. i have always wanted to edit something in registry but never had the oportunity or the knowhow. anyway, i tried the first method in group policy editor, which, in itself, was fun. i thought i might be able to do something there, but difficult to find it. anyway, there were 3 items that were disabled and i corrected them, but still had the problem. so i tried the registry method and saw that there were 4 entires that weren't shown in your screen shot. "no welcome window", "no task bar", "no start menu", and i think "no system tray" i deleted all of them so the window looked the same as your screen shot. and........i still had the problem

!! i had rebooted after group policy edit to no avail, so i wasn't to confident that a reboot would work here either. needless to say that it did. oh by the way, i hope i'm not breaking any rules, but i don't have vista- my daughters' do. i'm still using xp and i loving it. thanx again and again. no way i ever would have solved this one. sincerely, eddie

**Brink** · 03 Feb 2011

You're most welcome Eddie, and welcome to Vista Forums.

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