How to Hide Menubar, Addressbar, Standard Toolbar and Throbber (Small Flag Icon) in Windows XP Explorer?

If you are a Windows customization lover and want to hide menubar, addressbar, toolbar or throbber (small Windows flag) in Windows Explorer window, this tutorial will help you.

In this tutorial, we are going to provide simple registry scripts to hide menubar, addressbar, throbber or all toolbars in Windows XP Explorer window as shown in following screenshots:

Hiding Menubar:

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Hide_Menubar.jpg

Hiding Addressbar:

Hide_Addressbar.jpg

Hiding both Menubar and Addressbar:

Hide_Menubar_and_Addressbar.jpg

Hiding Throbber (Small Windows Flag):

Hide_Throbber.jpg

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Hiding everything:

Hide_All_Toolbars.jpg

Default Settings:

Default_Explorer.jpg

Simply download following zip file, extract it and you’ll get separate .REG files for each option. Run the desired .Reg file, it’ll ask for confirmation, accept it.

If you hide all toolbars including menubar, addressbar, standard toolbar and throbber using “Hide All Toolbars.reg” script and decide to restore them later, run following command in RUN:

regsvr32 /i shell32.dll

and then run “Restore Default Settings.reg” script.

Published in: Windows XP

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

Comments

NOTE: Older comments have been removed to reduce database overhead.

  1. Hi Vishal, do you know how to remove that “Address” text at the left of the address bar?

  2. I used the “Hide All Toolbars” on Windows XP SP3.
    Now the “All Programs” button on the StartMenu no longer functions.
    I tried using “Restore Default Settings” and restarting the computer, still, “All Programs” button doesn’t work.

  3. Ok, just noticed your instructions for:
    regsvr32 /i shell32.dll
    and then run “Restore Default Settings.reg” script.

    The StartMenu works properly now.

  4. hey VG, please me out.
    I installed ClassicSheell from your website on my windows 7.
    i didn’t like it, so i uninstalled.
    but since then, my menu bar in windows 7 is always there. its not hiding nd stays there every time.
    its really annoying and i want this to get fixed ASAP.
    PLZ HELP.
    THANKS.

  5. @harshil : Please make sure the classic explorer toolbar are set to hidden state before uninstall.

  6. Hi VG! Thank you very much for this tweak!
    I have an issue that i cannot figure out, so I decided to ask you for help.
    After this tweak, my Windows XP Explorer looks awsome: pretty clean and simple.
    Altough, I would like to remove the “Adrress” text and I can’t do it.
    I understant there is a way of doing it through the Registry by editing shell32.dll on Resource Hacker, but I just don’t know how to to it.

    Could you please help me?

    Thanks in advance!

  7. Hi VG! Thanks for your quick reply!
    I already searched thoroughly all the strings existing in shell32.dll and none of them seems to relate specifically with the text “Address” in the address toolbar of Windows XP’s Windows Explorer, because when I search for “address” the only thing that is show are error messages and text box templates and all the other strings do not present anything that seems to relate with the address toolbar. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to solve this issue without any further directions. Could you be so kind as to help me with this, by guiding me to the right string to delete, please?

    Thank you so much for your help.

  8. Sir, i need this to work at a domain. My need is to every user that logon in the domain get their Windows explorer capped, just like the “hide everyrhing” script you posted here. If that work, it would be perfect fo me. The DC is a Windows Server 2003 Enterprise SP2, and all clients are Windows XP SP3. After days of searching i realize thats no way to do this via Domain GPO. 🙁

    Is there any sollution for me ?

  9. Hi VG,
    I’ve managed to put the “Hide All Toolbars” as a Logon Script, and that worked: The windows explorer become totally capped. But in return, the start menu has stopped working. So i have to ask you: Would be possible that you Sir create (for me) one “registry script” that only hide the bar with the buttons back, forward, and up, etc?

    I need to enable folder redirection of the start menu, in a gpo. In windows 7 it is fine, but on windows xp, users are able to double-click folders (start menu) and in the windows explorer window that opens, they click “back” or “above” and browse the entire network. I know this could be solved with permissions, but because of the software we use is necessary that everyone has permission to domain administrator. Hence the need for alternative solutions, such as a registry script.

    If you can do a registy script that only hide that specific bar i would be very grateful and you can be sure it would help a lot.

    I already appreciate your attention.

    William.

  10. ^^ Sorry but I dont have access to Windows XP so cant create the Registry file but above mentioned Registry scripts will not cause any issue. Your Start Menu not working problem must be related to something else. These Registry scripts have nothing to do with Start Menu.

  11. i have tried running the scripts without success. am using windows 8 pro and my aim is to hide the address bar in windows explorer, not internet explorer. please help.

  12. Hi all! Does anyone find a way to remove the string “Address” from the address bar? Deleting the string “Address” from the browselc.dll file does not help.

  13. Hi VG!

    I have found the solution. I had deleted the wrong string from the browselc.dll file. There are two strings: “Address” (String ID 12896) and “A&ddress” (String ID 12902). You have to delete the second one to remove the word from the Windows Explorer. In fact I replaced the string with a blank character for layout reasons. Works like a charm!

  14. I hope someone can answer this
    I want to hide the UP button, as well as the View tab. “Win Xp”
    Does anyone have any idea which registry setting this would be?
    Thank you for any help you guys can come up with

  15. Hi VG,

    I would appreciate your advise on how to hide File Explorer Address Bar for Windows 10.

    Thanks,
    Arkadiy

  16. ^^ I think only a custom theme can have the ability to hide the addressbar. Never tried.

  17. ^^ ^^ As I said in previous comment, I think only a custom theme can have the ability to hide these things. Never tried.

  18. hello
    i tried to hide the addressbar on windows7
    but it still not working
    any another way to do it…?

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