Classic Shell: Forum

Right now when I install Classic Shell I get Classic Explorer, Classic Start Menu and Classic IE

While I'm sure many people use two or all three, I only use Classic Start Menu

There should be a way to selectively install one or two of the modules

Failing which there can be a setting to disable the module (an on/off switch in settings for example)

You already get the choice to install the components you want and not install the ones you don't want as the screenshot shows. You can click the button with the arrow and choose "Entire feature will be unavailable". Then that module won't be installed.

When you update Classic Shell, you will have to deselect the components you don't want again.

Or you can also install all 4 modules but disable them. Here's how to disable each of them:
- For the Start Menu, you can go to the General Behavior tab and uncheck "Start automatically for this user"
- For Classic Explorer or Classic IE, go to Internet Options Control Panel -> Programs tab -> Manage Add-ons. Disable all the icons related to Classic Shell.
- For Classic Shell Update, start its settings from C:\Program Files\Classic Shell\ClassicShellUpdate.exe and uncheck the auomatic check to prevent the update notification.

Then even if you accidentally forget to uncheck these in the installer, they will remain disabled when you update Classic Shell.

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Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and helped a little with Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Thanks for the super quick response! As quick as the program.

Sorry, I should say selective uninstall then. Right now if you uninstall it's an all-or-nothing approach - you remove all 3 at once; I went to uninstall to try to uninstall Classic IE/Explorer but it uninstalled everything.

Is there a way to disable Classic Explorer but not Classic IE, or vice-versa?

I actually looked at the help file to see if one could disable each module but couldn't find anything. If it's already in the help file it could be made more prominent (maybe it's own section)

Hmm, that means it must be disabled individually for each user?

To uninstall modules selectively, run the installer of the version you have installed and click "Change" button. Then you can selectively remove components.

It is certainly possible to disable Classic Explorer without disabling Classic IE and vice versa. "Classic Explorer Bar" and "ExplorerBHO Class" are the Classic Explorer components. "ClassicIEBHO Class" and "Classic IE Settings" are the IE components. You can safely enable the 2 addons of Classic Explorer and disable the other 2 of Classic IE or vice versa. The reason the settings for enabling/disabling both exist in Manage Addons is because both File Explorer and Internet Explorer share the BHO (Browser Helper Object) model.

To disable the Start Menu for all users, set the following key:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\IvoSoft\ClassicStartMenu]
"AutoStart_Default"=dword:00000000

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and helped a little with Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Ah, thanks.

It is a limitation of Windows Installer that when you uninstall from "Programs and Features" it uninstalls everything. There are multiple reasons for that are not important here.

To uninstall specific components you need to run the installer again and select "Change".