Classic Shell: Forum

Classic Menu 2 column.

I have tried a combination of options to correctly provide a Log Off option and the only way I have managed to get this to work is as follows:-

Show Log Off - Enabled
State: Locked to this value
Show Log Off - Ticked

Shutdown - Enabled
State: Locked to this value
Shutdown - Display as a link

Shutdown Command- Enabled
State: Locked to this value
Shutdown Command - Log off




So the end result is that it will display the Shutdown... command but it will actually perform a log off. Which is fine but a bit confusing to others.

If I enable Shutdown but set this to Don't display this item, I don't get any options at all, even to log off.

If it is set to Display as a Menu then I get some unwanted options such as Sleep, Lock etc.



Where am I going wrong?

Download the Classic Shell Utility from here: http://www.classicshell.net/downloads/
Run it and send me the log file.

'Shutdown Command' policy is for Windows 7 style menu. To set the shutdown commands for the Classic styles, you must set the policy setting "Menu items for classic menu with two columns".

See this topic: How to customize menu items & enforce them via Group Policy on how to correctly configure the policy "Menu items for classic menu with two columns".

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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.

Please find attached the log file.






If I use the Windows 7 style I get the correct behaviour, albeit with some of the GPO not working (e.g. User Icon still displays even though it is turned off in GPO).

Hi GauravK, I configured the Start Menu the way I wanted it and then tried add the string value contained in Menu items for classic menu with two columns.


When pasting, I got the following message:- No text was entered for this field. Make sure you enter text.

The text string begins Classic Shell 2 Column, followed by Items=COLUMN_PADDING, ProgramsMenu etc.


Not sure where I am going wrong copying and pasting text. In addition, how will this affect Administators. With GPO I can make an exception but I don't see the option here. Do I set as default, hide the settings tools and get the Administrators to modify their own start menu?

You have to copy the text from the 'MenuItems2' value in Registry Editor and paste it inside Group Policy Editor's policy setting after enabling the policy and setting it to "Locked to this value".

_________________
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.

Hi GauravK, that is what I did. Please see attached file. Am I missing another step?

Looks like the policy editor doesn't like it when there is a blank line at the end of the text. Remove the last blank line and try again.

Hi Ivo,

That has allowed my to save the entry but after issuing a GPupdate /force, I still don't see any differences.

I am happy to stick with the Windows 7 style as just using MS GPO I was able to get the correct behaviour of the log off button.

Can you advise why some GPO rules work and others don't?

Do entries in Menu items for Windows 7 style supercede entries in the MS GPO? I am not 100% of the relationship this setting has with the MS GPO.

How can I ensure Domain Admin admins are not locked out of a fixed settings?

The policy "Menu items for classic menu with two columns" will only affect the "Classic with two columns" style. If you are using the Windows 7 style, why should it affect that?

- For classic single column, reg value is MenuItems1. Policy setting is "Menu items for classic menu with one column". And you must be using that style.
- For classic with two columns, reg value is MenuItems2. Policy setting is "Menu items for classic menu with two columns". And you must be using that style.
- For Windows 7 style, reg value is MenuItems7. Policy setting is "Menu items for the Windows 7 stye". And you must be using that style.

You can also enforce the style through the policy setting: "Menu style".

_________________
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.

Hi GauravK,

Thanks for staying with me on this.

Let me clarify:-

Originally, I started with a Classic 2 Column Start Menu and tied this in with MS Group Polices.

As I result I could not get the Log Off menu to appear in the second column.

The best I could do was get the Shutdown... option to display with the action against this to be log off.


After posting my query on the forum, I then proceeded to change to the Windows 7 style Menu and without making any changes on the MS GPO side, the Log Off button correctly displayed itself


Then I got an update from you making reference to entering the registry string value of the Menu items policy.

So I reverted back to a 2 Column Start Menu, configured a lock down setting against this and after issuing a GPupdate /force tried the results which was the same as before

Can you please explain if the entries in the Menu items override the MS GPO? I much prefer to rely on GPO as I can ensure Domain Admins can be excluded from the locked down version of the Start Menu.

As mentioned before, some Group Polices seem to work without the need for any entries in the Menu items rule (but not all unfortunately).

Hope this makes sense.