Category: At least Windows 2000

Specifies an alternate user interface. The Explorer program (%windir% -> explorer. exe) creates the familiar Windows interface but you can use this setting to specify an alternate interface. If you enable this setting the system starts the interface you specify instead of Explorer. exe. To use this setting copy your interface program to a network share or to your system drive. Then enable this setting and type the name of the interface program including the file name extension in the Shell name text box. If the interface program file is not located in a folder specified in the Path environment variable for your system enter the fully qualified path to the file. If you disable this setting or do not configure it the setting is ignored and the system displays the Explorer interface. Tip: To find the folders indicated by the Path environment variable click System Properties in Control Panel click the Advanced tab click the Environment Variables button and then in the System variables box click Path.

Prevents users from using My Computer to gain access to the content of selected drives. If you enable this setting users can browse the directory structure of the selected drives in My Computer or File Explorer but they cannot open folders and access the contents. Also they cannot use the Run dialog box or the Map Network Drive dialog box to view the directories on these drives. To use this setting select a drive or combination of drives from the drop-down list. To allow access to all drive directories disable this setting or select the “Do not restrict drives” option from the drop-down list. Note: The icons representing the specified drives still appear in My Computer but if users double-click the icons a message appears explaining that a setting prevents the action. Also this setting does not prevent users from using programs to access local and network drives. And it does not prevent them from using the Disk Management snap-in to view and change drive characteristics. Also see the “Hide these specified drives in My Computer” setting.

Removes the Hardware tab. This setting removes the Hardware tab from Mouse Keyboard and Sounds and Audio Devices in Control Panel. It also removes the Hardware tab from the Properties dialog box for all local drives including hard drives floppy disk drives and CD-ROM drives. As a result users cannot use the Hardware tab to view or change the device list or device properties or use the Troubleshoot button to resolve problems with the device.

Removes the Manage item from the File Explorer context menu. This context menu appears when you right-click File Explorer or My Computer. The Manage item opens Computer Management (Compmgmt. msc) a console tool that includes many of the primary Windows 2000 administrative tools such as Event Viewer Device Manager and Disk Management. You must be an administrator to use many of the features of these tools. This setting does not remove the Computer Management item from the Start menu (Start Programs Administrative Tools Computer Management) nor does it prevent users from using other methods to start Computer Management. Tip: To hide all context menus use the “Remove File Explorer’s default context menu” setting.

Prevents users from using File Explorer or Network Locations to map or disconnect network drives. If you enable this setting the system removes the Map Network Drive and Disconnect Network Drive commands from the toolbar and Tools menus in File Explorer and Network Locations and from menus that appear when you right-click the File Explorer or Network Locations icons. This setting does not prevent users from connecting to another computer by typing the name of a shared folder in the Run dialog box. Note:This setting was documented incorrectly on the Explain tab in Group Policy for Windows 2000. The Explain tab states incorrectly that this setting prevents users from connecting and disconnecting drives. Note: It is a requirement for third-party applications with Windows 2000 or later certification to adhere to this setting.

Removes shortcut menus from the desktop and File Explorer. Shortcut menus appear when you right-click an item. If you enable this setting menus do not appear when you right-click the desktop or when you right-click the items in File Explorer. This setting does not prevent users from using other methods to issue commands available on the shortcut menus.

This policy setting allows you to remove the DFS tab from File Explorer. If you enable this policy setting the DFS (Distributed File System) tab is removed from File Explorer and from other programs that use the File Explorer browser such as My Computer. As a result users cannot use this tab to view or change the properties of the DFS shares available from their computer. This policy setting does not prevent users from using other methods to configure DFS. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting the DFS tab is available.

This policy setting allows you to hide these specified drives in My Computer. This policy setting allows you to remove the icons representing selected hard drives from My Computer and File Explorer. Also the drive letters representing the selected drives do not appear in the standard Open dialog box. If you enable this policy setting select a drive or combination of drives in the drop-down list. Note: This policy setting removes the drive icons. Users can still gain access to drive contents by using other methods such as by typing the path to a directory on the drive in the Map Network Drive dialog box in the Run dialog box or in a command window. Also this policy setting does not prevent users from using programs to access these drives or their contents. And it does not prevent users from using the Disk Management snap-in to view and change drive characteristics. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting all drives are displayed or select the “Do not restrict drives” option in the drop-down list. Also see the “Prevent access to drives from My Computer” policy setting.

Removes the File menu from My Computer and File Explorer. This setting does not prevent users from using other methods to perform tasks available on the File menu.

This policy setting allows you to prevent users from accessing Folder Options through the View tab on the ribbon in File Explorer. Folder Options allows users to change the way files and folders open what appears in the navigation pane and other advanced view settings. If you enable this policy setting users will receive an error message if they tap or click the Options button or choose the Change folder and search options command and they will not be able to open Folder Options. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting users can open Folder Options from the View tab on the ribbon.