Microsoft KB Archive/219019

= Offline Operation of Custom Shared Start Menu System Policy =

Article ID: 219019

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 1
 * Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 2
 * Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3
 * Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition

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This article was previously published under Q219019



IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry



SUMMARY
The "Custom Shared Start Menu" system policy can be used to provide a common Start menu for all users in an enterprise. This article describes the behavior of this policy when used with "default computer" versus "default user," as well as the behavior when the "Shared Start Menu" is not available.



MORE INFORMATION
WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

When the "User Shell Folders\Common Start Menu" registry value is parsed, an attempt is made to create the directory at the location specified in the policy. This operation will return a success under two conditions:
 * If the directory already exists. -or-


 * If it does not exist but is created successfully

If this operation fails, there is a second attempt to create the directory under %SystemRoot%. This attempt would return a success under the same conditions as those noted above. Changes to the Start menu will be written to the directory that was successfully verified (on the local system or at a remote location).

Behavior When the Policy Is Set in Default Computer
Shared Start Menu Path:

Category: Windows NT Shell

Subcategory: Custom shared folders

Selection: Custom shared Start menu

Description: Specifies the UNC path the folder is to use when displaying the folders, files, and shortcuts the user receives as part of the Start menu.

Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Explorer\User Shell Folders

Registry Value Registry Data Description

Common Start Menu REG_EXPAND_SZ (NOTE: REG_SZ can be used if no variables exist.) Off = value is removed from registry, On = text of UNC path to folder. Default = %SystemRoot%\Profiles\All Users\Start Menu

In this case, the newly created local directory will be called "Common Start Menu". Icons and menus can be placed in this directory for an offline start menu. Offline means that the user was not validated by a domain controller. An example would be the case of portable computer users who log on with cached credentials when not connected to the network. This does not replace the built-in Start menu, but it does replace the "All Users" Start menu.

You can copy the contents of the "All Users" Start menu to the new local directory for users who are expected to be offline from time to time. This would also give the administrators the ability to determine what appears in the start menu for offline and online use. The downside of using this method is that the "Shared" Start menu will need to include a complete group of icons for local as well as remote applications. This may be undesirable in the instance where some users have different local applications than other users. But it does give the administrator the flexibility to configure the users' offline experience. When using this method, the "All Users" Start menu is no longer used, whether online or offline. There is no way to change this after this policy is set for the default computer.

Behavior When the Policy Is Set in Default User or in a Group Policy
Shared Start Menu Path:

Category: Windows NT Shell

Subcategory: Custom shared folders

Selection: Custom shared Start menu

Description: Specifies the UNC path the folder is to use when displaying the folders, files, and shortcuts the user receives as part of the Start menu.

Key: HKEY_CURENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Explorer\User Shell Folders

Registry Value Registry Data Description Common Start Menu REG_EXPAND_SZ (NOTE: REG_SZ can be used if no variables exist.) Off = value is removed from registry, On = text of UNC path to folder. Default = %USERPROFILE%\Start Menu

In this case, the newly created local directory will have the same name as the remote directory name specified in the policy, and will be created under %SystemRoot%. Icons and menus can be placed in this directory for an offline Start menu. This does not replace the built-in Start menu or the "All Users" Start menu. You will get all three menus on the Start menu, in the following order from top to bottom:
 * Common Shared
 * All Users
 * Built-in

Regardless of the online status of the remote common Start menu, you will always get the "All Users" Start menu. When the computer is online, you will see the remote Start menu on top of the "All Users" Start menu. When the computer is offline, you will see the locally created Start menu (same directory name as the remote menu) on top of the "All Users" Start menu. Copying shortcuts to this folder will create an offline Start menu. When using this method, you can have all the local applications run from the "All Users" Start menu, and then have the network applications run from the shared custom Start menu. When users are offline, they will not get the icons for the network applications and they will not have access to the network. They will always have access to the Start menu for the local applications. This also addresses the potential issue of portable computer users having different local applications.

Keywords: kbinfo KB219019

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