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Article: Q219019
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): winnt:4.0,4.0 SP1,4.0 SP2,4.0 SP3,4.0 SP4
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 11-JUN-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 4.0, 4.0 SP1, 4.0 SP2, 4.0 SP3, 4.0 SP4 
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 4.0, 4.0 SP1, 4.0 SP2, 4.0 SP3, 4.0 SP4 
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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:

  Q256986 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.

REFERENCES
==========

For additional information, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:

  Q185590 Guide To Windows NT 4.0 Profiles and Policies (Part 5 of 6)

Additional query words:

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTW400sp4 kbWinNTW400sp3 kbWinNTW400sp2 kbWinNTW400sp1 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400sp4 kbWinNTS400sp3 kbWinNTS400sp2 kbWinNTS400sp1 kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400
Version           : winnt:4.0,4.0 SP1,4.0 SP2,4.0 SP3,4.0 SP4
Issue type        : kbinfo

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Q219019: Offline Operation of Custom Shared Start Menu System Policy