Computer Management access disabled except in Administrative Tools

Within the last couple days the path to get to Computer Management has been limited to only the Windows Administrative Tools menu. I am using Classic Shell, and when the problem first showed up I thought perhaps the path which I normally use via This PC, then a right-click on Manage, was failing there. However, If I navigate to This PC via File Explorer, Manage is also inoperative. No message appears, the system just seems to ignore the pick.

On further check I found this has happened on all four of my machines, and I know that on at least three of them the only changes since I last used my preferred means to get to Computer Management have been made by Windows Update. My suspicion is that an update has changed a default setting.

I found the following suggest solution on another site, but none of my registries contain that sequence (Explorer does not appear under Policies), and a search for the specific key does not find one to modify anyplace in the Registry. I am reluctant to edit the Registry with that many anomalies since the entire path could be wrong at any level and ugly things might happen. Kind of a Idiot's Russian Roulette thing to mess with the Registry with that many loaded cylinders.

1. Navigate to the following location in the registry:
   
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER
   • SOFTWARE
   • Microsoft
   • Windows
   • CurrentVersion
   • Policies
   • Explorer
   
   
2. Double-click on “NoManageMyComputerVerb” if it exists. If it doesn’t exist, you can create it.
3. Set this value to “1” to disable the Manage option. Set this value to “0” to enable the Manage option.

Have any of the rest of you come across the problem? Does anyone have a definitive fix so I can get there via This PC > right-click Manage?

I suspect Classic Shell. Three Win 10s here without it, no problems with Manage

Fixer said:

I suspect Classic Shell. Three Win 10s here without it, no problems with Manage

As I said, so did I until I tried the direct route via File Explorer. If nothing shows up here in a day or so, I will pull Classic Shell off one of the computers just to verify if it is involved. However, I have been running Classic Shell since about day 3 of the original release date of W10 until (maybe, can't be sure of last use of Manage) 7 or 8 days ago with no problems. On top of that, I would not expect it to have affected File Explorer even though I admit stranger things have happened.

spunk said:

Press the Windows key+X. can you access Computer Management that way?
Also, go to Search and type diskmgmt.msc and press enter. Does that work?

Those both work as expected on all four computers. Windows +X brings up the full menu of options and the Computer Management pick comes up with no problem. Disk Management comes up normally on the second.

Fixer said:

I suspect Classic Shell. Three Win 10s here without it, no problems with Manage

I have Classic Shell on three Win 10 computers with no issues at all.

stealth2920 said:

I have Classic Shell on three Win 10 computers with no issues at all.

Are both of you (Fixer and stealth2920, or anyone else, for that matter) using Classic Shell W7 type menus?
Do you have This PC shown on the right side of the menu?
If you right-click on This PC and then click on Manage, does the Computer Management screen come up?

I really don't think it is Classic Shell. But if you would run that check for me, and it works, it would prove it. That would prove I have another problem entirely. Of course, if you can't bring up Computer Management that way, MS may have a problem.

ARYLIOA said:

Are both of you (Fixer and stealth2920, or anyone else, for that matter) using Classic Shell W7 type menus?
Do you have This PC shown on the right side of the menu?
If you right-click on This PC and then click on Manage, does the Computer Management screen come up?

I really don't think it is Classic Shell. But if you would run that check for me, and it works, it would prove it. That would prove I have another problem entirely. Of course, if you can't bring up Computer Management that way, MS may have a problem.

Yes I have the Win 7 type menu on Classic Shell on all three Win 10 computers. I just now ran the check you suggested and the computer management screen comes up on all three.

stealth2920 said:

Yes I have the Win 7 type menu on Classic Shell on all three Win 10 computers. I just now ran the check you suggested and the computer management screen comes up on all three.

Thank you.

I will add the NoManageMyComputerVerb to at least one of my machines. I found many online references to it by searching for it specifically last night. All show the same path in the Registry to add it. What has overridden the previous performance on mine is anyone's guess, but I will see if adding it will force the options to work again.

There are so many parameters in W10 Settings that one of them (even though I have not changed any in many months) may have combined with a W10 update to stop what used to work. I will report on that when I am done.

Here's the result of that little exercise:

Adding NoManageMyComputerVerb with a 1 argument results in ghosting the Manage option in File Explorer and removing it entirely from the right-click of This PC in Classic Shell. But adding it with a 0 does not restore its use in File Explorer or with the right-click on This PC on my computers.

This still leaves me guessing and out of luck. Unless something definitive shows up here, I will have to burn Windows +X into my brain and get there by that sequence. That continues to operate as normal regardless of the argument used in the Registry. It is just as easy but was not the habit I had formed over the years. Oh, well, live and learn.

Thanks to those who have responded.