Enable or Disable Taskbar Context Menus in Windows 10  

    Enable or Disable Taskbar Context Menus in Windows 10

    Enable or Disable Taskbar Context Menus in Windows 10

    How to Enable or Disable Taskbar Context Menus in Windows 10
    Published by Category: General Tips
    19 Feb 2020
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Enable or Disable Taskbar Context Menus in Windows 10


    When you perform one of the actions below, you will see a taskbar context menu.

    • Right click or press and hold on the taskbar
    • Press and hold Shift while right clicking on an icon on the taskbar
    • Right click or press and hold on the Clock system icon on the taskbar

    This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable access to taskbar context menus for specific or all users in Windows 10.

    You must be signed in as an administrator to enable or disable access to taskbar context menus.



    Contents

    • Option One: Enable or Disable Taskbar Context Menus in Local Group Policy Editor
    • Option Two: Enable or Disable Taskbar Context Menus using a REG file



    EXAMPLE: Taskbar context menus
    Enable or Disable Taskbar Context Menus in Windows 10-taskbar_clock_context_menu.png Enable or Disable Taskbar Context Menus in Windows 10-taskbar_context_menu.png Enable or Disable Taskbar Context Menus in Windows 10-shift-rightclick_taskbar_icon_context_menu.png






    OPTION ONE

    Enable or Disable Taskbar Context Menus in Local Group Policy Editor


    The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

    All editions can use Option Two below.


    1 Open the all users, specific users or groups, or all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor for how you want this policy applied.

    2 In the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor, click/tap on to expand User Configuration, Administrative Templates, and Start Menu and Taskbar. (see screenshot below)

    Enable or Disable Taskbar Context Menus in Windows 10-taskbar_context_menus_gpedit-1.png

    3 In the right pane of Start Menu and Taskbar, double click/tap on the Remove access to the context menus for the taskbar policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

    4 Do step 5 (enable) or step 6 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


    5 To Enable Taskbar Context Menus

    A) Select (dot) either Not Configured or Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

    Not Configured is the default setting.


    6 To Disable Taskbar Context Menus

    A) Select (dot) Enabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

    Enable or Disable Taskbar Context Menus in Windows 10-taskbar_context_menus_gpedit-2.png


    7 When finished, you can close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.






    OPTION TWO

    Enable or Disable Taskbar Context Menus using a REG file


    The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD value in the registry keys below.

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

    NoTrayContextMenu DWORD

    (delete) = Enable
    1 = Disable


    1 Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


    2 To Enable Taskbar Context Menus for All Users

    This is the default setting.

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Enable_taskbar_context_menus.reg

    Download


    3 To Disable Taskbar Context Menus for All Users

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Disable_taskbar_context_menus.reg

    Download


    4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

    5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

    6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

    7 Restart the explorer process, or sign out and sign in to apply.

    8 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


    That's it,
    Shawn






  1. Posts : 283
    Win 10 Pro x64
       #1

    I have not changed this setting at all and has been enabled forever. But since updating to the August cumulative update Shift+rightclick on a taskbar item no longer brings up the context menu.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 18,044
    Win 10 Pro 64-bit v1909 - Build 18363 Custom ISO Install
       #2

    Hello @bobsagetfullhou,

    bobsagetfullhou said:
    I have not changed this setting at all and has been enabled forever. But since updating to the August cumulative update Shift+rightclick on a taskbar item no longer brings up the context menu.

    [1] What does the REG Key show . . .

    Code:
    
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoTrayContextMenu

    [2] Have you tried Enabling it to see if it returns?

    I hope this helps.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 283
    Win 10 Pro x64
       #3

    Paul Black said:
    Hello @bobsagetfullhou,




    [1] What does the REG Key show . . .

    Code:
    
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoTrayContextMenu

    [2] Have you tried Enabling it to see if it returns?

    I hope this helps.
    Hello, I only see NoViewContextMenu, not the key you listed. It is set to 0.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #4

    bobsagetfullhou said:
    Hello, I only see NoViewContextMenu, not the key you listed. It is set to 0.
    Hello,

    If you configured the group policy in the tutorial to disable the taskbar context menus, you should have the NoTrayContextMenu DWORD.
      My Computers


 

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