Removing the user’s root profile folder from the Start menu

In Windows Vista and later, the user can open their root profile folder in Windows Explorer from the Start menu by clicking Start followed by their username at the top right of the Start menu. This allows them direct access to the folders and files within their user profile.

If you feel users might mess around with their profiles by doing this, you can remove the user's root profile folder from the Start menu by modifying the registry as follows:

  1. Navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
  2. Create a new REG_DWORD value named Start_ShowUser under this key and assign it the value 0.
  3. When the user next logs on, the user's root profile folder will not be shown on the Start menu.

To undo this setting, change the value to 1 to display as a link or 2 to display as a menu.

To roll this out to users, either customize the default user profile prior to deployment or use Group Policy Preferences.

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