Remove user's folders from the Start Menu
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows 10
Path in the GPO console
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar Description
Hides all folders on the user-specific (top) section of the Start menu. Other items appear, but folders are hidden. This setting is designed for use with redirected folders. Redirected folders appear on the main (bottom) section of the Start menu. However, the original, user-specific version of the folder still appears on the top section of the Start menu. Because the appearance of two folders with the same name might confuse users, you can use this setting to hide user-specific folders. Note that this setting hides all user-specific folders, not just those associated with redirected folders. If you enable this setting, no folders appear on the top section of the Start menu. If users add folders to the Start Menu directory in their user profiles, the folders appear in the directory but not on the Start menu. If you disable this setting or do not configured it, Windows 2000 Professional and Windows XP Professional display folders on both sections of the Start menu.
Registry
Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer Value name: NoStartMenuSubFolders
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_StartMenu/NoStartMenuSubFolders Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Remove user's folders from the Start Menu
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows 10
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoStartMenuSubFolders"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Remove user's folders from the Start Menu
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows 10
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'NoStartMenuSubFolders' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_StartMenu/NoStartMenuSubFolders
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Remove user's folders from the Start Menu
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows 10
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer' -Name 'NoStartMenuSubFolders' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Remove user's folders from the Start Menu
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows 10
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'NoStartMenuSubFolders' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Remove user's folders from the Start Menu
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows 10
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Remove user's folders from the Start Menu
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows 10
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer' -Name 'NoStartMenuSubFolders' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Remove user's folders from the Start Menu
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows 10
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'NoStartMenuSubFolders' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.