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AnswerWindows 7 enable Recent Items via group policy

  • Tuesday, November 03, 2009 1:42 PMRich9504 Users MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
     
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    As Windows 7 disables the start menu Recent Items list by default, I would like to enable it for all users in the office.  I found the setting at user configuration\policies\Administrative templates\start menu and taskbar\remove recent items menu from start menu.  I set this item to 'disabled'.  However, the Win7 workstations still do not show the Recent Items list.

    I checked multiple workstations and verified all other group policy settings are working on those machines, so I'm pretty sure the problem is with that specific setting on Win7.

    My AD consists of Win2003 and 2008 dc's.  I am running Group Policy Management Editor from a win7 machine to ensure I see all updated policies.

    Rich

     

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  • Wednesday, November 04, 2009 10:44 AMBruce-LiuModeratorUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
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    Hi,

     

    This issue can be reproduced on my side. I will forward this issue to our Product Group for further analysis.

     

    During my test, I find if we first enable the "Recent Items" option is a check box in the Start Menu properties in Windows 7. Then, the [Remove Recent Items menu from Start Menu] policy works fine. That means if this policy is enabled, the Recent Items disappears. Disabling it can display the Recent Items.

     

    Currently, to achieve your goal, I suggest you use Guy’s suggestion to use Group Policy Preferences (GPP) to create a customized Start Menu.

     

    For more information, please refer to:

     

    Start Menu Extension

    http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc771408.aspx

     

    Thanks,

    Bruce

     

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  • Tuesday, November 03, 2009 8:43 PMGuy Yardeni Users MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
     
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    Rich,
     I would suggest trying to use GPO preferences to control the Taskbar experience. See User Configuration\Preferences\Control Panel Settings\Start Menu to create a new start menu object with the settings you want.

    Thanks,
    Guy
     
  • Wednesday, November 04, 2009 10:44 AMBruce-LiuModeratorUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
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    Hi,

     

    This issue can be reproduced on my side. I will forward this issue to our Product Group for further analysis.

     

    During my test, I find if we first enable the "Recent Items" option is a check box in the Start Menu properties in Windows 7. Then, the [Remove Recent Items menu from Start Menu] policy works fine. That means if this policy is enabled, the Recent Items disappears. Disabling it can display the Recent Items.

     

    Currently, to achieve your goal, I suggest you use Guy’s suggestion to use Group Policy Preferences (GPP) to create a customized Start Menu.

     

    For more information, please refer to:

     

    Start Menu Extension

    http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc771408.aspx

     

    Thanks,

    Bruce

     
  • Wednesday, November 11, 2009 6:40 PMRich9504 Users MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers MedalsUsers Medals
     
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    Sorry for the delay, I never received the alert that someone had responded to my post.

    Anyway, I tried using the Start Menu area under Preferences and that does not work either.  I create a Start Menu, go tothe General Tab, and look under the "Start menu items:" list and the check box for Recent Items is not there.

    On the General tab,  there is a section called Recent Documents which has 2 check boxes "Store and display a list of recently opened files" and "store and display a list of recently opened programs".  These are both checked, but our win7 pc's still don't show the Recent Items list. 

    I believe there should be a  checkbox for it under "Start menu items:" which is missing.

    I did make other changes in the Start Menu I created, and they were all successfully applied to our pc's; again, it's just the Recent Items list that is not being applied.

    Rich