I keep accidentally hitting the "Pin to Start" option when I go to empty the Recycle Bin. Is there some registry key I can use to just remove that specific option from the context menu?
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2The registery that handles this feature would effect all shortcuts on your desktop.– RamhoundMay 9, 2013 at 15:25
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The Microsoft developers should remove this by default. This is bugging me even with Windows 10 for years. Hope dies with Windows 11 or 12. :)– AvatarNov 2, 2021 at 16:14
5 Answers
I managed to remove it just from the "Recycle Bin" using a little workaround:
Take the ownership of these two keys -
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\shell\empty
(Owned by "NT SERVICE\TrustedInstaller")
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\shell\empty\command
(Owned by "SYSTEM")
{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
is the class ID of the "Recycle Bin".Grant yourself full permission.
Rename the KEY "empty" to "pintostartscreen".
Eventually, restore the ownerships
This should overwrite the "Pin to Start" verb
- By chance, Windows will partly generate a new "empty" entry. You can take the ownership of this KEY and remove all permissions in order to block the second menu entry for good.
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1
The article How to Add or Remove "Pin to Start" Context Menu for Files in Windows 8 suggests as solution to delete the registry key of :
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\pintostartscreen
The article How To Disable Pin To Start Screen Feature In Windows 8 suggests using the application AutoPin Controller for similar options (however it is not clear from the documentation whether it does what you want).
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1Looks like this will remove the "Pin to Start" context menu entry from every file.– JC2k8May 28, 2013 at 9:06
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My comment was just meant as a word of caution, to clear things up. The title also specifically mentions "just the Recycle Bin" but this level of control probably isn't possible. On a related note, I'm not sure this works since the Recycle Bin is a special folder. Kirk probably has to remove the
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\pintostartscreen
branch to make it vanish from a folder's context menu.– JC2k8May 28, 2013 at 11:19
The other answers here are a bit too invasive for my taste so here is a way to do it without deleting/renaming anything and you don't even need administrator rights!
This will hide the verb for the current user:
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Folder\shell\pintostartscreen]
"AppliesTo"="NOT System.ParsingName:=\"::{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\""
(save as .reg and double-click)
Change HKEY_CURRENT_USER to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE if you want to apply it to all users.
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1The registry setting below seems to work on Windows 10. (Note: makes the item do nothing for the Recycle Bin, but does not HIDE the item, which seems like a bug in Windows.) [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\PintoStartScreen] AppliesTo = System.ParsingName:<>"::{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}" The main difference is "shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\PintoStartScreen" rather than "shell\pintostartscreen". The AppliesTo syntax is different only because I based it on what MS themselves use in the related "shell\pintohome" under the same folder class/key. May 24, 2016 at 20:42
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\shell\pintostartscreen]
"MUIVerb"=" "
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\shell\pintostartscreen\command]
@="rundll32"
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1
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
;For Windows 11 & 10 after updates
;Microsoft have changed the Pin to start from "pintostartscreen" to CLSID {a2a9545d-a0c2-42b4-9708-a0b2badd77c8} to stop us from removing this annoying thing
;Work around is to put an empty space so you don't click it accidentally
;if you want the useless create shortcut rename "link" to anything else
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\shell\link]
;No name
"MUIVerb"=" "
;No icon (needed only if you add an icon and want to remove it)
"Icon"=-
;Disabled (grayed)
"CommandStateHandler"="{E9571AB2-AD92-4ec6-8924-4E5AD33790F5}"
;Seprators lines before and after if you want
"SeparatorBefore"=""
"SeparatorAfter"=""
;Don't add or it will not work
"Position"=-
"Extended"=-
"ProgrammaticAccessOnly"=-
"LegacyDisable"=-
;Recycle Bin icon
;"Icon"="imageres.dll,-54"
;Second solution: Uncomment below to remove Pin to start from all folders
;[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers\{a2a9545d-a0c2-42b4-9708-a0b2badd77c8}]
;Remove Pin to quick access form Recycle Bin context menu if its there
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\pintohome]
"AppliesTo"="System.ParsingName:<>\"::{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\" AND System.IsFolder:=System.StructuredQueryType.Boolean#True"
;For older Windows or you can use the rename empty method
;[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\shell\pintostartscreen]
;"MUIVerb"=" "
;"CommandStateHandler"="{E9571AB2-AD92-4ec6-8924-4E5AD33790F5}"
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