Place IE7 Menu Bar Back On Top
Do you wish the IE7 Menu bar was located where it was in IE6? Here is how to quickly create a registry fix to move it back to the top.
After you install IE7 you have to make the menu bar appear. Right click an empty spot on the tool bar and place a checkmark next to Menu Bar. It will also show up temporarily if you hold down the Alt key.
You will see that IE 7 puts the Menu Bar underneath the Address Bar which we don’t want.
Open up notepad by clicking Start \ Run, type in notepad and click OK.
Copy and paste the following script into notepad. You do not need to modify the code at all. Just copy and paste it into notepad.
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\WebBrowser\]
“ITBar7Position”=dword:00000001
Here is how we turn it into a reg key fix. Click on File \ Save As, but don’t click on Save until you read the next step.
Change your notepad Save as type to “All Files” and name the file something like IE7_Toolbar_fix.reg. Naming the file with the .reg extension is the key for this to work. Now you can click on Save.
You have just created a registry fix! Now double click the file you just created.
You will get the following confirmation screen. Click Yes.
The next screen will be confirming the registry key was added.
Close out of Internet Explorer if it is open and relaunch it. The Menu Bar is now on top!
Uninstall
To change the Menu bar back to the original position, use this registry script instead:
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\WebBrowser\]
“ITBar7Position”=dword:00000000
Daily Email Updates
You can get our how-to articles in your inbox each day for free. Just enter your name and email below:
This is also one of several tweaks for IE7 provided by the free add-on utility IE7PRO,
downloadable from http://www.ie7pro.com .
Thanks for the info.
Thanks Bob. Here is how to :http://wiki.ie7pro.com/index.php/Preferences_Dialog_Settings#Top_IE_menu
This is also a group policy object.
Run -> gpedit.msc
For all users on the computer go to Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Internet Explorer and open the “Turn on menu bar by default” option. Enable it and you now have the menu bar.
For the current user, go to the same location but under the “User Configuration” section.
There are also a lot of other options available here for IE and other Windows components.
Enjoy
Who’s using IE anyway ?
You’d be surprised…. 45% of HowToGeek readers are using IE…. It was only 20% before Vista was released.
does this work in xp for ie7????
Steven,
Yes this works specifically for IE7. It does work with XP
Would really like to do this too for the main explorer windows in Vista (running classic mode). Have tried looking for a registry value to make the menu bar in like “My computer” move back above the arrows/search thing it is currently under. Know it’s only a really small thing but it’s beginning to drive me nuts! (yes I need to get a life I know!
).
Grateful for any help if anyone knows.
P.
Thank you so much for this help. I hid the menu bar then couldn’t figure out how to get it back. LOL I use IE7 on XP. Thank you again.
Deborah,
You are quite welcome!
Hi,
I have a problem that is ruining my surfing big deal. The IE7 now doesn’t have a tool bar for the File, Edit, View..etc and doesn’t show the one for the loading and etc (at the bottom). As if it weren’t enough, it also freezes when I launch it and doesn’t show anything (blank). So everytime, I have to open a new tab and try my best to ignore the inconveniences. I’ve converted to FireFox, but I still like my good old IE. Here is a picture of what it looks like (http://img525.imageshack.us/my.....e7zn2.jpg).
Aloso I can’t type anything on the url space.
Thanks
I just did the regedit to bring the menu bar back to the top of my internet explorer, and it didn’t work! Any other suggestions? BTW, I didn’t do any updates to make it go away in the first place. Also, isn’t there an F-key that brings it back too??? HELP!!!
Wow! dts a nice piece of info.
Im impressed…!!!
wow… this is amazing… thank u so so so much!! now i dont need to worry about cant get use to IE7 because the menu bar any more… u r good!!
Thank you for this information. I’ve tried getting used to the address bar on top, but I just couldn’t. Sanity saved.
thanks for ie8 i name the file
IE8_Toolbar_fix.reg
and works perfect thanks a lot
hi just tryed your solution thanks for that.
Thank you so much. I have no idea why Microsoft wants to force the order of the address bar to the top. This should be a user preference. Microsoft seems intent on getting rid of menus and I don’t understand why. I’ve now been using the “ribbon” based word and excel tools for many months and I don’t like them. I want the old menus back.
There are some trends that I just don’t understand and this is one: Toyota seems bent on moving instruments to the center of the dashboard. Why? I like my instruments right in front of me when I’m driving.
Where do these companies get their ergonomic information?
Thanks for the tip re: tool bar on top menu. Your tip worked perfectly and I’m very thankful to you.
Will this work in the newest release of Internet explorer, IE8? I’ve been debating whether to get the new IE and there are few things holding me up, this being one of the many.
I have IE8 but it didn’t work. I named it as Alex did but it didn’t work.