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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

Mysticgeek is the resident IT expert at How-To Geek and a huge rock music fan. When he's not writing about Microsoft Office, he's probably writing at his personal blog. This article was written on 05/19/07 and tagged with: Windows Vista, Desktop Customization

Comments (12)

  1. Bob

    This is also one of several tweaks for IE7 provided by the free add-on utility IE7PRO,
    downloadable from www.ie7pro.com .

  2. TeamTutorials

    Thanks for the info.

  3. Tom

    Thanks Bob. Here is how to :http://wiki.ie7pro.com/index.php/Preferences_Dialog_Settings#Top_IE_menu

  4. Mike

    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

  5. Zoolook

    Who's using IE anyway ?

  6. The Geek

    You'd be surprised…. 45% of HowToGeek readers are using IE…. It was only 20% before Vista was released.

  7. steven walker

    does this work in xp for ie7????

  8. mysticgeek

    Steven,

    Yes this works specifically for IE7. It does work with XP

  9. P.S.

    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.

  10. Deborah

    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.

  11. mysticgeek

    Deborah,

    You are quite welcome!

  12. zalude

    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.php?image=ie7zn2.jpg).

    Aloso I can't type anything on the url space.

    Thanks


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