Windows Tour & Language Bar

[an3k]

I want to disable Windows Tour and Language Bar and i already did everything i found by using google and the msfn forum search. nothing really works.

in this order i apply the following settings:

[HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-19\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"CTFMON.EXE"=-

[HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-20\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"CTFMON.EXE"=-

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\CTF\LangBar]
"ShowStatus"=dword:00000003

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"CTFMON.EXE"=-

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\CTF\LangBar]
"ExtraIconsOnMinimized"=dword:00000000
"Label"=dword:00000000
"ShowStatus"=dword:00000003
"Transparency"=dword:000000ff

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"CTFMON.EXE"=-

i apply this settings at RunOnceEx the second time the user is logged in. if i disable it, it shows up again some hours/reboots later. i'm thinking about restricting access to ctfmon.exe so the system cannot run it anymore.

Is it possible that the LangBar always shows up because i installed east asian language support (japanese) and cause i'm using not the windows default KeyboadLocale (windows default is "Deutsch" i'm using "Deutsch (IBM)")?!

In this order i apply the following settings:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Tour]
"RunCount"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Tour]
"RunCount"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Tour]
"RunCount"=dword:00000000

Tour is always showing after new installation. regarding the technet library the value of the above settings is decremented each time the applications launches, at first boot, the value is 3, thus Windows Tour is starting three times. If value is 0, Tour does not start (but it does here )

Thanks for any help!

[redxii]

You can disable the language bar with just this:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\CTF]

"Disable Thread Input Manager"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\CTF]

"Disable Thread Input Manager"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]

"CTFMON.EXE"=-

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]

"CTFMON.EXE"=-

ctfmon is for typing in Japanese or other east asian languages, if you merely want to view Japanese text then you don't need it.

As for Tour, do you add it after setup? I edited my hivesft.inf to add only the HKLM key during setup and the Tour doesn't appear.

[an3k]

You can disable the language bar with just this:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\CTF]

"Disable Thread Input Manager"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\CTF]

"Disable Thread Input Manager"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]

"CTFMON.EXE"=-

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]

"CTFMON.EXE"=-

ctfmon is for typing in Japanese or other east asian languages, if you merely want to view Japanese text then you don't need it.

It works! Thank you very much!

As for Tour, do you add it after setup? I edited my hivesft.inf to add only the HKLM key during setup and the Tour doesn't appear.

Yes, i add it after setup, at a RunOnceEx routine but after applying these settings RunOnceEx executes "shutdown.exe -r -t 0". i'm sure the settings are applied. However I'll try your tipp next time i have CDRs again Again, thank you for your help!

[Stoner81]

Or use nLite and remove it that way.

[redxii]

I suppose this might also work:

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Tour]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Tour]

"RunCount"=dword:00000000

the .DEFAULT is not necessary, it should read the HKLM RunCount first and go only by that, and it won't bother with writing anything to HKCU, but if HKCU one is present then it might override the HKLM one.

[an3k]

Or use nLite and remove it that way.

Yeah, i know nLite, a great tool but i prefer to do it manually. has nothing to do with nlite, i just like to know what happens

I suppose this might also work:

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Tour]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Tour]

"RunCount"=dword:00000000

the .DEFAULT is not necessary, it should read the HKLM RunCount first and go only by that, and it won't bother with writing anything to HKCU, but if HKCU one is present then it might override the HKLM one.

Hmm, regarding the TechNet or MSDN the Value of RunCount is set to 3 as default and every time Tour is closed (cause of running the tour, logoff/reboot/shutdown or killing it) the value is decremented by one. Thus After the third run and close of the Tour, the value reached zero, then Tour doesn't start anymore. My problem is, i think, that i apply these settings at a point where the old settings are already loaded (e.g. RunCount 2), and mine written to registry. then, if i reboot the already loaded settings are saved back to registry (saving settings...). I think, removing the whole key is not necessary, there is no other entry in there.

I'll try the hivesft.inf way, this is the one i want to go after my "crappy" unattended setup works completely and perfectly unattended, i'm still in constructing phase, not already in optimizing

Yes, you're right, if HKCU exists it's loaded, otherwise HKU\.DEFAULT is loaded if it's exists, if it doesn't HKLM is loaded.

Thanks again for help everybody!

EDIT: Ok, i found a CDR Tour is now disabled too, hivesft.inf tipp works perfectly Thanks, all problems solved!

Edited December 16, 2008 by an3k