I created a "micro menu" that runs from the Quick Launch Toolbar. It displays all
the items listed under My Computer. I know, it's simplier to add a seperate toolbar
to the main taskbar, but I wanted to keep the taskbar clean.

I thought it would be easy to eliminate items that I don't need or never access
from My Computer. The Registry Values for Dial-Up Networking, Infrared Recipient,
Scheduled Tasks, and Web Folders were right where they should be in the Registry.
I simply exported these four items as a backup file, and deleted the Values.

The two I'm having trouble with are Printers and Control Panel. They are in the
Start Menu, but I don't need them under My Computer. (In the Registry, MyComputer
has no spaces, it's one word.)

My favorite old Registry search app is called RegStudio. It quickly creates a list.
I've tinkered with all instances of Printers and Control Panel in the Registry, but I
can't hide or eliminate these two items from My Computer. Is there a solution?

Look up under those keys for removing Printers from My Computer (and delete the subkeys corresponding to the Printers CLSID):

 

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\Namespace

 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace

 

Control Panel can be hidden through a policy setting but I think (I might be wrong) this will hide anything that is not drives in My Computer which might not always be desirable..

 

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kbase/WindowsTips/WindowsNT/RegistryTips/Customization/HideControlPanelPrintersandMyComputerFoldersinExplorer.html

Edited April 26, 201511 yr by loblo

Hello loblo.

Using RegStudio to search, there are two instances of My Computer. They are both under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

The four items I deleted were found here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace

There is no "MyComputer" listed under HKEY_CURRENT_USER.

I have several tweaker apps that provide hundreds of options to hide almost anything you
want, except uneeded items under My Computer. Kind of strange. Maybe there is a tweaker
app I don't have that can do the job.