Remove Customize Tab From File Properties in Windows 10

The Customize tab of the file properties dialog in File Explorer can be used to view and change folder template and the icon for a folder. If you need to restrict users from changing the options available on the Customize tab, you can hide the Customize tab from File Properties with a Registry tweak. Here is how it can be done.

File Explorer in Windows 10 has five folder templates - General Items, Documents, Pictures, Music and Videos. When you see the Customize tab of a Library or of a folder, you will see these templates. This adds more flexibility to view your personal data.

For instance, even if you prefer, say, List view for Documents, you may want your Music Library to be shown in Details view and you would want your Pictures and Video Libraries to be in icon-based views such as Medium, Large or Extra Large icons.

Here is how to hide the Customize tab in File Properties when required.

To remove the Customize tab from File Properties in Windows 10, do the following.

1. Download the following ZIP archive: Download ZIP archive.
2. Extract its contents to any folder. You can place the files directly to the Desktop.
3. Unblock the files.
4. Double click on the Remove Customize Tab From Properties.reg file to merge it.
5. To restore the Customize tab, use the provided file Add Customize Tab To Properties.reg.
6. Sign out and sign in to your user account.

That's it.

How it works

The Registry files above enable the Special Group Policy option under the key

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

See how to go to a Registry key with one click. Create this Registry key if you don't have it.

To remove the Customize tab, create a new 32-bit DWORD value NoCustomizeThisFolder and set its value data to 1. Note: Even if you are running 64-bit Windows you must still create a 32-bit DWORD value.

After that, you need to sign out and sign in to your user account.

An Alternative Registry Tweak

If the tweak described above has no effect in your edition of Windows 10, you can do the following.

1. Open the Registry Editor app.
2. Go to the following Registry key.

   HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers

   See how to go to a Registry key with one click. Create this Registry key if you don't have it.

3. Here, remove the subkey {ef43ecfe-2ab9-4632-bf21-58909dd177f0}. It is responsible for the Customize tab. Once you remove it, the tab will disappear from File Properties.
4. To restore the tab, just create a new subkey under the mentioned HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\PropertySheetHandlers branch.

The ready-to-use Registry files for this version of the tweak can be downloaded here:

Download Registry Files

That's it.

Also, see Remove Details Tab from File Properties in Windows 10.