Turn on Classic Shell

This setting allows an administrator to revert specific Windows Shell behavior to classic Shell behavior.

If you enable this setting, users cannot configure their system to open items by single-clicking (such as in Mouse in Control Panel). As a result, the user interface looks and operates like the interface for Windows NT 4.0, and users cannot restore the new features.
Enabling this policy will also turn off the preview pane and set the folder options for Windows explorer to Use classic folders view and disable the users ability to change these options.

If you disable or not configure this policy, the default Windows explorer behavior is applied to the user.

Note: In operating systems earlier than Windows Vista, enabling this policy will also disable the Active Desktop and Web view. This setting will also take precedence over the "Enable Active Desktop" setting. If both policies are enabled, Active Desktop is disabled.

Also, see the "Disable Active Desktop" setting in User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Desktop\Active Desktop and the "Remove the Folder Options menu item from the Tools menu" setting in User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer.

Supported on: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows 2000

Registry HiveHKEY_CURRENT_USER
Registry PathSoftware\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Value NameClassicShell
Value TypeREG_DWORD
Enabled Value1
Disabled Value0

windowsexplorer.admx

Administrative Templates (Computers)

Administrative Templates (Users)