Windows 10 2004 blocking Classic Shell

Question

I have used classic shell since Windows 7, and I still want to keep using it.

I have just upgraded a PC from Windows 10 1909 to 2004. As expected on login a message came up to the effect 'classic shell needs to reconfigure for the new OS'. What was not expected was that it was followed by a red title bar administrator message from User Account Control to the effect that classicshellmenu.exe has been blocked by an administrator for my own protection. Well, I am the administrator. There is no given option to override this.

I have looked a various 'solutions' none of which have worked - including disabling Defender smartscreen. Just in case it had anything to do with Kaspersky, disabled that also. No effect.

I looked at the EXE in Program Files, but there is no properties option to unblock it.

I am aware that Classic Shell is old now (there is Open Shell but I am wary of trying it).

It is still running because it is still installed, it just wants to rebuild some setup. However, I would like to let it and stop the message. I have not tried uninstalling and reinstalling it in case I then cannot install it at all.

Oddly, I did a laptop to 2004 a few weeks ago, and that was fine with it.

I do not want to get into any arguments about whether or not it is a good idea to run it. I do, and just want to know how to get Windows 10 2004 to accept it.

Any suggestions appreciated. Note that I have already tried this one, among others.

Answer 1

Windows 10 2004 blocking Classic Shell

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I did resolve this problem for a friend on an updated Windows 10 Pro 64-bit system (v2004) which already had Classic Shell installed; by downloading 'ClassicShellSetup_4_3_1.exe' from classicshell.net at:

http://classicshell.net/

I 'Right-clicked' the file, and in the context menu that drops down, I then clicked "Run as administrator".

I used the option 'Repair'.

===

What all I did before the solution above:

Note that at one point while trying to reinstall Classic Shell, and having chosen the one-of-two options similar to "Allow the installer to close Explorer stuff, and try to restart them", I encountered a black screen that stayed black for about a minute, and would not respond to mouse-commands. Because I was working on the system through 'TeamViewer", I could easily restart the system. If this happens to you, you might want to be more patient, and wait a few minutes to see if your system responds, but if it does not, you can force your system to turn off by pressing and holding the power button for 9-seconds (usually less that 9...), which forces it to turn off. Then turn it back on.

Every time my friend's system started he/she was getting the notice about Classic Shell needing to reconfigure itself for the new operating system, which has been Windows 10 for years, though I do not know at what point in the past that warning started to appear.

Since I had run...

C:\WINDOWS\system32\winver.exe

... I knew that the system was updated, and was currently "Version 2004 (OS Build 19041.450)".

Classic Shell seemed to me to be working, because when I clicked on the Windows 10 Start-Button (bottom-left corner), the Classic Shell menu came up.

I did Not check what version of Classic Shell had been installed, but I made an attempt to update it by running...

"C:\Program Files\Classic Shell\ClassicShellUpdate.exe"

That resulted in a complaint by Windows 10 about 'Administrative privileges' or something similar.

So I set both files...

"C:\Program Files\Classic Shell\ClassicShellUpdate.exe"

...and...

"C:\Program Files\Classic Shell\ClassicStartMenu.exe"

...to 'Run as administrator' by right-clicking each one, and in the drop-down context menu, clicking "Properties"; Then click the 'Properties' window top-tab 'Compatibility'; put a checkmark in the box for 'Run this program as an administrator'; "Apply"; "OK".

I restarted the system, and although I did not get the box saying that Classic Shell needed to configure itself, Classic Shell no-longer appeared when I clicked the bottom-left Windows Start button... I got the Windows 10 menu.

So I removed the 'Run this program as an administrator' option for both files "ClassicShellUpdate.exe", and "ClassicStartMenu.exe", by reversing the above stated process.

I restarted the system, but clicking the Windows 'Start' button still showed the Windows 10 menu.

Since 'Classic Shell' is no longer in development, I tried to install 'Open Shell', even though it has 191 open issues, by downloading, and right-clicking the file "OpenShellSetup_4_4_142.exe"; but Windows 10 complained with a notice about not being able to open that *.msi file (or similar complaint).

Then I downloaded "ClassicShellSetup_4_3_1.exe" from http://classicshell.net, and put it on the desktop (So that I would not have to have a 'File Explorer' window open to use it, as if that might mattered). I right-clicked "ClassicShellSetup_4_3_1.exe", and in the drop-down context menu I clicked "Run as administrator"; and, because Classic Shell was already installed, it gave me three options, one of which was the option to 'Repair' it, which is the option I chose.

I then did pick the one-of-two option of something similar to 'Try to close open "Explorer" things and restart them if possible" (if it appeared, as it had earlier ...just don't remember if it appeared for this final attempt via "Repair").

Anyway, the repair went fine. Clicking on the bottom-left Windows 'Start' button showed the Classic Shell Menu.

I restarted the system, and got No warning about needing to let Classic Shell reconfigure itself for the new OS (Operating System).

I also installed Classic Shell on my own Windows 10 (v2004) Pro 64-bit system, and it installed without any problem, and immediately gave me the Class Shell Menu when I clicked the Windows 'Start' button. I restarted my system, and got No notice, and clicking the Windows 'Start' button yields the Classic Shell Menu. Cool.

~ Chris

Windows 10 2004 blocking Classic Shell