If you are irritated with Microsoft Groove Folder Synchronization from Office 2007 in your context menu, Internet Explorer, and in some Windows Explorer menus then this post is for you. See below for how to effectively remove Microsoft Groove.
Table of Contents
Method 1 – Uninstall
Simply uninstall Microsoft Office Groove. If that somehow isn’t an option (why? Are you actually using it?), see below.
Method 2 – Remove Microsoft Groove Folder Sync Entries
If you wish to keep it installed, then remove the registry keys in order to keep a clean menu:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\XXX Groove GFS Context Menu Handler XXX
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\XXX Groove GFS Context Menu Handler XXX
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\XXX Groove GFS Context Menu Handler XXX
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\XXX Groove GFS Context Menu Handler XXX
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\XXX Groove GFS Context Menu Handler XXX
Note: Backup these entries before you delete them.
What is this Thing Anyways?
Groove is part of Office 2007 and is collaboration software that provides shared workspaces. This syncs work documents between colleagues. It seems fun but I’m never going to use this. If you’re not going to use it as well, you should remove it. Only have software installed on your computer that you use.
File collaboration in this way seems to be the future as it beats the pants off of email. You can assign permissions and invite anyone to collaborate with you.
Groove uses Microsoft’s LAN Device Presence Protocol (DPP) which keeps track of the status of devices without a server. You still need a server relay though and a Groove account.
Since it’s decentralized, changes through presence awareness in real time will produce strange results. Groove will save all changes for review of a manager.
Conclusion
Even though this software serves a niche role, we can be grateful it gave us SharePoint. Check out that article on Wikipedia if you get some spare time. The history is interesting of how Groove came to be.
