Applications 

Edit right click menu. Editing the context menu

We are already familiar with the concept of a context menu. It's time to deepen our knowledge about it and consider the topic - How to remove or add to the contextual Windows menu teams.

Windows functionality allows the user to edit the context menu to suit their taste.

Editing the context menu (a set of “Explorer” or “action” menu commands) is possible in one of two ways:

  • Through program parameters;
  • Through the Windows registry;
  • Using additionally installed applications.

Let's see how it's done:

Installed programs themselves often have (by default) the function of integration into a set of context menu (CM) commands. Then such a parameter is present in their settings on the main tabs, or maybe on such as “Integration”, “Download” or “Add”, etc. For example, for the VinRAR archiver it is enough to uncheck the box in the settings:

It is clear that in this way you can either add (install) or remove (remove) command(s) from the list. The same applies to other applications.

Working with the registry

When working with Windows Registry you need to be very careful. To get into the registry, you need to search in the Start menu by typing “regedit” and run the found executable file “regedit.exe”:

Making a copy

Before editing the Registry of any version of Windows (including Windows 7), do not forget to create a backup copy of it to be on the safe side. To do this, in the editor, on the “File” tab, select the “Export” command. Select “Entire registry” at the bottom of the dialog that opens. By assigning a name and specifying the location - “Save”:

If something irreparable happens (especially for an inexperienced person), you can return the registry to its previous state using the “File” / “Restore” command, specifying the previously created backup file.

Cleaning up the directory set

The registry itself looks like a tree-like block diagram (on the left), each of the branches of which has its own parameters (on the right). The “shell”, “Shellex ContextMenuHandlers” and “Folder\shell” branches of the “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ Directory” directory are responsible for the context menu of folders. Having examined these branches in more detail, you can make sure that the “shell” folder contains the upper part of the context set, and “Shellex ContextMenuHandlers” - the lower part. The folder “Folder\shell” repeats the previous one.

Removal of program elements from the set is carried out in each of the branches. Right-click to select the delete element and call the “Delete” command:

Now for the files

The same procedure is used here, but in different branches. Since the “*/shellexContextMenuHandlers” and “*/shell” branches in the “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT” registry section are responsible for the set of Context Menu commands for files:

The removal procedure is completely similar. Just don’t forget to delete unnecessary things in both branches.

We use third-party applications

Remove or add an item to any context menu Windows versions(including Windows 7) is much easier (and safer for a beginner) using additional utilities.

After installation and launch, in the program window (in the “Type” column), you can see all programs from the Windows context menu (type = Context Menu).

Remove unnecessary items by selecting and clicking the red circle:

An interesting and useful utility with a self-explanatory name (available in a free version) Ccleaner. It has many beneficial properties. Website - http://ccleaner.org.ua/. In our case, it clears the registry of unused entries, paths to programs, shortcuts, etc.:

To clear the Context Menu, go to “Tools” and find “Context Menu” in the “Startup” tabs. A list of applications added to the set and their status will be displayed here (enabled: yes/no):

To delete - while on a line, use the right mouse to call up the “Delete” command. Since repeated return (inclusion in the list) is possible only when reinstalling or reconfiguring the application, it is recommended to select the “Disable” option. - Then it can be easily returned (“Enable”).

Add with FileMenu Tools

It's very easy to add a new item to the context menu using the FileMenu Tools program.

It offers the user three tabs:

  • Left - management of suggested elements;
  • Medium - to configure the “Send” function;
  • Right - disables commands entered by third-party programs from the list:

Add new element you need the “Add Command” command. The lower right part of the window is used to indicate its parameters - “Properties”. For example, to add the line “Open in Firefox” to the menu list (opening HTM and HTML files):

You need to enter the name in “Menu Text”, and extension options in “Extensions”:

In “Program Properties” the route to the executable file of the Firefox.exe application is specified:

The added item is saved by clicking the green element at the top of the window (left):

This article helped you understand the various ways to edit the context menu. Now you know how to add and remove elements from it not only using Windows, but also with the help of other programs.

Very often after installation various programs are added to the context menu unnecessary items. For example, after installing any player, a new item for the right mouse button will definitely appear. That is, when we right-click on any file to open it in the specified program, an option to run using this program will be displayed.

Here, for example, is my context menu:

It's not quite small anymore.

With time items in the context menu It becomes a lot, in short, it becomes clogged with unnecessary rubbish. In this lesson we will look at how to remove them using standard means systems. Although many programs have already been created for these purposes.

IN system registry all data about the operation of programs is stored and Windows components. In this regard, careless handling of the registry and the slightest change can greatly affect the operation of the system, so be careful when making changes to it.

How to remove unnecessary items from the context menu?

Go to Start and click the Run button.

In the window that opens, enter the command Regedit and click OK.

Open the following folders:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT * shellexe ContextMenuHandlers

Having reached this path we need to do the following actions. Right-click on the folder menu item that we want to delete. Let's say I want to remove shortcuts from the context menu - Notepad notepad, 7-Zip archiver. In the list that opens, select Delete.

Then we confirm the deletion.

We restart the computer and look at the result - these items are no longer there. This is how to remove unnecessary context menu items.

Useful video:

STOP! Read similar articles - learn new things:

Comments:

How to remove "CUT"?

That's it, thanks)) I found a solution in CCleaner (my version is 5.06). If anyone needs it: in the program, open Tools/Startup/top "context menu" tab. You can remove unnecessary items from the list or temporarily disable them. It couldn’t be simpler!)))

In particular, Tru Image (from acronis) and Ultra ISO are in the menu, but they are not in this section of the registry. For example, like you have with Unlocker.

And if the menu displays more programs, but ContextMenuHandlers do not have them. Where then to look for them?

Finally, thanks to your article, I saw where the items in the context menu are stored. Many thanks to the author for the training.

Thank you

Thank you! It worked for Win 8.1 too.

Huge gratitude! I have no words. Everything is clear and in accessible language.

Cleaning the context menu can be done manually through the registry, but this task is not trivial, since the entries are scattered throughout different places. In addition, it is not always easy to identify the appropriate registry key. For example, drivers are registered using the abbreviation “igfx”. The registry entries are scattered along the “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT” branch in the “shell” or “shellex” folders, which contains a folder called “ContextMenuHandlers”, which also includes individual parameters.

Shortening the context menu through the registry utility

Manual processing of context menu lines will take a lot of time. It is much easier to use the ShellExView program. Using regedit you should only change system options.

To detect items from third party programs in ShellExView, sort the results by the “Company” parameter and find “Context Menu” in the “Type” column.

The free ShellExView utility will create a single list of all these registry lines. Even on a relatively new system, their number can exceed 250. To avoid getting lost in them, after starting the program, the entries should first be sorted. Things will go smoothly if you click on the “type” line at the top of the window. This way you will immediately see all possible registry entries related, for example, to the “Context Menu”. But be careful: along with them, the utility will display lines from Shell, which it is better not to touch.

You can also sort by the “Company” parameter. In this case, the results will be arranged in alphabetical order - records created by the system and designated as “Microsoft” can be easily distinguished from the rest. Here, for example, you can select the corresponding “igfxDTCM Module” and disable it by clicking on the red dot at the top of the menu bar. After that, an entry about (virtually useless) graphics options Intel drivers will disappear from the context menu. However, for the system to apply these settings, you must first log out and then log in again. Alternatively, you can use the Task Manager to disable “explorer.exe” and then call this service again.

Changing system context menu items


Most of the lines in the context menu are created by the system itself. Among them there are also options that are not used by anyone, which, however, you would not want to accidentally activate by mistakenly pressing them. You can't simply get rid of them using the ShellExView program - you will have to manually modify the registry.

A good example is the Send to option that Windows shows every time the user clicks on a file or folder. Don't forget that some sending options do not meet today's needs: the default is generally set to "Fax Recipient".

To remove this item from the menu, in Regedit, navigate to “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT | AllFilesystemObjects | shellex | ContextMenuHandlers | SendTo". In the right window double click open the “Default” option and precede the long sequence of characters in curly braces with a modest minus sign “–” to disable it. As always, you need to log out of Windows and log in again.

As you use your computer, your context menu becomes clogged with various items added by your installed programs. To make matters worse, there are time delays in the appearance of the context menu, slowing you down and making you wait every time you right-click on a file or folder.

What happens when you right-click a file? Are there significant delays in the appearance of the context menu? Then I’ll tell you how to get rid of this, or at least reduce the delay. To do this, we will need to remove some context menu items to speed up the process. Even if it pops up quickly, you can remove some context elements just to tidy up the menu. Let's look at how you can customize the context menu

Editing with CCleaner

One of the fastest, most simple ways context menu settings is a popular application CCleaner. The context menu editing feature was added to CCleaner relatively recently, so you must have latest version applications to take advantage of this feature.

IN running program, click on the icon Service in the sidebar, select , and go to the tab Context menu at the top of the list. You will see a list of context menu items; you can easily disable and customize the context menu to your liking

To disable an entry in the context menu, select it and click the button Switch off. The change takes effect immediately; no restart is required. The button should not be used Delete- If you disable an entry in the context menu, you can easily re-enable it later. But if you have already uninstalled it but want to see it in the context menu again you will have to reinstall the associated applications.

On the left picture below is my menu before settings, on the right after. The speed of appearance has increased significantly, which is an integral part of comfortable work.

Configuration using ShellExView

CCleaner is easy to use, but you may have noticed that it does not show all context menu options, and therefore not all of them can be disabled. But fortunately there is another tool, ShellExView. After downloading and launching ShellExView, it automatically scans the system.

To view only those entries that belong to the context menu, select the menu item Settings, select Filter by extension type, and select Context menu.

The list includes both third-party context menu items and built-in ones that come with Windows. Third-party context menu items are highlighted in pink. You can also disable some of the built-in context menu items if you wish.

To disable an entry, select it in the context menu and click on the red button in the upper left corner. When you click the button, a dialog box will appear confirming how to disable the selected element; click OK. If you want to turn it on again later, as you may have guessed, press the green button (although in my opinion this is not a button, but a light bulb))))

You will have to restart your computer for the changes to take effect. It's not as convenient as CCleaner, but you can manage all the context menu items.

It is also possible to remove context menu entries by editing the registry directly, but I would not recommend this. Even for experienced users, this process is much more tedious and time-consuming (context menu items are stored in five different places in the registry). When editing the registry, it is not possible to easily disable entries in the context menu, you can only delete them - so you will have to create backups each key before deleting it if you want to restore it later. If there are programs, why complicate your life. But unless of course you are young System Administrator, or want to prank a friend and are thirsty for knowledge, then read here to set up the context menu using the registry.

Absolutely all computer users encounter the concept of a context menu, regardless of the type of computer they use. operating system or its developer. Such an element is available in all currently known operating systems. But let's take a look at what the Windows context menu is, what types there are, and how to use it. We take Windows as a basis only for the simple reason that most users in the post-Soviet space work with these operating systems. And first, a few words about the term itself.

What is a context menu in general terms?

Actually, the name of the menu itself comes from the English context. As for a simplified understanding, the context menu of Windows 10 or any other operating system can be interpreted as some kind of additional element GUI system, which contains certain quick access commands to some basic or additional functions.

So to speak, in the context of selecting an object for which an additional menu is used, different commands will be available (this will be discussed separately).

Menu types

Actually, the operating system itself has several types of main and additional menus. For example, the main menu is accessible by clicking the Start button. Installed programs usually have their own element in the form of a top panel, which displays sections of basic operations, etc. Naturally, all such menus differ from each other both in appearance and purpose. But it is the context menu that is universal in its own way and, in a sense, even connects applications with the operating system without the use of additional tools. Forgot how to perform some action? It's OK! This menu will tell you what and how you can do, especially since many menus of this type can open additional lists.

Context menu items

As already mentioned, the contents of the menu can differ quite significantly for different objects. It all depends on the type of object selected and the actions that are supposed to be performed. Everyone knows that in Explorer, through such a menu, when you select a file or folder, you can specify copying, moving, deleting, opening, and performing a lot of other operations, not counting the use of hot keys or their combinations.

On the “Desktop”, when you click on an empty area of ​​the screen, you can quickly call up screen settings or create shortcuts. But to carry out such actions, following the standard methodology, will take much more time. In general, it is believed that the context menu is a unique invention. Despite the fact that almost all the points contained in it are duplicated both by the operating system itself and by some installed programs, its use often reduces the time of access to certain actions and functions.

Differences between menus for different objects

Now let's look at the most important question regarding how menus of this type differ when selecting a specific object. It goes without saying that it will not be possible to describe all types, so we will focus on the most basic ones.

We've sorted things out a bit with files and folders. It can be added that antiviruses, archivers and some other programs build their own commands into such menus, so in addition to a set of standard actions, you can also use them additional features.

If you are using the menu for a disk or partition, you can already access system tools here. Programs have their own elements of this type, but the context menu for almost all active applications, if the upper left corner of the program window on the header is used as the selected object, the points are the same: close, move, minimize and maximize active window, resize, etc. It is clear that the content of each context menu for applications depends on the specific use of the program. Thus, in web browsers, among the items there are commands related specifically to actions with tabs or settings.

When you use the menu for panels, you can customize them, go to additional options, add or remove elements, etc. As already mentioned, it is simply physically impossible to describe the contents of all types of menus that open, so let’s move on.

How to open an additional menu: several basic methods

Now a few words about how to call or open the context menu. Everyone knows that in Windows, RMB is used for this (click on This action is set in the default settings, although some use button reassignment, after which this control is called with the left button. In general, the mouse context menu, depending on the type used manipulator, you can configure it as you like, for example. gaming mice, in which there are a lot of additional buttons, the accompanying software, which allows you to manage all their parameters and configure buttons for a specific action, including calling additional menus.

Few people know that in Windows you can use not only RMB. For example, for laptops it is very important to use the combination Shift + F10. The right button on the touchpad is also used for this. On some non-standard desktop keyboards computer terminals You can find a special Menu key, which is usually located to the right of the Win button.

How to add additional items to the menu?

Finally, let's look at how to add additional items or commands to the context menu. You can, of course, use Windows tools, but to do this you will have to delve into the registry, and this is very inconvenient.

The easiest way to use small program Context Menu Tuner, the interface of which consists of only two panels with sets of commands and areas of Windows Explorer.

There are only two buttons for adding or removing elements, so there should be no difficulties in using them.

Practical advantages of use

As for the advantages, a lot has already been said about them. This concerns not only the fact that the correct call of some actions can simply be forgotten. The versatility of such menus lies precisely in speeding up access to some standard and non-standard functions or actions, which would take much longer to call in the usual way. And so - RMB and all the necessary commands are at hand!

Instead of a total

I would like to hope that after reading the above material, many have figured out what this element of the operating system is. As for its use, there should be no questions at all, since in some situations you simply cannot do without it. And practice shows that one hundred percent of one hundred users always use the context menu, regardless of the actions performed.