The main items of the main and context menu of the program. How to customize the context menu for productivity in Windows

If you've ever right-clicked on something and wondered where that junk came from, you're not alone.

By Windows default includes many options in this context menu, and the list grows as you install new applications. Sometimes it feels like every app is fighting for a piece of your context menu, even though most of us don't even use half the commands.

Today we'll show you how you can remove items by editing your registry, as well as an easier cleaning method using a couple of free third party applications. We'll also show you how to add some useful commands. Without much effort, you can clog up the context menu with just useful commands– optimized and efficient.

Editing the context menu registry

If you want to clear the context menu in a brute force way, you can do it from the Registry Editor without the need for a third party software. We'll move on to lighter tools later, but we think this introduction will help you understand how other tools work with the registry.

Standard warning: Registry Editor is powerful tool and improper use can make your system unstable or even inoperable.

Open Registry Editor by pressing the Win + R key combination and typing regedit. Press Enter to open Registry Editor and then give permission to make changes to your computer.

Unfortunately, the items populating your context menu are in different places registry You can find most context menu items used for files and folders in one of the following registry keys:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFileSystemObjects\ShellEx

You'll find context menu items specific to folders in one of these sections:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

You'll need to handle context menu items found in these locations a little differently, so keep reading and we'll explain how to do it. On at the moment It may be convenient to find each of these places in the registry and adding to favorites list, to make it easier to find later.

Remove Shell Elements

Let's look at one point as an example. I'm using VLC video player. When I installed it, VLC added a context menu item called "Add to VLC Playlist". I never use it and most likely won't use it.

Here's how we get rid of this menu item. In Registry Editor, navigate to the following key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\AddtoPlaylistVLC

I noticed the AddtoPlaylistVLC key while browsing the shell, looking for items to remove. Elements under a regular shell key are usually very easy to locate and understand the meaning.

We have several options on how to deal with this. We could simply remove this AddToPlaylistVLC completely, and this will remove the item from the context menu. However, if you don't back up your registry or export the key first, you won't have an easy time getting it back if you change your mind.

Second option - disable the key rather than deleting it. To do this, simply right-click AddToPlaylistVLC or whatever key you are working with and select Create → String parameter. Name the new string value LegacyDisable.

Once you create LegacyDisable, the changes will take place immediately. Right-click a file or folder in File Explorer and you'll see that the "Add to VLC Playlist" item has disappeared from the context menu.

There is also a third option. If you occasionally use a menu item but don't want it to clutter up the regular context menu, you can hide it in an expanded context menu that you'll only see when you hold Shift while right-clicking a file or folder.

To do this, right-click AddToPlaylistVLC or whatever key you are working with and select Create → String value. Name it Extended.

Now it will only appear if you right-click on the folder while holding Shift.

Remove Shellex elements

You may have noticed that some of the common registry keys we listed at the top of this section are named "shellex" (shell extension) instead of "shell". You'll have to handle these types of keys a little differently.

As an example, we'll go to one of those keys we talked about:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

Shellex elements are a little more difficult to decipher, but you can identify the element by the key name on the left. Here we will work with Yandex.Disk.3 inside ContextMenuHandlers.

When Yandex.Disk is installed, it will add the “Copy link to Yandex.Disk” command to the context menu. Since I'm more of a drag and drop guy, I've never used this command and I'm going to get rid of it.

You won't be able to use the LegacyDisable and Extended tricks mentioned above here. But, you can delete the entire DropboxExt key to remove it from the context menu (and be sure to return the key if you do this), but there is an easy way to disable it. Simply select the key on the left and then double-click on the value (Default) to open the properties window.

In the properties window, in the “Value” field, change the existing value by placing several dashes in front of it, without deleting the existing characters. Then, if you change your mind, you can simply go back and remove the dash. When everything is ready, click OK.

The change will be immediate: try right-clicking something in Explorer and see that the command disappears.

Unfortunately, when it comes to shellex keys, there is no way to hide them in the extended context menu the way we did with shell items. They can either be deleted or disabled.

Explore other locations by file type

If you want to remove context menu items that you only see when you right-click on certain file types, you can get rid of them too. These elements are stored in elswhere. To find them, you need to first look for the file extension key in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT section.

For example, you want to remove the menu item to open Excel document(XLSX) in Excel when you right-click it. Why would you do this? This is just an example. Other applications can also add different types commands you don't need.

You can start by looking at the following registry key for the XLSX extension:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.xlsx

Data Column Meaning for the key (Default) lets you know that the actual file type is Excel.Sheet.12.

Now you can go to this extension:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Excel.Sheet.12\shell

Now that you've found the correct shell key, you can use the same methods we described in the previous section about "shell" elements to remove, disable, or hide an item in the extended context menu. Remember string values LegacyDisable And Extended? Yes, these techniques work here too.

Managing the context menu using NirSoft Utilities

Now that you know how to do something difficult, let's take a look at the easy way. Instead of editing the registry, you can download two tools from NirSoft to clean up the context menu.

Why two tools? Because one of them handles regular shell elements and one handles shellex elements. They are much easier to use than editing the registry, but a behind-the-scenes understanding of how these tools handle the registry will give you the ability to make sense of all the items these tools display.

Start by downloading both tools. The first tool is ShellMenuView, which handles regular shell items. The second tool is ShellExView, which handles shellex elements. Scroll down to the bottom of both of these pages to find the download links. The tools work with almost any version of Windows, from 98 all the way up to 10.

In the ShellMenuView window, simply look through the list until you find the item you want to disable. You can only disable items using these tools, not remove them or hide them in the advanced context menu. And by the way, these tools disable items by creating a LegacyDisable inside the corresponding key - just like we did when editing the registry manually.

When you find the item you want, click the Disable button on the toolbar (red light).

Another benefit of using these tools is that you can select multiple items and then disable them all at once. In our example, we disabled the "Add to VLC Playlist" item only when right-clicking on a folder (the same example we used in the registry key earlier), but we could easily select all the "Add to VLC Playlist" items and then click Disable to remove this command from the context menu of all supported file types.

Once you are done removing shell elements, the next step is to run the ShellExView tool and remove shellex elements. This works exactly the same as the first tool. Simply select one or more items and then click the Disable button to remove items from the context menu.

As a result, you will be surprised at how much more pleasant it is to use a clean context menu that contains only the commands you need. So, what are you waiting for? It's time to start making those context menus more useful!

The Explorer context menu is the menu that appears when you right-click (Right Mouse Button) on any object (file or folder) or simply on empty space in a folder or Desktop. If your system is new, then the context menu will be relatively empty. Is it just something added from the video card drivers, for example like this:

but if the system has been installed for a long time, then there will be more such points. For example like this:

So how remove item from context menu.

In order to remove a program item from the context menu (CM for short), you can use both standard methods of the Operating System itself, and using the programs themselves or specially designed ones.

The easiest way to remove it is to look in the settings of the program (which you want to remove) for the desired item. Usually it is located somewhere in Integrations or Loading/adding. For example, in order to remove the famous WinRAR item from KM, you need to uncheck the Shell integrations:

It's another matter when you didn't find required settings for removal or they are not there at all (this also happens). Then you can use in a standard way the systems itself, namely editing.
I warn you right away that before starting work it would be better to play it safe and make a backup copy of the registry.
So, let's launch the registry and go to the branch
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/*/shellexe/ContextMenuHandlers

If you haven't missed it, check out the thread.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFileSystemObjects\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers
and do the same.

Note:
If you want to delete an item specifically from KM -> Create

If you want to remove from KM those items that appear when you RMB on folders, then you need to look at the branches:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

For the item "Open with..." the thread answers
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\OpenWithList

For KM Logical drives branches:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

You can also delete items using special programs. For example using ShellExView

Now a little about how create your own item in the context menu.
The point is that adding such an item for folders or certain files, and also in an “empty” place using the registry will not work. You can only assign it to when it opens with RMB on the Desktop. Therefore, I recommend reading the article and taking advantage of what is described there.

Well, or use another utility - Ultimate Windows Context Menu Customizer() which has a bunch of features, but in English. And there we only need to select the item and delete it:

You can guess how to add your program to KM -> Create if you read the entire article carefully, namely about deleting one of this items. You just need to create a subsection on the contrary and write for the desired extension.

In general, the article turned out to be a little chaotic and more about removing it from the context menu, because... I think this is more relevant, and there is an article about adding. Therefore, if something is not clear, write in the comments. Let's figure it out.

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 popular app 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 Turn 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 is presented as third party elements context menu and built-in ones that come with Windows. Third-party context menu items are highlighted 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, there's no way to easily disable entries in the context menu, only deleting them - so you'll have to back up 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.

From this information article you will learn about how to call the context menu for any file, folder, shortcut, etc. using several different methods.

The context menu is a list of available commands that depend on the currently selected object. Folders, files, desktop or various programs that each user works with daily, almost all of them have a context menu that differs in the number of items, and therefore capabilities.

How to call the context menu?

To do this, you just need to right-click on the selected object, but in the keyboard shortcut Shift+F10 the menu of the currently active window is called up or we simply press the key to call the context menu (about this key and others useful combinations keys can be read in this article).

If you click on the desktop in free space RMB(right mouse button), then a menu will appear with the sections available in it, and if you click on the file, then other sections will appear, and the shortcut will also have personal differences in the items, etc.

This is actually what contextuality is all about, that is, the composition of sections varies depending on the specific type of object.

Advanced context menu

To call it, hold down the key Shift and right-click on the selected object, which will cause the list to increase by several points, unlike the usual call.

In the example given, these differences can be observed.

On the left screenshot there is a standard right-click call on an object, and on the right screenshot there is an extended call, where a command line call tab has been added ( cmd.exe).

When a key combination Shift+click RMB the menu will always expand from one to several new items, which can be very useful in some cases.
I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that some tabs have a small arrow on the right side; if you hover your cursor over it, an additional submenu will pop up with a list of additional tabs.

To expand the functions of the desktop context menu, there are special third party utilities which can add new items, for example, you can add some programs and launch them from there in order not to clutter the desktop with shortcuts, personally, I think this is not really necessary.

There are also utilities, on the contrary, for removing unnecessary items from the menu that may remain from some past long-deleted program; such a utility can be useful.

All these utilities, if you suddenly need them, can be easily found on the Internet.

Of course, all deleting or adding actions can be performed through the computer registry, but this method is not at all for a beginner.
And finally, watch a short video tutorial on this topic, I’ll say goodbye to you with this.

Valery Semenov, moikomputer.ru

Context menu(English)

Context menu

contextmenu, pop-upmenu) - This hidden menu, which appears when you right-click the mouse. This menu is a list of commands and functions for the selected object or element (folder, file, selected text, etc.).

Popup menu, as it is often called, has different content depending on the type of element and program selected. For example, if you select a folder and right-click on it, then in the context menu that opens you will see commands that can be executed for this folder (open, copy, rename, etc.).

Below is an example of a popup menu for selected text in Microsoft program Word.

The context menu can be opened not only for selected objects, but also from scratch (for example, the desktop, inside a folder, taskbar).

How to open the context menu?

There are several ways to open the context menu on Windows operating systems.

In OS X, a pop-up menu can be opened by holding down the Control key and left-clicking on the desired object.

See also: Start menu.

Context menu in Windows

The menu is the most important element of the graphic user interface, with which you can select the required program option.

Types of menus on a computer:

• by execution – text and graphic
• by function - main application menu, pop-up, context and system menu

What is a context menu and how to call it

A context menu is a separate type of menu on a computer; a list of available commands for working with this file.

Where is the context menu?

Its storage location is Windows registry, which consists of two sections. One part of the programs is stored in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell section, the other in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers section.

How does the context menu open?

There are different ways how to call the context menu

1. There is a special button at the bottom of the keyboard, between the ALT key and the CTRL key. It shows the additional functions and actions available in relation to this file. It usually has a sign and a mouse pointer on it. This button brings up the context menu.

It is used if you need to highlight shortcuts necessary files, as well as inside already running programs. When you click this button, the context menu is called up according to the current situation.

Right mouse button on keyboard can also be successfully replaced with this button.

This method is for those who prefer to use the keyboard, while you can open the context menu using the mouse.

1. Mouse over required file, select it by clicking the left button. Right-clicking the highlighted area will open a context menu. When you select multiple items, the context menu will display the actions available for the selected group of files.

1. How to open the context menu when working on a laptop or netbook? On these devices, the mouse function is transferred to the built-in touchpad. The context menu is called up by right-clicking on the highlighted area.

How to customize the right-click context menu

For the right mouse button, a simple program called Context Menu Tuner will help you configure the context menu. She will tell you how to set up contextual Windows menu 7.

Let's look at how to configure the right mouse button.

1. Download and run the program

1. The program interface consists of two different panels: the left one contains a list of commands supported by the program, the right one includes the OS explorer areas.

   How to change the right click menu. Clearing the Windows Context Menu

   Set the Russian language in the settings

1. Adding a command. To do this, select it on the left side and “connect” it with the preferred element on the right. Click “Add”.

Other commands are added in the same way.

To delete a command, select it and click “Delete”

The right-click context menu is now configured.

Your comment on the article:

Note address:

How to add or remove items from the context menu?

A pointing device, the mouse, is often used to select menu items and commands on the toolbar. When using a mouse, pressing the left button usually selects and specifies a point on the screen; Right-clicking brings up a context menu. The form and content of the menu depend on the position of the mouse pointer and the state of the task: for example, it is provided quick access to the options required for the current command.

Right-clicking in the drawing area brings up one of six context menus:

• standard - contains a set of standard functions designed, in particular, for working with the clipboard, zooming, and panning. To bring up this menu, you must deselect objects, end the currently active command, and right-click;
• editing - combines functions designed for editing objects. The set of functions may vary depending on the type of selected object. To bring up the menu, you must select one or more objects, end the currently active command, and right-click;
• command - contains a set of functions that make it easier to execute commands using the mouse. This also includes the current command options displayed in command line. To call this menu, you need to right-click when executing any command;
• object snapping - allows you to select or configure object snapping modes and enable a coordinate filter. To call the menu, right-click while holding down the -Shift key;
• pens - contains functions that allow you to edit using pens. To call the menu, select the handles on the object and right-click;
• OLE - combines functions that allow you to edit OLE objects. To open the menu, right-click on the OLE object inserted into the picture.

Object Snaps, Handles, and OLE context menus are always enabled so you can call them at any time. Context menus are standard, editing and command can be disabled.

In this case, right-clicking the mouse will correspond to pressing the Enter key. By default, these three context menus are enabled.

For other elements of the AutoCAD window, except for the drawing area, you can call the following context menus:

• toolbar. To enable/disable any panel or to configure panels, you must right-click on any of them. To display a list of panel groups, right-click on the free area to the right standard panel tools;
• command line. To select one of the six most recently executed commands, or to access some of the command line functions, you must right-click the command line or command window;
• dialog box (this menu is not available for all dialog boxes). Typically, context menus are associated with either drop-down lists or value entry fields and allow you to delete, rename individual list items, or work with the clipboard. Context menus can be associated with some other window elements. To call the menu, right-click on an element in the dialog box;
• status bar. To switch the drawing mode or change settings, you must right-click on the area of ​​the line where the current coordinates are displayed, or on any button for switching the drawing mode or changing settings;
• Model/Layout tabs. To open print windows and configure page settings, as well as manage sheets, right-click on the Model tab or one of the Layout tabs.

Context menu (right-click menu)– handy tool to speed up work in Windows. Today we will reveal several simple secrets working with the context menu and system registry. Read how to configure this without third-party applications important element to suit your needs, using only the built-in registry editor regedit.

How convenient is the context menu (right-click menu) and why clear it

I would like to immediately define the terminology so that there is no confusion in the future.

The Explorer context menu, or action menu as it is sometimes called, is a set of clickable commands right(contextual) mouse buttons on any file or folder. Depending on the object it is called on, the menu will have different type or "context".

Note. Of course, not only Windows Explorer, and for the majority installed applications, because this the most convenient way access to the most important commands.

Immediately after installation operating system, the context menu has a standard and neat appearance, but as additional software is installed, new items are constantly added to it. Eventually, there are so many of them that using this useful tool turns to flour. Therefore, it is critically important to be able to maintain the contents of the Windows context menu in order for fast and comfortable work.

This can be done in two ways:

• In semi-automatic mode, using third-party software.
• Manually, using the Windows Registry Editor.

Perhaps the first method may be a little easier, but with the second method there is no need to use various dubious programs downloaded from the Internet, everything is done using standard means.

Moreover, using the registry will allow you to delve deeper into the internal processes of the system and learn a lot of new things, so we will talk about the second option.

How to edit the Explorer context menu through the registry

Launch the registry editor:

1. Enter the menu Start.
2. Enter the command in the search bar regedit and press Enter.

Important! Any careless and thoughtless operations can have dangerous consequences, including complete failure Windows boot. To protect yourself from errors, be sure to make a backup copy of the registry before you start editing it!

Procedure for creation backup file registry:

1. Go to the menu " File" in an open editor.
2. Select the item “ Export».
3. In the window that opens, in the lower field " Export range", select " Entire registry».
4. Specify the desired location and name of the new file and click “ Save».

Note.If problems arise after manual editing, the registry can be restored to its original state. original condition from backup copy using the item " Import" in the menu " File» editor regedit.

As you can see, the registry itself has an original tree structure. The tree itself is displayed on the left side of the editor, and the list of parameters in the selected branch is displayed on the right. To work with the context menu, we are interested in only one section: “ HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT».

As already mentioned, different sets of commands correspond to different objects (folders, files), so you will have to edit them in the registry separately. Our main goals: clearing folder context menu And common menu items for all file types.

Important! We will not change standard system context menu items through the registry. Only items added by installed applications are edited.

Clearing the folder context menu

All directory context menu settings are stored in branches:

... Directoty Shell.

... Directory Shellex ContextMenuHandlers .

... Folder Shell ex ContextMenuHandlers .

If you look closely, you can easily see familiar commands among the branches of these branches. So, a branch of the registry " Directory Shell" contains the items at the top of the menu, and " Directory Shellex ContextMenuHandlers» – bottom. " Folder ShellEx ContextMenuHandlers", basically repeats the content of the previous thread, so remove the same items from both threads if necessary.

All that remains is to delete extra commands. The choice of what to remove and what to leave on the list is a personal matter for everyone. Moreover, depending on the list of installed applications, the contents of the menu will differ significantly. Right click on the the desired entry in the registry and select " Delete" Then repeat this operation for the remaining selected elements.

This is the neat appearance of the registry branches in question and the menu itself after the cleaning procedure is completed.

Clearing the file context menu

The procedure itself is no different from that carried out in the previous section. Only the branches of the registry branch " HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT", storing the necessary parameters.

Now this:

...*shellexContextMenuHandlers.

They store common elements for all file types registered in the system.

Following the example of cleaning for folders, we delete all unnecessary branches in the registry and get a beautiful and convenient context menu.