Good day ... In today's article we'll talk about how you can clear the context menu of the Explorer program in Windows.In general, the context menu of Windows Explorer is a convenient tool, but quickly overgrown with unnecessary items.
Almost every second program considers it its duty to cram its commands or sub-items into them. Of course, for some types of software, this is relevant and in demand by users.As an example - the item added by most anti-virus programs - "Check for viruses" (the exact name of different manufacturers, of course, differs).
Why is a "clogged" context menu bad?
Difficulties arise in usability, in other words, it is more difficult to find with your eyes the desired item or command in the menu, if there are several dozen sub-items, than when there are half a dozen of them. In addition, the pop-up submenu blocks confuse even experienced users, albeit for seconds. And there is nothing to say about newcomers.
Due to the menu clogged with unnecessary trash, the system itself, or rather the explorer (Explorer.exe), begins to slow down. Such "brakes" are noticeable even on the newest and most powerful configurations, not to mention the "budget" and "office" options.
How to edit the context menu
It would seem - to uninstall an unnecessary program and the commands associated with it will also be removed. But what if the program is needed, but its items in the context menu are not? In addition, not all programs "clean up after themselves" when uninstalled, i. E. menu items may remain when the associated program is no longer in the system.
There are two ways to solve
- Using system tools (registry editor)
- Using third party utilities
Note
- You can just press the combination Win + R and type "regedit" (without quotes)
- On Win 7 and 8, Regedit.exe is best run immediately as administrator
Important! Before further steps, you need to export the edited subsection !
This is easy to do. Right click on the subsection name - "Export".
In the window that opens, the system will "ask" what to export (a separate branch or the entire registry), in which folder to save the copy and under what name. In the future, if necessary, you can return everything to "as it was" by a simple double-click on this copy file (import back) and restart the computer for correctness.
So. You need to find and open a branch:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ * \ ShellEx \ ContextMenuHandlers
and delete unnecessary items of the context menu (just like in screenshot 1, only select the "Delete" command).
In addition, you should immediately look intoHKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ * \ OpenWithList
Here are the records of programs from the sub-item of the context menu "Open with". Cleaning it, as a rule, gives a very noticeable increase in the speed of the conductor. In the same way, you can clear the context menu for folders in branches from unnecessary:
- HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ Directory \ shell
- HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ Directory \ shellex \ ContextMenu Handlers
- HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ Folder \ shellHKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ Folder \ shellex \ ContextMenuHandlers
And for individual file types in records of the form "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \.<расширение файла>". For example - "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ .avi".
Advantages of this method
- Doesn't require installation of extra programs
- All changes are reversible
Cons of this method
- Rather time-consuming process (manually edit many parameters).
- Difficult for novice users.
- Some programs are written in the above-mentioned sections not by their own name, but by a "human-incomprehensible" identifier (this can be seen in screenshot 3). As a result, they must first be “identified”.
- There is a risk of "catching" the commands and points of the system itself (once again emphasis on the importance of pre-exporting backups!).
Installing a specialized utility
There are quite a few programs of this type. There are good reviews about ContextEdit, but it's paid. There are also free CCleaner (we read how to use the program) and the Context Menu Tuner program.But they do not "see" all the items of the context menu. And they have problems with "rolling back" actions in case of errors. Autoruns from Win Sysinternals requires professional knowledge, this is clearly not a level for beginners.
A fairly reliable and simple program ShellExView from Nirsoft stands out well against their background. You can download it by this link... Install the program, copy the ShExView_lng.ini crack to the root folder of the program and run it.It is easy to bring the program to a form that is understandable even for beginners.
"Settings" "Filter by extension type" "Explorer menu".
And it is easy to edit - there is a command "Deactivate", ie, an unnecessary item can be simply disabled without deleting it. In case of an error, you can turn it back on in two mouse clicks (the “Activate” command).
pros
- There is an archived version (does not require installation)
- Does not install its tool bars in browsers, does not climb into autoload and the Internet on its own, does not offer any advertising nonsense in its interface
Minuses
- The crack ShExView_lng.ini must be copied separately to the program folder
- You need to check the availability of new versions yourself for official website
However, these two aspects can be attributed to the minuses rather conditionally. That's basically all I wanted to tell you about this. I think this article will be useful ...
Secrets of Productivity on a Computer
Context menu in Windows
The menu is the most important element of the graphical user interface with which you can select the desired program option.
Types of menus in the computer:
by execution - text and graphic
by function - application main menu, pop-up, context and system menus
What is the context menu how to call it
A context menu is a separate type of menu on a computer; list of available commands for working with this file.
Where is the context menu?
It is stored in the Windows registry, which consists of two sections. Some of the programs are 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 of how to invoke the context menu
At the bottom of the keyboard, between the "ALT" key and the "CTRL" key, there is a special button. It shows the additional functions and actions available for this file. It usually has a sign and a mouse pointer on it. This button calls the context menu.
It is used if it is necessary to highlight the shortcuts of the necessary files, as well as inside programs that are already running. When you click on this button, the context menu is called in accordance with the current situation.
Right mouse button on the keyboard is also successfully replaced by this button.
This method is for those who prefer to use the keyboard, while the context menu can also be opened with the mouse.
Hovering the mouse over the required file, select it by clicking the left button. Right-clicking on the selected area will open a context menu. When several items are selected, the context menu will display the actions available for the selected group of files.
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 invoked by right-clicking on the selected area.
How to customize the right-click context menu
For the right mouse button, configure the context menu using the simple Context Menu Tuner program. It will tell you how to customize the Windows 7 context menu.
Let's take a look at how to customize the right mouse button.
Download and run the program
The program interface is made up of two different panels: the left one contains a list of commands supported by the program, the right one includes the OS conductor areas. We set the Russian language in the settings
Add a command. To do this, select it on the left side and "connect" it to 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.
In this lesson, we will take a closer look at the functions of a very useful key that is on any keyboard. This key is called the "Context Menu key". It is located in the lower right part of the keyboard between the ALT and CTRL keys.
Pressing this key brings up the CONTEXT MENU, exactly the same as if you pressed the RIGHT mouse button.
The trick of this button is that the menu called when you click will display functions (menu items) that can be applied in the current program, in the active window, on the desktop, etc. Those. this menu adjusts to the process in which you are directly working, and it is very convenient.
Now let's take a closer look at the main options for displaying the context menu in different environments and the functions that can be performed using this menu.
1. Pressing the RIGHT mouse button or the "Context Menu" key on the Windows Desktop
For Windows 7
When you press the RIGHT mouse button or the "Context Menu" key on the Windows 7 desktop, the following menu appears:
1. At the very top of the menu - setting parameters Your video card.
2.View- customize the display of icons on the desktop
3. Sorting- customize sorting by displaying icons on the desktop
4. Refresh- updating the display of content on the Desktop.
5.Insert- if you copied something, you can paste it to the Desktop.
6. Create. Here you can create on the Desktop: folder, shortcut, text document, archive, MS Office documents - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. (if installed)
7. Screen resolution. Here you can set the required screen settings: select a screen (there may be several of them), find out or set the screen resolution, determine the screen orientation, and also configure other parameters for working with the screen, for example, connect a projector.
8... Gadgets- selection and installation of Windows 7 gadgets. In Windows XP there is no such function.
9. Personalization. Here you can customize the appearance of the Desktop, change the background, splash screen, sounds, theme, window color, etc.
For Windows XP
In Windows XP, as many of course know, the context menu looks simpler, but the functions are almost the same.
When you press the RIGHT mouse button or the "Context Menu" key on the Windows XP desktop, a menu of the following type appears:
1. Using the first menu item Arrange icons we can do the following operations:
Screen resolution configurable in the tab Options
2. Pressing the RIGHT mouse button or the "Context Menu" key on a file or folder in Explorer or any other file manager.
When you press the RIGHT mouse button or the "Context Menu" key on a file in Explorer or any other file manager, the menu also adjusts to a file of a certain type. For example, I clicked by video file... The following menu has opened:
In this case, the menu offers functions that correspond specifically to the video file: play, add to the list of the player that is selected by default for this file type. And a number of standard functions: open with, add to archive (if the archiver is installed), send, cut, copy, delete, rename and file properties.
If you click the RIGHT mouse button or on the "Context Menu" on a graphic file, then a menu will open, which will correspond to the graphic file type:
Here you can immediately open, edit or print the selected file in the default image program. In my case, this is the ACDSee program.
Here you can immediately make the selected file a background image for the Desktop, it is very convenient when you choose from a large list. And then there are again standard functions for working with files.
There are no special differences in Windows XP,
standard functions for working with a file are called by the command Change
I will dwell in more detail on the items "Open with" and "Send".
Why the "Open With" feature is useful
Here you can select or assign any installed program that understands the selected file format to work with the selected file. In this case, I clicked on the video file and several programs can work with this format on my computer: Light Allow, WinAmp and of course Windows Media Player.
If the required program is not in the list, but you know for sure that it is installed, select the menu item "Choose a program"... Windows will prompt you to select programs from a list of recommended or other programs.
In Windows XP, the appearance of this window is slightly different, but the meaning is the same:
If you want the selected file format to always be opened by the program you select, then check the box "Use the selected program for all files of this type".
If the desired program is not in the list of recommended programs, or in others, but you know for sure that the program is installed, then press the button "Overview…" and select it from the folder where the program is installed.
Why is the "Send" function useful?
With this function, you can send (transfer, transfer) the selected file via BlueTooth (bluetooth), Skype, mail, to the Desktop, to the archive, to write to a CD / DVD disc, to a USB flash drive, so to speak. etc.
3. Pressing the RIGHT mouse button or the "Context Menu" key in any Internet browser.
And here, too, the menu adjusts to different situations, depending on where you click on the web page. For example, if you click link, then a menu of the following type will open:
Using this menu, you can open the contents of the link in a new tab or in a new window, add the link to bookmarks, send the link, copy the link, if the link is a file, then you can save it using "Save object as ...". If you have installed programs for downloading, you can download the contents of the link with their help.
If you click the RIGHT mouse button or the "Context Menu" from the picture on the web page, then a menu with other functions will open:
Here you can copy the image to the clipboard and paste, for example, into a Word document, you can save the image to your computer using "Save Image As ...", send the image by mail, make the selected image a desktop background, find out information about the image (type, size, file name), etc.
Let me summarize. In this lesson, we examined the most popular options for using the context menu, which is invoked by clicking the RIGHT mouse button or by pressing the "Context Menu" key on the keyboard.
Namely:
1. Pressing the RIGHT mouse button or the "Context Menu" key on the Windows Desktop
2. Pressing the RIGHT mouse button or the "Context Menu" key on a file or folder in Explorer or any other file manager.
3. Pressing the RIGHT mouse button or the "Context Menu" key in any Internet browser.
The essence of this lesson is to learn how to use the useful functions of a specific active environment of your computer. In any environment, by clicking with the RIGHT mouse button or by clicking on the "Context Menu" button, you will receive a list of useful functions available at a given time, relative to the selected object.
The context menu (right-click menu) is a handy tool to speed up your work in Windows. Today we will reveal a few simple secrets of working with the context menu and the system registry. Read how to customize this important element to suit your needs without extraneous applications, using only the built-in registry editor regedit.
Why is the context menu (right-click menu) convenient and why should it be cleared
I would like to immediately determine the terminology so that there will be no confusion in the future.
The Explorer context menu, or, as it is sometimes called, the action menu, is a set of commands that can be invoked by clicking right(contextual) mouse buttons on any file or folder. Depending on the object for which it is called, the menu will have a different look or "context".
Note. Of course, not only Windows Explorer has an action menu, but most of the installed applications as well, because this is the most convenient way to access the most important commands.
Immediately after installing the operating system, the context menu has a standard and neat look, but as additional software is installed, new items are constantly added to it. In the end, there are so many of them that the use of this useful tool turns into flour. Therefore, it is critical to be able to maintain order of the contents of the Windows context menu for quick 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 way can be a little easier, but the second way there is no need to use various questionable programs downloaded from the Internet, everything is done by standard means.
Moreover, the use of 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 tell you exactly about the second option of actions.
How to edit the Explorer context menu via the registry
Launch Registry Editor:
- We enter the menu P usk.
- Enter the command in the search bar regedit and press Enter.
Important! Any careless and rash operations can have dangerous consequences, up to a complete failure to boot Windows. To insure yourself against errors, be sure to back up the registry before you start editing it!
Procedure for creating a backup registry file:
- We go to the menu " File"In the open editor.
- We select the item " Export».
- In the window that opens, in the lower field “ Export range", Choose" Whole register».
- We indicate the desired location and name of the new file and click " Save».
Note.In case of problems after manual editing, the registry can be restored to its original state from a backup copy using the item " Import" on the menu " File»Editor regedit.
As you can see, the registry itself has an original tree structure. On the left side of the editor, the tree itself is displayed, and on the right, a list of parameters in the selected branch. To work with the context menu, we are interested in a single section: “ HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT».
As already mentioned, different sets of commands correspond to different objects (folders, files), so you will have to edit them separately in the registry. Our main goals: clearing the context menu of folders and common menu items for all file types.
Important! We will not change the standard system items of the context menu through the registry. Only items added by installed applications are editable.
Clearing the context menu of folders
All settings of the context menu of directories are stored in the 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, the branch of the register " Directory Shell"Contains the items at the top of the menu, and" Directory Shellex ContextMenuHandlers"- bottom. " Folder ShellEx ContextMenuHandlers"Is basically the same as the previous branch, so remove the same items from both branches if necessary.
It remains only to remove unnecessary 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 content of the menu will differ significantly. Right-click on the unnecessary registry entry and select " Delete". Then repeat this operation for the rest of the selected items.
This is the neat appearance of the registry branches in question and the menu itself after the completion of the cleaning procedure.
Clearing the context menu of files
The procedure itself is no different from the one that was carried out in the previous section. Only the branches of the registry branch have changed " 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 nice and convenient context menu.
Every Windows user knows that regardless of the program, with the right mouse button, you can call up an additional, so-called context menu, which contains a set of special commands and links. Let's try to figure out what it is for and how to work with it correctly.
What is the Windows context menu
Speaking about the context menu of "operating systems" of the Windows family, I would like to immediately note the fact that it is not an exclusive development of Microsoft Corporation. Mac OS X or Linux also has such an element.
In general, if you understand what a context menu is, it can be described as an additional set of commands for quick access to some functions, say, without calling a specific application or control.
So, for example, everyone knows that the context menu always contains the "Open with ..." command, after which a list of the most suitable applications for working with the file is displayed. You yourself understand how much more convenient it is to open a file here than to invoke the program, and then go to the "File" menu and use the "Open" line or the Ctrl + O key combination.
In addition, in addition to commands, there is also a set of special tools with which you can learn many things. But more on that later.
Appearance and organization of the context menu
Now let's look at how the Windows 7 context menu is organized. Probably everyone has noticed that the menu itself contains special separators in the form of thin horizontal lines. The point of their application is to differentiate between actions or commands of the same type that belong to the same program.
Here it is worth paying attention to the fact that the context menu in, so to speak, a "clean" system, immediately after installation, can be very different from what the user will see after installing additional programs and utilities. This is due to the fact that many installation packages integrate quick access commands to some of their main functions directly into this menu during the installation process.
Most of all, this concerns antivirus software, media players, programs for working with disk images, archivers, etc. In principle, the user can add his own items to ensure the convenience of work.
Additional menu on the desktop and in program windows
Surely, every user paid attention to the fact that the context menu in different programs or on the same desktop differs in the list of items and commands. It is natural. For example, if you call the menu on the desktop, it becomes clear that the "Open" line used for folders and files is not needed there. Another thing is when the mouse button is clicked on a shortcut or saved file located exactly on the desktop.
As it is already clear, in different programs the context menu can also contain dissimilar items. In this case, everything depends on the specifics of the application. Compare at least the usual Explorer and the text editor Word. But for now, we will talk about the "native" commands of the Windows OS.
The main items of the context menu
Drop-down menus are present almost everywhere, even in the main Start menu. In any of them, you can see some items marked with arrows. This is done to show that the clause itself contains additional subclauses.
As usual, for files and folders at the very top there is always the "Open" command in bold. When you click on this line in relation to the files, they will be opened in any program. You need to know that the selection occurs only if the application itself sets the file association with this particular program. Otherwise, using this command will only result in the system prompting you to review and select the most suitable application. If several programs are associated with a file, you can use the "Open with ..." line, which will contain a list of programs that work with the extension of the file you are looking for.
It goes without saying that the context menu of the same Explorer contains commands like "Copy", "Delete", "Cut", "Paste", "Send", "Rename", "Create shortcut", etc. Even a child knows this. On the other hand, there is also the "Properties" line, the use of which provides the user with complete information about the used object.
So, for example, when you call such a command when you click on the computer icon on the desktop, you can get general information about the main parameters of the computer system and the installed "operating system". For the desktop, the context menu mainly provides only the use of settings and synchronization options for folders with shared attributes.
Some menus also provide tools for administering or inspecting selected items.
Using additional context menu commands
Now let's talk about some additional commands. If you give an example of the installed antivirus, you will notice that the context menu will always contain lines like "Scan" or "Check with ...". Agree, it's very convenient.
The same applies to archivers, because you can add a file (folder) to the archive or extract it from there with one click.
Many media players behave in a similar manner, integrating their own commands into the system context menu. Most often, for multimedia files, items appear here for adding to a playlist or playing (video and audio), and for graphics, this is a view command. In general, it all depends on what kind of program integrates its own command lines into the menu, and what objects are associated with it.
Adding and removing commands in the system registry
So we got to the solution of the problem - how to add our own items to the context menu. This can be done in several ways. In this case, you can offer at least three options. Two of them relate to editing the system registry, and one concerns the use of specialized utilities.
In the system registry, you can use the addition of keys, but if you do not know which keys and their values are responsible for a particular process, you can waste a lot of time, achieve nothing in the end, and bring the system to a state of complete inoperability.
Therefore, let's consider the simplest way to work with the registry. First, in the Run menu, you use the regedit editor access command. Here you need to go to the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT section, find AllFilesystemObjects, then shellex and finally ContextMenuHandlers.
In the last section, an additional menu is selected by clicking the right mouse button and the command for creating a new object and key "New" and "Key" is executed, respectively. Now you need to enter a name for the newly created key, which will be displayed in the context menu, after which we select the "Change" command and in the overview indicate the location of the program or application that will be responsible for the new action. We confirm the choice and reboot the system.
Deleting the keys in this section will cause the corresponding command from the menu to disappear. But if you do not know which key is responsible for what, it is better not to change the default configuration.
Using the Context Menu Tuner
However, as practice shows, nobody really wants to rummage through the registry (you never know what can happen). Therefore, we can recommend special utilities for adding and removing items in the context menu of the "operating system".
One of the simplest, but very functional, is a utility called Context Menu Tuner. It will help you quickly change the menu beyond recognition. Everything is simple here. The main window includes two panels. The left contains commands, the right contains folders and basic parameters. As already clear, there is nothing easier than selecting the desired command and using the button to add it, say, to the desktop menu. Removal is performed by the opposite action.
Some additional options should be noted separately. First, you can select some file extension, and only then associate the corresponding command and program with it.
Changing the context menu access button
By default, the context menu button is the right mouse button by default. It is very easy to swap the buttons and call the context menu by left-clicking. To do this, you need to go to the mouse settings in the Control Panel and make the necessary manipulations. That's all.
