Quick Guide: Edit Right Click Menu on Windows 10 Easily

Having a cluttered right-click context menu can slow you down. This guide will help you clean up and customize your context menu in Windows 10, making it more efficient and tailored to your needs.

How to Edit the Right-Click Context Menu in Windows 10 File Explorer Using ShellMenuView and ShellExView?​

1. Using ShellMenuView and ShellExView​

• Download the Tools:
  • Visit the NirSoft website.
    
  • Download ShellMenuView and ShellExView.
  • Unzip the downloaded files as neither tool requires installation.
• Open ShellMenuView:
  • Double-click the ShellMenuView executable file to open the program.
  • The program will display all possible commands in the context menu listed alphabetically.
• Open File Explorer:
  • Right-click on any folder to open the context-sensitive menu.
  • Arrange ShellMenuView and File Explorer side-by-side.
• Locate and Disable Commands:
  • Identify a command in the File Explorer menu that you don't use.
  • Find its entry in ShellMenuView. For example, locate the “Add to Windows Media Player list” command.
  • Right-click on the entry in ShellMenuView and select Disable Selected Items.
  • Repeat for other unwanted commands.
• Switch to ShellExView:
  • Double-click the ShellExView executable file to open the program.
  • Display ShellExView and File Explorer side-by-side.
• Remove Context Menu Extensions:
  • Sort the list in ShellExView by the “Type” column.
  • Look for entries with “Context Menu” as their type.
  • Right-click on unwanted entries and select Disable Selected Items.
  • If prompted with a warning, consider leaving that entry enabled.
  • Confirm the context menu is less cluttered by right-clicking on various folders and files in File Explorer.

By using ShellMenuView and ShellExView, you can streamline your right-click context menu, making it quicker and easier to navigate.

Add New Options to the Right-Click Menu Using Registry Editor​

2. Using Registry Editor​

• Open Run Dialog:
  • Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
  • Type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
• Navigate to ContextMenuHandlers:
  • For files: Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers.
  • For folders: Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers.
  • For desktop: Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers.
• Create a New Key:
  • Right-click on the ContextMenuHandlers folder.
  • Select New > Key to create a subkey.
  • Rename the subkey to the name of the application or command you want to add.
• Set the Default Value:
  • Double-click the Default value inside the new subkey.
  • Enter the path to the executable (.exe) file of the application. For example, to add Command Prompt, set the value to C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe.
• Verify the Addition:
  • Right-click on the desktop, file, or folder (depending on which context menu you edited).
  • Confirm the new option appears in the right-click menu.

Adding new options through the Registry Editor allows you to customize your context menu to include frequently used commands and shortcuts.

Add New Options to the Right-Click Menu Using Open++​

3. Using Open++​

• Download and Install Open++:
  • Download Open++ from a trusted website.
  • Follow the installation instructions, ensuring you don’t install any additional unwanted software.
• Launch Open++:
  • Open the Open++ application.
  • The window will display all current commands in the right-click menu.
• Add a New Command:
  • Click the Add button on the right side of the window.
  • Select Command to add a new command.
• Configure the New Command:
  • Rename the new command by typing in the Title field.
  • Use the Program field to locate the .exe file of the program you want to add.
  • Optionally, set an icon for the command using the Icon option.
  • Specify file types the command should apply to in the File types field.
  • Click Apply to save the changes.
• Access Open++ Menu:
  • Right-click to open the context menu.
  • Select the Open++ option to view the additional commands created.

Using Open++ simplifies the process of adding new commands to your context menu, providing a user-friendly interface for customization.

Make Windows 11 Show the Classic Context Menu by Default​

4. Using Command Prompt​

• Open Command Prompt:
  • Press Windows + X and select Command Prompt (Admin).
  • Alternatively, type cmd in the search bar, right-click Command Prompt in the results, and choose Run as administrator.
• Enter the Command:
  • Copy and paste the following command into the Command Prompt:reg add HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32 /f /ve
    
    
  • Press Enter to execute the command.
• Restart Windows Explorer:
  • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  • Locate Windows Explorer in the list of processes.
  • Right-click on it and select Restart.

After restarting Windows Explorer, the classic context menu will appear by default when you right-click, providing a more familiar experience similar to Windows 10.

By following these steps, you can customize and streamline your right-click context menu, making it more efficient and tailored to your needs.