The Explorer context menu is the menu that appears when you right-click (Right Mouse Button) on some object (file or folder) or simply on an 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:
As you can see, over time, in addition to the standard menu items, more from installed programs. On the one hand it is convenient. After all, you don’t need to launch a shortcut or search for a program, but you can directly perform actions right from context menu. But on the other hand, over time there are a lot of such items and sometimes you even have to scroll up or down the context menu in search of the necessary items.
Therefore, sometimes you want to remove these items so as not to get in the way. After all, you don’t use all the points often.
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:
Other programs may also have similar settings.
It’s another matter when you haven’t found the necessary settings to delete or they don’t exist at all (this happens too). 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
and we see here these same items from the context menu.
Now right-click on the desired item (the item from the KM that you want to delete) and select Delete:
We agree with the following warning:
reboot and check. The item should disappear.
If you haven't missed it, check out the thread.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFileSystemObjects\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers
and do the same.
On a note:
If you want to delete an item specifically from KM -> Create
then you need to know the type of file () that is being created. For example for Microsoft Office Access file extension is .accdb, which means you need to look for it in the registry branch HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, and then delete the ShellNew subkey there
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
Its principle is simple: select the desired item and click on the red circle at the top of the program. The main thing here is that Type was Context menu
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” space 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:
If anyone is interested in more details and can’t figure it out, write in the comments and I’ll help. There, in the left column you need to select an item (computer, folder, files, etc.) where the context menu is called up, and to the right, select what to delete and click the Remove Item button at the bottom. If you are fluent in English, you will understand.
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 anything is not clear, write in the comments. Let's figure it out.
Good day... In today's article we will talk about how to clear the context menu of the Explorer program in Windows 7.In general, the Windows Explorer context menu is a convenient tool. But it quickly becomes overgrown with unnecessary points.
Almost every second program considers it its duty to cram its own commands or sub-items into them. Of course, for some types of software this is relevant and in demand by users.As an example, an item added by the majority antivirus programs– “Check for viruses” (the exact name varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, of course).
Why is a “clogged” context menu bad?
Usability difficulties arise. Simply put, it is more difficult to find the desired item or command in the menu with your eyes if there are several dozen sub-items there than when there are half a dozen of them. In addition, pop-up submenu blocks confuse even experienced users, even if only for seconds. And there’s nothing to say about newcomers.
Due to the menus being clogged with unnecessary junk, the system itself, or rather the explorer (Explorer.exe), begins to slow down. Such “brakes” can be noticeable even on the newest and most powerful configurations, not to mention the “budget” and “office” options.
It would seem - uninstall unnecessary program and the commands associated with it will also be deleted. 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 program associated with them is no longer in the system.
There are two ways to solve
- Using system tools (registry editor)
- Using third party utilities
Note
- You can simply press the Win + R combination and type “regedit” (without quotes)
- On Win 7 and 8, it is better to run Regedit.exe immediately as an administrator
Important! Before further steps, you need to export the edited subsection !
It's easy to do. Right click on the subsection title – “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 the way it was” by simply double-clicking on this copy file (import back) and reboot the computer to be sure.
So. You need to find and open the thread:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlersand delete unnecessary context menu items (the same as in screenshot 1, just select the “Delete” command).In addition, you should immediately look intoHKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\OpenWithList
Here are the program entries from the “Open with” context menu sub-item. Cleaning it, as a rule, gives a very noticeable increase in the speed of the conductor. In the same way, you can clear the unnecessary context menu for folders in branches:
- HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell
- HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenu Handlers
- HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellHKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
And for certain file types in entries like “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.<расширение файла>" For example – “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.avi”.
The advantages of this method
- Does not require installation of unnecessary programs
- All changes are reversible
Disadvantages of this method
- Quite a labor-intensive process (manually edit many parameters).
- Difficult for novice users.
- Some programs are recorded in the above sections not by their 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 “hooking” commands and points of the system itself (once again, emphasis on the importance of preliminary export of backup copies!).
Installing a specialized utility
There are quite a lot of programs of this type. Good feedback there is about the ContextEdit program. But it's paid. There are also free CCleaner (read how to use the program). And the Context Menu Tuner program.But they do not “see” all the items in 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.
Against their background, the fairly reliable and simple program ShellExView by Nirsoft. You can download it from this link. Install the program, copy the crack ShExView_lng.ini to the root folder of the program and run it.The program is easy to bring to a form that is understandable even for beginners.
“Settings” “Filtering by extension type” “Explorer menu”.
And it’s easy to edit - there is a “Deactivate” command, i.e., an unnecessary item can simply be disabled without deleting it. In case of an error, you can turn it back on with two mouse clicks (the “Activate” command).
pros
- There is a zipped version (does not require installation)
- Doesn’t install its own toolbars in browsers, doesn’t go into startup and the Internet on its own, doesn’t offer any advertising nonsense in its interface
Minuses
- ShExView_lng.ini crack needs to be copied separately to the program folder
- You need to check for new versions yourself. official website
Conclusion
However, these two aspects can be classified as disadvantages very conditionally. That's basically all I wanted to say about this. I think this article will be useful...
After installing some programs, various commands appear in the context menus, which are not always necessary (especially after these programs are uninstalled). Let's put things in order in the diet, leaving only really healthy dishes on the menu!
Click-to-open menus right click mice are called context sensitive because their content depends on the context - in other words, on what program you are in and what object you clicked on. File utilities, many free programs and other applications, to make them more convenient to use, often add their own commands and entire sections to the context menus. This is done, in particular, by the WinZip and WinRar archivers, as well as email clients Outlook Express and The Bat!, which add packing and sending commands to file context menus e-mail in the form of investments.
Unfortunately, the more such programs are installed, the longer the context menus, the more cluttered they are, and the more difficult it is to find the right command. The situation is further aggravated by the fact that many programs, especially free ones, have the problem that the context menu commands they created remain even after the programs themselves are uninstalled.
However, some utilities provide convenient ways setting and deleting context menu commands. This is the best and most reliable way to restore order. But if there is no such function in the program (or if you managed to remove it), the composition of the menu can be changed using the Windows system registry.
However, before you go into the registry (which is not always safe), we will consider several of the most common programs that provide not only the creation of context menu commands, but also the ability to safely delete them.
WinZip Archives
The popular archiver utility WinZip adds several commands to file context menus (such as Add to Zip) or highlights them in the WinZip submenu. To configure these commands, run WinZip in "classic" mode (not wizard mode) and select the command Options > Configuration(Options > Settings). In version 8.1 and later, go to the System(System) to section Explorer Enhancements(Extension of "Explorer"). In order not to rummage around for too long in search of the desired command, in these versions you can disable the Display context menu items in a submenu(Non-cascading menu) - and then archiving commands will be placed in the main menu, as in previous versions WinZip.
To change individual commands, select or disable the appropriate items under Context menu command(Context menu commands). By turning off the mode Display icons on context men us (Icons in the menu), you can leave the commands in the menu, but remove the icons.
Finally, to completely eliminate WinZip commands from the context menu, disable the Use shell extension(Use shell extensions, in versions 7 and 8) or Enable Explorer enhancements(Extension of "Explorer"). However, keep in mind that you will lose the ability to extract content from the archive by right-clicking it, and you will not be able to expand the archive by dragging files onto its icon.
Customize the context menu commands created
popular archiver WinZip
Music Winamp
The free Winamp media player adds three commands to the folder menu: Play in Winamp(Play in Winamp), Enqueue in Winamp(Queue Winamp) and Add to Winamp's Bookmark list(Add to Winamp bookmark list). To remove them, open Winamp and select Options > Preferences(Tools > Options) or right-click in the program window or panel and select the same command from its own context menu. An image of the hierarchical menu structure will appear on the left side of the window. In chapter General Preferences (Common parameters) select branch File types(File Types) - in earlier versions it is called Setup(Settings) - and turn off the mode Show Winamp in folder context menus in Windows Explorer(Show Winamp in Explorer folder context menus) or, in earlier versions, Directory context menus(Directory context menus) and click on the button Close(Close).
Explorer context menus
In Windows 2000 and XP Pro, to remove individual commands from the context menu My Computer(My Computer) and folders you can use the tool Group Policy (Group Policy). Let's say we want to remove from the context menu My Computer(My computer) command Manage(Management) by which the administration tool is launched Computer Management(Computer Control). To do this you need to select Start > Run(Start > Run), enter gpedit.msc and click Enter. A window will open, the left panel of which will display a hierarchical tree of commands. Go to section Local Computer Policy\User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Explorer, double click on the element Hides the Manage item on the Windows Explorer context menu(Hide the "Manage" item in the Explorer context menu), select the mode Enable(Enabled) and click the button OK.
This utility can also be launched using the command Start > Programs > Administrative Tools > Computer Management(Start > Programs > Administrative Tools > Computer Management) and if you select the command Start > R un, enter compmgmt.msc and click on the button OK.
To remove all folder context menus in Windows 2000, go to the icon Windows Explorer(Explorer) in the left pane and double-click on the item Remove Windows Explorer's default context men u (Delete the standard Explorer context menu). In Windows XP, you need to select the element of the same name, activate the mode Enable(Enabled) and click on the button OK. The next time you right-click a folder on your desktop or an icon in Explorer, nothing will happen - although the context menus for other objects, such as toolbars, will still work. To cancel these changes, just return to the described dialog box, select the mode Not configured(Not configured) and click OK.
In Windows 9x, to edit the context menu of a specific file type, you need to open a window My Computer(My Computer) and select the command View > Folder Options(View > Folder Options). A dialog box will open Folder Options(Folder properties). If you go to the tab File Types(File types), select file the right type and click on the button Edit(Edit), another window will open - Edit File Type(Edit file type). This window has several useful functions, in particular you can change its icon or description. But the main thing is that at the bottom of the window there are those context menu commands that can be changed, and a number of buttons for this: Remove(Delete), Set Default(Default) and Edit(Edit) and New(Create).
Configuring Windows 9x Explorer context menus
As you can see, context menu commands can not only be deleted, but also created. True, for this it is necessary to be aware of certain agreements adopted when drawing up such teams. You can, of course, read smart books on this topic. However, for educational purposes you can use free program with a set of ready-made context commands. It's called Send To Toys and is located at http://www.gabrieleponti.com/software. Many of them, such as passing the file name and path to the clipboard, are useful in their own right - but even more so as a visual aid for composing your own context menu commands.
Last argument: Regedit
If a program does not provide a way to remove its commands from the context menu, you can go directly to the Windows registry. But first, in case you make a mistake somewhere, it is better to create a backup copy of Registry.
Next, select the command Start > Run(Start > Run), type regedit and click Enter. In the left panel of the window that opens, find the element HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT(above) and double click on it. This system registry key stores data about file types, including the context menus associated with them.
To remove a command from the folder context menu, expand the branch in the left pane HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell and double-click on the shell element so that additional keys become visible (some computers may have a shellex key). Each such key corresponds to one context menu command. True, built-in Windows commands not here - they cannot be deleted. But commands added by external applications are entirely within our control.
Just in case, create a backup copy of this part of the registry - what if you later want to restore everything as it was, or just make a mistake? To do this, highlight the shell key in the left panel and select the command Registry > Export Registry File or File > Export Registry File(Registry > Export Registry File or File > Export Registry File). Select the location where the backup will be stored (don't worry - it won't take up much space), give the file a name and make sure the mode is selected Selected branch(Dedicated branch). Click the button Save(Save) and select the key corresponding to the menu command you want to delete.
For example, in order to delete the command Browse with ACDSee created by the image viewer ACDSee, select key ACDSee and press the key Delete or right-click on it and select the command Delete(Delete). After that select File > Exit(File > Exit) to close Registry Editor. The next time you right-click on the folder, this command will no longer be in the menu. And in case you later want to return it to its place, find the file you created with a backup copy of the registry branch, right-click on it and select the command Merge(Join). To start the procedure for returning this branch to the registry, click on the button Yes(Yes) and then on the button OK.
Removing a context menu command from the system registry
Some context menu commands are not included in the Directory, but in the Folder section - more precisely, in subsections HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell and HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex. For example, this way you can remove the command to scan a file with Kaspersky Anti-Virus from the context menu (after creating a backup copy of the branch).
To remove context menu commands for other file types, follow a similar procedure. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to find the registry key for the desired file type. One way to do this is to open Windows Explorer(Explorer) or any folder window, select the file of the appropriate type and use the combination Shift+F10 to open the file's context menu. Then return to Registry Editor, expand branch HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, select team Edit > Find(Edit > Find) and enter the name of the command you want to delete. At the same time, make sure that in the section Look at(Search in) mode was selected Data(Data). Click the button Find Next. If you're lucky, you'll find a command that has the text you entered in its key. File type keys usually contain their extensions - for example, the key for files with the TXT extension is called txtfile. As in the previous cases, export the parent key (such as shell) for all the keys you want to delete (in case you make a mistake and want to restore everything as it was), then highlight the key you want to delete and press the key Delete.
Searching for a key in the system registry: you may get lucky and find what you need
Some commands are present in the context menus of several file types. To remove such commands, you need to open the key in the system registry editor HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers, select team Registry > Export Registry File(Registry > Export Registry File) or File > Export Registry File(File > Export Registry File) to create a backup copy of this branch, and find in it the keys corresponding to the menu commands you want to remove. For example, in order to remove commands created during installation Adobe Acrobat 6 for many file types, select a key Adobe.Acrobat.ContextMenu and press the key Delete or right-click on this key and select the command Delete(Delete).
Is it necessary?..
Each application customizes the context menu in its own way. Sometimes you have to wade through the jungle dialog boxes, look for clues in help system and even on the Internet. And yet, in the end, it often turns out that nothing can be changed. For example, if the Kaspersky antivirus scan command is deleted from the registry, then the same Norton AntiVirus command is “glued” forever, so all that remains is to relax and... get used to it.
You probably had to notice that in every Windows build the context menu is different. In addition, often after installing various programs, unnecessary items are added to the context menu. 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 specified program, the option to run using this program will be displayed.
Here, for example, is my context menu:
It's not quite small anymore.
Over time, there are a lot of items in the context menu; in short, it becomes clogged with unnecessary rubbish. And the question arises: how to get rid of “unnecessary” items? Although many programs have already been created for these purposes, let’s consider how this can be solved using standard system tools.
The system registry stores all data about the operation of programs 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?
Let's go to Start press the button Execute.
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. 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, AIMP player. In the list that opens, select Delete.
For those who use the operating room Windows system not so long ago, the idea of removing items from the Explorer context menu is unlikely to be particularly interesting. But if you have been working with Windows for quite a long time without reinstalling and install it on your computer from time to time various programs, then it is likely that your context menu has grown to serious proportions and looks something like this:
To make the context menu more convenient, you can clear it of unnecessary and unused items. Eat special programs for editing the context menu, such as FileMenu Tools or ShellExView. However, in this article we will learn how to remove items from the context menu using standard means Windows OS.
Removing items from the context menu
The easiest way to remove items from the context menu is to look in the program settings and uncheck the corresponding items.
However, this is not always possible, since some programs do not provide a function for disabling items in the Explorer context menu. In this case, you can use the registry editor and remove items from the context menu, so to speak, manually.
I would like to warn you that before carrying out any manipulations with the system Windows registry, it is highly advisable to first save a backup copy of the registry in a safe place. This is quite easy to do. In the registry window you need to open the menu File and select item Export.
To restore the registry using backup copy you will only need to double-click on the previously saved file and agree to add information to the registry.
So, we launch the System Registry Editor using the command regedit in the window Execute(Win+R). Then you need to go to the registry branch: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers. Here you will see most of the context menu items.
To remove an unnecessary element from the context menu, right-click on it and select Delete.
If some context menu element could not be found in the above registry section, then it is located here - HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\Shellex\ContextMenuHandlers.
In order to remove items from the context menu that appear when you right-click on a folder, go to the section HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shellex\ContextMenuHandlers, as well as in the section HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers.
If you need to remove any item from the context menu To open with, then you need to look here: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\OoenWithList.
By the way, if when you try to make changes to system registry the message “Editing the registry is prohibited by the system administrator” appears, advice from . It describes in detail how to remove the ban on access to registry editing tools.
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