How to call the context menu in Windows and what it is. What is the Windows context menu and how to configure it The main items of the main and context menu of the program
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 menu
What is a context menu and how to call it
A context menu is a separate kind of menu on a computer; 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 part is stored in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers section.
How does the context menu open?
Exist different ways how to call context menu
- At the bottom of the keyboard, between the "ALT" key and the "CTRL" key, there is a special button. It shows additional features and actions available for given file. It usually has a sign and a mouse pointer on it. This button brings up the context menu.
It is used if it is necessary to highlight the shortcuts of the necessary files, as well as inside already running programs. When you click on this button, the context menu is called according to 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 desired file, select it with a left click. Right-clicking on a 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 called by clicking on the selected area with the right button.
How to customize the right click context menu
For the right mouse button, a simple Context Menu Tuner program will help you configure the context menu. It will tell you how to customize the Windows 7 context menu.
Consider how to set up the right mouse button.
- Download and run the program
- 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. Set the Russian language in the settings
- We add a command. To do this, select it on the left side and "connect" with the preferred element on the right. Click "Add".
Other commands are added similarly.
Every Windows user knows that, regardless of the program, the right mouse button 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 of the context menu of "OSes" Windows families, I immediately want to note the fact that it is not some kind of exclusive development of Microsoft Corporation. Mac OS X or Linux also has this element.
In general, if you understand what a context menu is, it can be described as additional set 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 call the program, and then go to the "File" menu and use the "Open" line or a combination Ctrl keys+O.
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.
View and organization of the context menu
Let us now consider how the Windows 7 context menu is organized. Probably, everyone paid attention to the fact that the menu itself contains special separators in the form of thin horizontal lines. The meaning of their use is to distinguish between actions of the same type or commands belonging to one program.
Here it is worth paying attention to the fact that the context menu in a “clean” system, so to speak, immediately after installation, can be very different from what the user sees after installation. additional programs and utilities. This is due to the fact that many installation packages integrate commands for quick access to some of their main functions directly into this menu during the installation process.
Most of all, this applies to anti-virus 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 that the context menu in different programs or on the same desktop differs in the list of items and commands. It `s naturally. For example, if you call up 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 a saved file located on the desktop.
As it is already clear, in different programs the context menu can also contain dissimilar items. In this case, it all depends on the specifics of the application. Compare at least the usual Explorer and text editor word. But for now, we will focus on the "native" commands of the Windows OS.
Basic context menu items
Dropdown 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 an “Open” command in bold. When you click on this line in relation to files, they will be opened in any program. You need to know that selection occurs only if the application itself sets the association of the file with this particular program. AT otherwise using this command will only cause the system to prompt you to browse and select the most suitable application. If several programs are associated with the 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 in the context menu of the same Explorer there are commands like "Copy", "Delete", "Cut", "Paste", "Send", "Rename", "Create Shortcut", etc. Even a child knows this. On the other hand, there is also a "Properties" line, the use of which provides the user with complete information about the object being used.
So, for example, when calling such a command, when clicking 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 provides basically only the use of settings and options for synchronizing folders with sharing attributes.
Some menus also provide administration or inspection tools for selected items.
Using Additional Context Menu Commands
Now let's talk about some additional commands. If you give an example installed antivirus, you will notice that the context menu will always contain lines like "Scan" or "Check with ...". Agree, very convenient.
The same applies to archivers, because you can add a file (folder) to an archive or extract it from there with one click.
Many media players behave in a similar way, integrating their own commands into the system's context menu. Most often, for multimedia files, the items for adding to a playlist or playing (video and audio) appear here, and for graphics, this is a view command. In general, it all depends on which program integrates its own menus into the menu. command lines, and what objects are associated with it.
Adding and removing commands in the system registry
So we got to solving the problem - how to add your own items to the context menu. This can be done in several ways. In this case, at least three options can be proposed. Two of them are about editing system registry, and one - the use of specialized utilities.
In the system registry, you can use the addition of keys, but if you don’t know which keys and their values are responsible for a particular process, you can spend a lot of time, achieve nothing in the end, and bring the system to a state of complete inoperability.
Therefore, consider the simplest way to work with the registry. First, the command to access the regedit editor is used in the Run menu. 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 to create a new object and the 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. Confirm the selection 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 standard configuration.
Using the Context Menu Tuner
However, as practice shows, no one really wants to rummage through the registry (you never know what can happen). Therefore, we can advise special utilities to add and remove items to the OS context menu.
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. Commands are located on the left, folders and main parameters are on the right. As it is already clear, there is nothing easier than choosing the desired command and using the button to add it, say, to the desktop menu. Removal is done in reverse.
Separately, it is worth noting some additional options. First, you can select some file extension, and only then associate the appropriate command and program with it.
Changing the context menu access button
By default, the context menu button is the right mouse button. It is very easy to swap buttons and call the context menu with a left click. To do this, you need to go to the mouse settings in the Control Panel and perform the necessary manipulations. Only and everything.
Right-click menus are called context menus because their contents depend 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, in order to make them more convenient to use, often add their own commands and entire sections to the context menus. This is done, in particular, WinZip archivers and WinRar as well mail clients Outlook Express and The Bat!, which add packing and sending commands to the context menus of files. e-mail in the form of investments.
Unfortunately, the more such programs are installed, the longer the context menus, the more clutter they have, and the more difficult it is to find the right command. The situation is aggravated by the fact that many programs, especially free ones, sin because the context menu commands they created remain even after the programs themselves are uninstalled.
However, some utilities provide convenient ways to customize and remove context menu commands. This is the best and most reliable way putting things in order. But if there is no such function in the program (or if you managed to remove it), the menu composition can be changed using the Windows system registry.
However, before getting into the registry (which is not always safe), let's look at some of the most common programs that provide not only the creation of context menu commands, but also the possibility of safely deleting them.
WinZip Archives
The popular WinZip archive utility adds several commands (such as Add to Zip) to the context menus of files or highlights them in the WinZip submenu. To configure these commands, run WinZip in "classic" mode (not wizard mode) and choose Options > Configuration. In version 8.1 and later, go to the tab System (System) in the section Explorer Enhancements (Extension "Explorer"). In order not to rummage too long in search of the desired command, in these versions you can turn off the Display context menu items in a submenu mode (Non-cascading menu) - and then the archiving commands will be placed in the main menu, as in previous versions winzip.
To change individual commands, select or disable the appropriate items in the Context menu command section. By disabling the Display icons on context menus mode (Icons in the menu), you can leave the commands in the menu, but remove the icons.
Finally, in order to completely exclude WinZip commands from the context menu, disable the Use shell extension (Use shell extensions, in versions 7 and 8) or Enable Explorer enhancements (Explorer extension) mode. However, keep in mind that if you do this, you will lose the ability to extract the contents of the archive by dragging it with the right mouse button, and you will not be able to replenish the archive by dragging files onto its icon.
Customizing context menu commands created by the popular WinZip archiver
Winamp Music
The free Winamp media player adds three commands to the folder menu: Play in Winamp (Play 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 (Service > Options) or right-click in the program window or on its panel and select the same command from its own context menu. A picture of the hierarchical menu structure will appear on the left side of the window. In the General Preferences section ( General options) select the branch File types (File types) - in earlier versions it is called Setup (Setting) - and disable the Show Winamp in folder context menus in Windows Explorer mode (Show Winamp in the context menus of the Explorer folders) or, in earlier versions versions, Directory context menus and click the Close button.
Context menus in File Explorer
In Windows 2000 and XP Pro, you can use the Group Policy tool ( Group Policy). Suppose we want to remove the Manage command from the My Computer context menu, which launches the Computer Management administration tool. To do this, select Start> Run (Start> Run), enter gpedit.msc and press Enter. A window will open, in the left pane of which a hierarchical tree of commands will be displayed. Go to Local Computer Policy \ User Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Windows Components \ Windows Explorer, double-click Hides the Manage item on the Windows Explorer context menu, select Enable (Enabled) and click the OK button.
This utility is also launched by the command Start\u003e Programs\u003e Administrative Tools\u003e Computer Management (Start\u003e Programs\u003e Administrative Tools\u003e Computer Management) and if you select Start command> Run, enter compmgmt.msc and click OK.
To remove the entire folder context menu in Windows 2000, go to Windows icon Explorer (Explorer) in the left pane and double-click on the element Remove Windows Explorer "s default context menu (Remove the standard Explorer context menu). In Windows XP, select the element of the same name, activate the Enable mode and click on the OK button. The next time you right-click on a folder located on the desktop or on an icon in Explorer, nothing will happen - however, the context menus of other objects, such as toolbars, will still work.To undo these changes, it is enough to return to the described dialog box, select the Not configured mode (Not configured) and click OK.
In Windows 9x, to edit the context menu of a specific file type, open the My Computer window and select View > Folder Options (View > Folder Options). The Folder Options dialog box will open. If you go to the File Types tab in it, select the file desired type and click on the Edit button, 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 those of the context menu commands that can be changed are presented, and a number of buttons for this: Remove (Delete), Set Default (Default), as well as Edit (Edit) and New (Create).
Customizing 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 in the preparation of 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 a file name and clipboard path, are useful on their own - but even more so as a visual aid for writing your own context menu commands.
Explorer's context menu is the menu that appears when you click RMB (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 that just added from the drivers for the video card, 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 were added from installed programs. On the one hand, it's convenient. After all, you do not need to launch a shortcut or search for a program, but you can directly perform actions immediately from the context menu. But on the other hand, over time, there are a lot of such items, and sometimes the context menu even has to be scrolled up or down in search of the necessary items.
Therefore, sometimes you want to remove these items so as not to interfere. After all, you do not use all the points often.
So how remove item from context menu.
In order to remove a program item from the context menu (KM for short), you can use both the standard methods of the Operating System itself, and using the programs themselves or specially designed ones.
The easiest thing to remove is to look in the settings of the program (which you want to remove) for the desired item. It is usually located somewhere in Integrations or Upload/Add. For example, in order to remove the item of the famous WinRAR from KM, you need to uncheck Shell integrations:
Other programs may also have similar settings.
Another thing is when you did not find the necessary settings for deletion or they do not exist at all (it happens sometimes). Then you can use in a standard way the systems itself, namely editing .
I immediately warn you that before starting work it would be better to play it safe and do backup register.
So, we launch the registry and go to the branch
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/*/shellexe/ContextMenuHandlers
and see here these same items from the context menu.
Now we right-click on the desired item (the item from the CM that you want to delete) and select Delete:
We agree with the following warning:
reboot and check. The point should be gone.
If not gone, then look at the branch
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFileSystemObjects\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers
and do the same.
On a note:
If you want to delete an item specifically from CM -> Create
then you need to know the type of file () that is being created. For example for Microsoft Office Access file extension .accdb , which means you need to look for it in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT registry branch, and delete the ShellNew subsection there
If you want to remove from the 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 "Open with ..." item, the branch answers
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\OpenWithList
For KM Logical Disks 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 to Type of was Context menu
Now a little about how create your own item in the context menu.
The fact is that to add such an item for folders or certain files, as well as on 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 using 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 you are interested in more details and do not understand, then write in the comments and I will help. There, in the left column, you need to select the item (computer, folder, files, etc.) where the context menu is called, and to the right, select what to delete and click the Remove Item button at the bottom. If you are friends with English, then you will understand.
You can guess how to add your program to KM -> Create if you carefully read the entire article, namely about deleting one of this item. 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 from the context menu, because. I think that 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.
Lots of people love the operating room. Windows system and many of us grew up with it. But some casual PC users - or those who have just switched to Windows - often get confused looking for information about some of the simple things that run Microsoft's operating system. One of these widget elements is called the "Windows context menu" or "right-click menu".
Today we will tell you not only about this integral element of interaction with Windows, but also about third party application, which allows you to add custom items to the context menu.
So what exactly is the Windows context menu?
talking in simple terms, is a pop-up menu that appears when you right-click on any navigation area on the screen (hence the name "right-click menu"). Context menu can be accessed in folders, taskbar, web browsers and other areas GUI. Context menu is not exclusive Windows feature, so you might see it on other operating systems as well, including Mac OS X or Linux.
Speaking of appearance context menu of Windows, it looks almost the same everywhere - only the elements inside it differ. For example, the screenshot below shows the context menu that opens when you right-click on the desktop, say to set the desktop background image in the Personalize window.
Usually, the context menu carries such elements as "View", "Sort", "Copy", "Paste", "Rename", "Properties", etc. Some of the menu items are context based. In other words, in one of the areas operating system the context menu may contain some items, and in the other - already others. For example, the menu that pops up when you right-click on the taskbar will contain completely different items compared to the menu that you see in the screenshot below.
Here is another simple example of the context menu that appears when you right-click on a folder:
Now that you've learned what Windows context menu is and how it works, let's take a look at a handy and free app, with which you can easily customize the menu.
A portable application that allows you to add custom items to the "right-click menu" in Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 was developed by Sergey Tkachenko (WinAero) - a well-known developer who is the author of many useful tools, including . The application is very convenient in the sense that the whole process of adding items to the context menu requires several clicks from the user.
To get started, launch the application. The Context Menu Tuner interface consists of two different panels - the left one contains a list of supported commands, and the right one consists of areas Windows Explorer. To add a command, you need to select one of them in the left panel, and then, after selecting your preferred element in the right panel, you must click on the "Add" button. As you might guess, the "Delete" button is responsible for deleting the added commands.
Additional features of the application allow you to add separators before and after certain menu items. In addition, there are a couple of additional options.
Another interesting feature of the application is its ability to add custom commands for specific file types. When you open the "Select File Type" window, accessed by clicking on the "Append -> Append to Specified File Type" button in the application's main window, you'll see an impressive number of file extensions supported. The list is very long, so to quickly find a specific file type, use the search bar.
The screenshot below shows my context menu, which I modified using the Context Menu Tuner:
That's all. Now you know what the Windows context menu is and you know a simple solution to edit it.
Have a great day!
