Context menu on Windows 7. A detailed analysis of the options for the Windows context menu. Extended context menu
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 about the context menu of "OSes" of the Windows family, 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 an additional set of commands for quick access to any 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 the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + 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's 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 installing 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, each user noticed 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 the 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. Otherwise, using this command will only result in the system prompting you to browse and select the most appropriate 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 by 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 of an 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 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 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 concern 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 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 recommend special utilities for adding and removing 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, by the WinZip and WinRar archivers, as well as the Outlook Express and The Bat! mail clients, which add commands for packing and sending by e-mail as attachments to the context menus of files.
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 to put 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 of 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 to remove individual commands from the My Computer context menu and folders. 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> Programs> Administrative Tools> Computer Management (Start> Programs> Administrative Tools> Computer Management) and if you select the command Start> Run, enter compmgmt.msc and click on the OK button.
To remove the entire folder context menu in Windows 2000, navigate to the Windows Explorer icon in the left pane and double-click Remove Windows Explorer's default context menu. In Windows XP, you need 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, just 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 of the 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 a 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.
Secrets of Productive Work on the 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 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 the 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?
There are different ways to call 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 features and actions available for this 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 the 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.
To remove a command, select it and click "Delete"
The right-click context menu is now configured.
Objectively, we cannot say that the usability of Windows leaves much to be desired. If necessary, any third-party program or standard utility can be brought to the desktop by creating its shortcut. All current versions of Windows are equipped with an in-system search, with the help of which any software is quickly launched and any system settings are opened. Plus, don't forget about the team "Run"
and god mode.
And in the latest versions of the system, we additionally also have a menu called by the keys Win + X, where the links of the most important ones, according to Microsoft, regular tools. For those who are not satisfied with the regular means of implementing access to the system functionality, there are many alternatives on the third-party software market - dock panels, launchers, file managers with their own software launch environment, utilities for editing the Windows context menu, etc. Let's talk about one of the programs of the latter type in more detail.
is a small free utility for editing the Windows context menu from the developer Winaero , known for its other products for changing system settings and interface. The utility contains a huge list of regular functions that can be added to the context menu called on files, folders, desktop, local drives and user libraries. These features included, in particular, technology options bitlocker, copying the path of the elements location, launching the command line, PowerShell and a system utility for defragmenting disks, connecting to a remote desktop, and others. It is also possible to add custom context menu items from among program startup files ".exe" - portable software does not require installation in the system.
Having launched the utility, the first thing to do is to set the interface language. Russian is selected in the settings.
The left part of the utility window contains a list of system functions and commands that can be added to the context menu. Select any of them, press the button in the middle of the window "Add", specify the area (desktop in our case) and press "Add to selected item".
After that, you can apply the parameters provided by the utility to the newly made context menu item - add a separator, specify the position, make the element not always displayed, but only when the Shift key is pressed, etc.
To get quick access to your own program, in the right half of the utility window, select "Add your item". In the additional window, specify the name, path to the startup file and click "Create".
Everything- now the system functions offered by the utility and its programs will be available in the context menu of the selected area of Windows.
You will need a small Right Click Enhancer utility. It offers an impressive list of commands that can be added to the context menu of any version of Windows since Vista.
After launching the Right Click Enhancer (if you are confused by the English interface, click Language → Russian to switch to Russian), you will see a set of tools, each of which makes its own changes to the context menu. Let's consider the most interesting of them.
Right Click Tweaker
With the help of the Right Click Tweaker tool, you can add almost two dozen useful commands to the context menu. Here are some of the most notable.
- "Copy to" opens a window for selecting a folder to which the current object can be copied.
- "Move to" acts like the previous command, only it does not copy, but moves the object.
- "Copy to Path" saves the path to the current object to the clipboard. This option can save time if you need, for example, to upload an image to a website or to a graphics editor. You just paste the path to the file instead of manually specifying it.
- "New folder" creates a folder right from the context menu, while the standard Windows method requires you to first go to the "Create" submenu, and then select "Folder".
- "Control Panel" opens the corresponding section with system settings.
To add a command to the context menu, just tick it.
Unfortunately, some Right Click Tweaker options do not yet work correctly with Cyrillic characters. Therefore, commands like "Copy Content", which saves the contents of text files to the clipboard, are best used only with English texts.
New Menu Editor
In the context menu there is an item "Create". By default, it can be used to quickly create objects of several types: text document, folder, shortcut, and others.
You can significantly expand this list with objects of other formats thanks to the New Menu Editor. It is enough to launch this tool and mark the necessary file types with a checkbox. To exclude objects that you do not plan to create from the list, mark them with a cross - they will disappear from the "Create" submenu.
Send To Manager
If you right-click on a folder or file, the "Submit" item will be displayed in the context menu. It contains a small list of folders and programs where you can export the selected item for storage or playback.
The Send To Manager tool will allow you to expand this list. To add a new directory to which you will send objects to the context menu, launch Send To Manager and click Add Folder. If you want to add a program, click "Add File" and select its icon.
All folders and programs added this way will appear in the Send to submenu.
Right Click Enhancer Professional
This tool is only available in the paid version of the program. For $10, you can add shortcuts to the context menu for quick access to programs, files, and folders, as well as create and customize submenus. All other features listed in the article are available for free.
