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How To Remove and Add left-Click Menu Items from Files and Folders

Removing Items

A lot of programs you install will add themselves to the left-click menu of your files and/or folders. And most times, you have no choice in the matter and, as a result, your left-click menu can get very long with added items you don't even use. The last person I was helping with this had a left context menu so long that the Rename option was no longer visible!

Fortunately, you can easily remove those unwanted menu items, if you know the registry values to edit. And it's not at all difficult once you know the keys responsible for the additions.

For Files, the secret lies in the "context menu handlers" under the shellex subkey for "All Files" which, in the registry, is nothing but an asterisk - like a dos wildcard, which means the values entered apply to all files. It is at the very top of the Root key, left here:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

Click the the sign next to the ContextMenuHandlers key, to expand it.

Now you will see some of the programs that have added items to your left-click menu. Simply delete the program keys you don't want.

Yup! It's that simple. If deleting makes you uneasy, just export the key before deleting it. Or, instead of deleting the values, disable them. Simply double click the default value for the program on the left hand pane and rename the clsid value by placing a period or dash in front of it.

ie; - {b5eedee0-c06e-11cf-8c56-444553540000}

Then exit the registry, refresh, and left click a file to see if the item was removed from the menu.

Some programs - like WinZip or WinRar - will add several items to your left click menu but all of them will be removed by deleting or disabling their one context menu handler.

Note that the above key only applies to the left click menu of files.

To remove entries from the left click context menu of folders, you need to navigate to the Folder and Drive keys:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

All you have to do is follow the same procedure as for Files - either disable or delete items you wish to remove.

Adding Items

Adding Items to the left click menu of Files and Folders is also fairly simple using the Registry. It just involves the creation of a few new keys for each item you wish to add. You edit the same keys used for removing items. Let's use Notepad as an example of an item you'd like to add to the left click menu of all your files or folders.

For folders, go to this key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder

Click the sign next to Folder and expand it so that the Shell key is visible. left click the Shell key and choose New>Key and name the key Notepad or whatever else you'd prefer (whatever the key is named is what will appear in the left-click menu). Now left click the new key you made and create another key named Command. Then, in the left hand pane, double click "Default" and enter Notepad.exe as the value.

Exit the registry, refresh, and left click any folder. Notepad should now be on the context menu.

For files, go here again:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*

Expand the * key and see if a Shell key exists. If it does exist, follow the same procedure as for folders. If it does not exist, you'll have to create a new Shell first. Just left click the * key and choose New>Key and name it Shell. Then left click the Shell key and continue on the same way you did for adding items to the left click menu of folders.

Once done, Notepad should appear as an option in the left click menu of all your files.

Vic Ferri owns the very popular WinTips and Tricks email group. He is also in charge of the Printing Tips and Registry Tips pages at Linda's Computer Stop.

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