Access and Customize Windows 7's Extended Context Menu

With Windows 7 pushed out to the masses, it'south simply a affair of fourth dimension earlier the Web is flooded with all sorts of nifty tips and tricks as the inquisitive and tech savvy have their way with Microsoft's latest operating organization. To become the brawl rolling, we're going to testify yous how to access Windows seven's extended context carte, also as how to edit, add, and remove items from information technology.

The context card is cypher else only the options you go when correct clicking on a file or folder. In Windows 7, some less popular options are left out and placed on the extended context carte, which is accessible past holding down shift when you right click on an detail (shift + right-click).

This applies to just well-nigh everything, from files and folders to the desktop, and allows for quick access to specialized operations, such as opening a file as read-merely, executing something as some other user, or opening a control prompt at a specific location.

It also allows you to speedily achieve things like an undo move, which is useful if you're unfamiliar with the countless Windows shortcuts (Ctrl+Z is undo, by the fashion), or directly copy a drive path. The extended "Send to" menu (run into screenshot below) comes in handy if you find yourself moving things using this shortcut often.

And while the pre-defined extended carte du jour items may be helpful, they are nevertheless limited to what comes by default. ShellMenuView is a very lightweight utility (~80KB and doesn't require installation) that is uniform with everything from Windows 98 to Windows 7 x64. You can download the utility here (32-bit | 64-bit).

Once you lot open up the program, you'll immediately be faced with dozens of entries that you lot can enable or disable -- both in the standard and extended context card.

Through ShellMenuView you can become rid of all of the annoying program-specific ataxia that has accumulated in your context menu (think: anti-malware software, all-in-one utilities, text editors and part applications, paradigm mounting tools etcetera). Don't become me wrong, some of these entries are time-saving, but others are flat out annoying, and are unremarkably are placed without your consent.

ShellMenuView'southward interface and feature-prepare is pretty straightforward. Scroll through the list of entries to find the offender, right click on information technology and choose "Disable Selected Items". Also, yous can enable or even set other items to appear (or non) in the extended context carte du jour with the aforementioned motion. ShellMenuView also gives you quick admission to the registry entries of context bill of fare listings.

In our tests using ShellMenuView we were able to manipulate context menu entries for most of our programs: VLC, Windows Media Thespian, Imgburn, OneNote, TVersity, and some of Windows own shortcuts. We had a few problems removing a stubborn entry for MagicISO, but using another program called ShellExView (from the same developer), we were able to get rid of the annoying actress shortcuts.

But obviously that's only the tip of the iceberg. Experience free to share your custom context menu or whatever other Windows 7 tips in the comments.

Did you know?

You lot tin can too hands edit Firefox's right-click card with Menu Editor and spare yourself of unwanted items like "Send Link" or "Re-create Email Address" every time yous right click within your browser screen. Isn't that nifty?