Add or Delete Items from Right-Click Context Menu in Windows

The right-click menu, also known as “Context Menu” appears when you press the right button of your mouse. The context menu will give you more shortcuts over the selected item. You can also open the context menu by pressing the keyboard key if the relevant key is available on your computer’s keyboard. You can right click on the desktop, a file, folder or a program in Windows PC. This article explores various methods of personalizing the right-click menu in Windows 10 or 11. Also, learn how to add Save As menu in macOS Apps.

Why Should You Modify Right Click Menu?

Below is a sample menu that will appear when right-clicking on the empty area of File Explorer.

Remember, different applications installed on your PC may modify menu items in the context menu. Though very helpful when you want to perform various actions on a file or an app, the context menu can be overloaded with so many options that you do not even use. However, you can customize it by either removing, adding or renaming some of the context menu items in Windows.

1. Customizing Context Menu From Registry Editor

• Press the “Win + R” keys on the keyboard, on the “Run” utility, type “regedit” and then click “Ok”.

• On the “Registry Editor”, click the arrow beside the “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT” folder.

• Let us say you want to remove a context menu item, like “Open with”. Expand the folder path “* > shellex > ContextMenuHandlers”.
• Look for the item you want to remove “Open With”, right click it and select “Delete” from the list. This will remove the key, its sub-keys and the option will not appear when you right-click a file.

Adding Context Menu Item

• Another way to personalize the context menu is to add your own command to facilitate action(s). For instance, we can add a new item “Chrome” on the menu list.
• Under the “*” or unknown keys, select and right click the “Shell” keys, hover the mouse over “New” and from the expanded options choose “Key”.

• Rename the key to “Chrome” and then repeat the process to create a sub-key for this new key.
• Rename the sub-key to “Command”.

• Click the created sub-key and on the right-side panel double-click “(Default)” to add the command.
• Under the “Value data” text box, enter the command you want the item to execute such as path and the name of a program it will execute (in this case path for Chrome) and add the name of the executable file at the end of the command.

• Close the registry editor and then right click a file to confirm whether the new entry, “Chrome” displays on the context menu.

• If you click it, the Google Chrome browser will open.

2. Add or Remove Item in “Send to” Context Menu

• You can add or remove an item from the “Send to” menu options.

• Open “Run” by pressing “Win + R” keys on the keyboard, type “shell: send to” and click “Ok”.

• Right click an empty space and go to “New” from the options. Here you have the option to add a program, a new folder or a shortcut to an app or a folder.
• You can add an option to send a file to a specific contact. Select “Contact”, add the contact and enter the details and then click “Ok”.

• The new item will be added to the “Send to” menu.

3. Customize Using Third-Party Context Menu Editors

Using the “Registry Editor” can be difficult as you need to know the specific key for a given menu item or the command for the item you need to add. Another simple way is to use trusted third party menu editors for Windows 10. Many free context menu editors enable you to view and edit the items on the menu.

Some of the popular right click menu editors are:

• Right-Click Extender for Windows.
• Context Menu Editor for Windows.
• Ultimate Windows Customizer.

Conclusion

The right click menu provides more commands to help you perform various activities on a given file or program. However, sometimes the menu item may be cluttered with items that you never use or need. Luckily, you can personalize the context menu by adding or removing some of the options either through the Windows Registry Editor, or using free third party software. Either method will give you full control of the context menu option, thus enhance your productivity with Windows 10 / 11.