Many people like the operating room Windows system, and many of us grew up with it. But some casual PC users - or those who have just recently switched to Windows - often get confused when looking for information about some of the simple things that control Microsoft's operating system. One such graphic element is called " context menu Windows" 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 is the Windows context menu?
In simple terms, it is a pop-up menu that appears when you right-click in any navigation area of the screen (hence the name “right-click menu”). The context menu can be accessed in folders, the taskbar, web browsers, and other areas GUI. The context menu is not exclusive to Windows, so you may have seen it in other applications as well. operating systems, including Mac OS X or Linux.
Speaking about the appearance of the context Windows menu, then everywhere it looks almost the same - only the elements inside it differ. For example, the screenshot below shows the context menu that opens when you right-click on the desktop to, say, customize the desktop background image in the Personalization window.
Typically, the context menu contains elements such as “View”, “Sort”, “Copy”, “Paste”, “Rename”, “Properties”, etc. Some of the menu items are context based. In other words, in one area of the operating system the context menu may contain some items, and in another - different ones. For example, the menu that pops up when you right-click on the taskbar will contain completely different items compared to the menu you see in the screenshot below.
Here's another simple example of the context menu that appears when you right-click on a folder:
Now that you know what the context menu is in Windows and how it works, let's look at a convenient and free application, 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, it 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 entire process of adding items to the context menu requires a few 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 need to click on the “Add” button. As you might guess, the “Delete” button is responsible for deleting added commands.
Additional features of the application allow you to add separators before and after certain menu items. In addition, there are a couple additional options.
Other interesting feature application lies in its ability to add custom commands for specific file types. Once you open the Select File Type window, which you can access by clicking the Add -> Add to Specified File Type button in the main application window, you'll see an impressive number of supported file extensions. 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 Context Menu Tuner:
That's all. Now you know what the Windows context menu is and a simple solution to edit it.
Have a great day!
Cleaning the context menu can be done manually through the registry, but this task is not trivial, since the entries are scattered throughout different places. In addition, it is not always easy to identify the appropriate registry key. For example, drivers are registered using the abbreviation “igfx”. The registry entries are scattered along the “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT” branch in the “shell” or “shellex” folders, which contains a folder called “ContextMenuHandlers”, which also includes individual parameters.
Shortening the context menu through the registry utility
Manual processing of context menu lines will take a lot of time. It is much easier to use the ShellExView program. Using regedit, you should only change system options.
To detect items from third party programs in ShellExView, sort the results by the “Company” parameter and find “Context Menu” in the “Type” column.
The free ShellExView utility will create a single list of all these registry lines. Even on a relatively new system, their number can exceed 250. To avoid getting lost in them, after starting the program, the entries should first be sorted. Things will go smoothly if you click on the “type” line at the top of the window. This way you can see everything at once possible entries in the registry, related, for example, to the “Context Menu”. But be careful: along with them, the utility will display lines from Shell, which it is better not to touch.
You can also sort by the “Company” parameter. In this case, the results will be arranged in alphabetical order - records created by the system and designated as “Microsoft” can be easily distinguished from the rest. Here, for example, you can select the corresponding “igfxDTCM Module” and disable it by clicking on the red dot at the top of the menu bar. After this, the entry for the (virtually useless) Intel driver graphics options will disappear from the context menu. However, for the system to apply these settings, you must first log out and then log in again. Alternatively, you can use the Task Manager to disable “explorer.exe” and then call this service again.
Changing system context menu items
Most of the lines in the context menu are created by the system itself. Among them there are also options that are not used by anyone, which, however, you would not want to accidentally activate by mistakenly pressing them. You can't simply get rid of them using ShellExView - you'll have to manually edit the registry.
A good example is the Send to option that Windows shows every time the user clicks on a file or folder. Don't forget that some sending options do not meet today's needs: the default is generally set to "Fax Recipient".
To remove this item from the menu, in Regedit, navigate to “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT | AllFilesystemObjects | shellex | ContextMenuHandlers | SendTo". In the right window, double-click the “Default” option and before the long sequence of characters in curly braces, put a modest minus sign “–” to disable it. As always, you need to log out of Windows and log in again.
The menu is the most important element of the graphic user interface, with which you can select the desired program option.
Types of menus on a computer:
- by execution – text and graphic
- by function - main application menu, pop-up, context and system menu
What is a context menu and how to call it
A context menu is a separate type of menu on a computer; a 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 in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers section.
How does the context menu open?
There are different ways how to call the context menu
- There is a special button at the bottom of the keyboard, between the "ALT" key and the "CTRL" key. It shows the additional functions and actions available in relation to this file. It usually has a sign and a mouse pointer on it. This button brings up the context menu.
It is used if you need to highlight shortcuts necessary files, as well as inside already running programs. When you click this button, the context menu is called up according to the current situation.
Right mouse button on keyboard can also be successfully replaced with this button.
This method is for those who prefer to use the keyboard, while you can open the context menu using the mouse.
- Mouse over required file, select it by clicking the left button. Right-clicking the highlighted area will open a context menu. When you select multiple items, 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 up by right-clicking on the highlighted area.
How to customize the right-click context menu
For the right mouse button, a simple program called Context Menu Tuner will help you configure the context menu. She will tell you how to configure the Windows 7 context menu.
Let's look at how to configure 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
- Adding a command. To do this, select it on the left side and “connect” it with the preferred element on the right. Click "Add".
Other commands are added in the same way.
In this informational article you will learn about how to call the context menu for any file, folder, shortcut, etc. using several different methods.
The context menu is a list of available commands that depend on what is selected in at the moment object. Folders, files, desktop or various programs that each user works with every day, almost all of them have a context menu that differs in the number of items, and therefore capabilities.
How to call the context menu?
To do this, you just need to right-click on the selected object, but in the keyboard shortcut Shift+F10 the menu of the currently active window is called up or we simply press the key to call the context menu (you can read about this key and other useful key combinations in this article).
If you click on the desktop in an empty space RMB(right mouse button), then a menu will appear with the sections available in it, and if you click on the file, then other sections will appear, and the shortcut will also have personal differences in the items, etc.
This is actually what contextuality is all about, that is, the composition of the sections changes depending on the specific type of object.
Advanced context menu
To call it, hold down the key Shift and right-click on the selected object, which will cause the list to increase by several points, unlike the usual call.
In the example given, these differences can be observed.
On the left screenshot there is a standard right-click call on an object, and on the right screenshot there is an extended call, where a command line call tab has been added ( cmd.exe).
When a key combination Shift+click RMB the menu will always expand from one to several new items, which can be very useful in some cases.
I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that some tabs have a small arrow on the right side; if you hover your cursor over it, an additional submenu will pop up with a list of additional tabs.
To expand the functions of the desktop context menu, there are special third party utilities which can add new items, for example, you can add some programs and launch them from there in order not to clutter the desktop with shortcuts, personally, I think this is not really necessary.
There are also utilities, on the contrary, for removing unnecessary items from the menu that may remain from some past long-deleted program, such a utility can be useful.
All these utilities, if you suddenly need them, can be easily found on the Internet.
Of course, all deleting or adding actions can be performed through the computer registry, but this method is not at all for a beginner.
And finally, watch a short video tutorial on this topic, I’ll say goodbye to you with this.
Valery Semenov, moikomputer.ru
Context menu(English)
Context menu
contextmenu, pop-upmenu) is a hidden menu that appears when you right-click. This menu is a list of commands and functions for the selected object or element (folder, file, selected text, etc.).
Popup menu, as it is often called, has different content depending on the type of element and program selected. For example, if you select a folder and right-click on it, then in the context menu that opens you will see commands that can be executed for this folder (open, copy, rename, etc.).
Below is an example of a popup menu for selected text in Microsoft program Word.
The context menu can be opened not only for selected objects, but also from scratch (for example, the desktop, inside a folder, taskbar).
How to open the context menu?
There are several ways to open the context menu on Windows operating systems.
In OS X, a pop-up menu can be opened by holding down the Control key and left-clicking on the desired object.
See also: Start menu.
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 on a computer:
- by execution – text and graphic
- by function - main application menu, pop-up, context and system menu
What is a context menu and how to call it
A context menu is a separate type of menu on a computer; a 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 in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers section.
How does the context menu open?
There are different ways to bring up the context menu
- There is a special button at the bottom of the keyboard, between the ALT key and the CTRL key. It shows additional functions and actions available for a given file. It usually has a sign and a mouse pointer on it. This button brings up the context menu.
It is used if you need to highlight shortcuts to necessary files, as well as inside already running programs. When you click this button, the context menu is called up according to the current situation.
Right mouse button on keyboard can also be successfully replaced with this button.
This method is for those who prefer to use the keyboard, while you can open the context menu using the mouse.
- Move the mouse over the desired file and select it by left-clicking. Right-clicking the highlighted area will open a context menu. When you select multiple items, 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 up by right-clicking on the highlighted area.
How to customize the right-click context menu
For the right mouse button, a simple program called Context Menu Tuner will help you configure the context menu. She will tell you how to configure the Windows 7 context menu.
Let's look at how to configure 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.
How to change the right click menu. Clearing the Windows Context Menu
Set the Russian language in the settings
- Adding a command. To do this, select it on the left side and “connect” it with the preferred element on the right. Click “Add”.
Other commands are added in the same way.
To delete a command, select it and click “Delete”
The right-click context menu is now configured.
Published: March 10, 2014, 12:06Your comment to the article:
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How to add or remove items from the context menu?
A pointing device, the mouse, is often used to select menu items and commands on the toolbar. When using a mouse, pressing the left button usually selects and specifies a point on the screen; Right-clicking brings up a context menu. The form and content of the menu depend on the position of the mouse pointer and the state of the task: for example, it is provided quick access to the options required for the current command.
Right-clicking in the drawing area brings up one of six context menus:
- standard - contains a set of standard functions designed, in particular, for working with the clipboard, zooming, and panning. To bring up this menu, you must deselect objects, end the currently active command, and right-click;
- editing - combines functions designed for editing objects. The set of functions may vary depending on the type of selected object. To bring up the menu, you must select one or more objects, end the currently active command, and right-click;
- command - contains a set of functions that make it easier to execute commands using the mouse. This also includes the current command options displayed in command line. To call this menu, you need to right-click when executing a command;
- object snapping - allows you to select or configure object snapping modes and enable a coordinate filter. To call the menu, right-click while holding down the -Shift key;
- pens - contains functions that allow you to edit using pens. To call the menu, select the handles on the object and right-click;
- OLE - combines functions that allow you to edit OLE objects. To call the menu, you need to right-click on the OLE object inserted into the picture.
Object Snaps, Handles, and OLE context menus are always enabled so you can call them at any time. Context menus are standard, editing and command can be disabled.
In this case, right-clicking the mouse will correspond to pressing the Enter key. By default, these three context menus are enabled.
For other elements of the AutoCAD window, except for the drawing area, you can call the following context menus:
- toolbar. To enable/disable any panel or to configure panels, you must right-click on any of them. To display a list of panel groups, right-click on the free area to the right of the standard toolbar;
- command line. To select one of the six most recently executed commands, or to access some of the command line functions, you must right-click the command line or command window;
- dialog box (this menu is not available for all dialog boxes). Typically, context menus are associated with either drop-down lists or value entry fields and allow you to delete, rename individual list items, or work with the clipboard. Context menus can be associated with some other window elements. To call the menu, right-click on an element in the dialog box;
- status bar. To switch the drawing mode or change settings, you must right-click on the area of the line where the current coordinates are displayed, or on any button for switching the drawing mode or changing settings;
- Model/Layout tabs. To open print windows and configure page settings, as well as manage sheets, right-click on the Model tab or one of the Layout tabs.
In this lesson we will take a closer look at the functions of a very useful key that is found on any keyboard. This key is called the "Context Menu key". It is located in the lower right part of the keyboard between the ALT and CTRL keys
When you press this key, a CONTEXT MENU CALLS UP, exactly the same as if you pressed the RIGHT mouse button.
The trick of this button is that the menu called up when clicked will display functions (menu items) that can be applied in the current program, in the active window, on the desktop, etc. Those. This menu adapts to the process in which you are directly working, and this is very convenient.
Now let's take a closer look at the main options for displaying the context menu in different environments and the functions that can be performed using this menu.
1. Click the RIGHT mouse button or the “Context Menu” key on the Windows Desktop
For Windows 7
When you press the RIGHT mouse button or the “Context Menu” key on the Windows 7 desktop, a menu that looks like this appears:
1. At the very top of the menu - setting parameters Your video card.
2.View- customize the display of icons on the desktop
3. Sorting- setting sorting by displaying icons on the desktop
4. Update- updating the display of content on the Desktop.
5.Insert- if you copied something, you can paste it onto the Desktop.
6. Create. Here you can create on the Desktop: a folder, a shortcut, text document, archive, MS Office documents - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. (if installed)
7. Screen resolution. Here you can install necessary settings screen: select a screen (there may be several), find out or set the screen resolution, determine the screen orientation, and also configure other parameters for working with the screen, for example, connecting a projector.
8. Gadgets- selection and installation of Windows 7 gadgets. Windows XP does not have such a function.
9. Personalization. Here you can configure appearance The worker began to change the background, screensaver, sounds, theme, window color, etc.
For Windows XP
In Windows XP, as many people certainly know, the context menu looks simpler, but performs almost the same functions.
When you press the RIGHT mouse button or the “Context Menu” key on the Windows XP desktop, the following menu appears:
1. Using the first menu item Arrange icons we can perform the following operations:
Screen resolution configured on the tab Options
2. Clicking the RIGHT mouse button or the “Context Menu” key on a file or folder in Explorer or any other file manager.
When you click the RIGHT mouse button or the “Context Menu” key on a file in Explorer or any other file manager, the menu is also adjusted to the file of a certain type. For example, I clicked by video file. The following menu opens:
In this case, the menu offers functions that correspond specifically to the video file: play, add to the list of the player that is selected by default for of this type file. And a number of standard functions: open with, add to archive (if the archiver is installed), send, cut, copy, delete, rename and file properties.
If you click with the RIGHT mouse button or on the “Context Menu” key on a graphic file, then a menu will open that will correspond to the graphic file type:
Here you can immediately open, edit or print the selected file in your default image program. In my case, this is the ACDSee program.
You can immediately make the selected file the background image for your Desktop, which is very convenient when you choose from a large list. And then again there are standard functions for working with files.
There are no significant differences in Windows XP,
standard functions for working with a file are called by the command Change
I will dwell in more detail on the “Open with” and “Send” items.
Why is the “Open with” function useful?
Here you can select or assign any installed program, which understands the selected file format. In this case, I clicked on the video file and several programs can work with this format on my computer: Light Allow, WinAmp and of course Windows Media Player.
If not on the list the desired program, but you know for sure that it is installed, select the menu item "Select program". Windows will prompt you to select programs from a list of recommended or other programs.
In Windows XP, the appearance of this window is slightly different, but the meaning is the same:
If you want the selected file format to always be opened by the program you choose, then check the box “Use the selected program for all files of this type”.
If the desired program is not in the list of recommended programs or in others, but you know for sure that the program is installed, then press the button "Review…" and select it from the folder where the program is installed.
Why is the “Send” function useful?
Using this function, so to speak, “without leaving the cash register”, you can send (transfer, transfer) the selected file via BlueTooth (bluetooth), Skype, mail, to the Desktop, to the archive, for burning to a CD/DVD disk, to a flash drive etc.
3. Press the RIGHT mouse button or the “Context Menu” key in any Internet browser.
And here, too, the menu adapts to different situations, depending on where you click on the web page. For example, if you click via the link, then the following menu will open:
Using this menu, you can open the contents of the link in a new tab or window, add the link to bookmarks, send the link, copy the link, if the link is a file, then you can save it using “Save Target As...”. If you have download programs installed, you can download the contents of the link using them.
If you click the RIGHT mouse button or the “Context Menu” key from the picture on the web page, then a menu with other functions will open:
Here you can copy the image to the clipboard and paste, for example, into Word document, you can save the image to your computer using “Save image as...”, send the image by mail, make the selected image the desktop background, find out information about the image (type, size, file name), etc.
Let me sum it up. In this lesson, we looked at the most popular options for using the context menu, which is called by clicking the RIGHT mouse button or pressing the “Context Menu” key on the keyboard.
Namely:
1. Click the RIGHT mouse button or the “Context Menu” key on the Windows Desktop
2. Clicking the RIGHT mouse button or the “Context Menu” key on a file or folder in Explorer or any other file manager.
3. Press the RIGHT mouse button or the “Context Menu” key in any Internet browser.
The essence of this lesson is to learn how to use the useful functions of the specific active environment of your computer. In any environment, by right-clicking or pressing the “Context Menu” key, you will get a list useful functions available at a given time, relative to the selected object.
