Vista - Start Menu - Customize Context Menu

**Brink**

How to Customize the Start Menu Context Menu in Vista

Information

When you right click on the Start Menu button (orb) or in the Start menu, you will see the context menu with it's default menu options. This will let you add your own shortcut items to this context menu.

EXAMPLE: Before and After Start Menu Button (Orb) Context Menu

Here's How:
NOTE: For an example, I will add NotePad to the Start Menu context menu. You can add whatever program shortcuts you like and as many program shortcuts you would like.

1. Open the Start Menu.

2. In white line (Start Search) area, type regedit and press Enter.

3. Click on Continue in the UAC prompt.

4. In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below)
NOTE: It's there, you just have to scroll past all the file extensions.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shell

5. In left pane, right click on Shell and click on New and Key.

6. Type the name you want to appear in the context menu and press Enter. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: This will usually be the name of the program. For example: NotePad.

7. In left pane, right click on the program name (Ex: NotePad) from step 6and click on New and Key. (See screenshot below)

8. Type Command and press Enter. (See screenshot below)

9. In the right pane of the Command Key, right click on (Default) and click on Modify. (See screenshot below)

10. Type in the full path of the program you want to add a shortcut for and click on OK. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: For the NotePad example, you would type: C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe

11. The registry should now look similar to this, with the NotePad example.

12. Close regedit.

13. Right click on the Start Menu button (orb) and see the item in the Context Menu. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: You may need to click on a empty space on the desktop and press F5 to refresh the desktop first.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

**supsuper** · 06-27-2008

I am trying to get the windows explorer shortcut to show up here, but cannot find the location of explorer.exe. %SystemRoot% does not seem to work. Any idea where Windows Explorer can be found? I want to do this since it is impossible to configure the right-click -> Explore option to open to a desired folder. Thanks.

**supsuper** · 06-27-2008

I also want to find out how to add a program to the right click menu within windows explorer, and to open the folder that I right clicked on within windows explorer.
e.g. I use a music file tagging utility that used to have a right click menu in XP, but has problems with this in Vista 64 bit. It used to open the folder in the program when I right clicked on a folder and chose this program. Any idea how to do this now in Vista 64? Please let me know.

**Brink** · 06-27-2008

Hello Supsuper.

Welcome to Vista Forums.

Q1) The location for the Windows Explorer EXE is at C:\Windows\explorer.exe .

Q2) You can right click on the file and use Open With to have that file open in a selected program that supports the file extension type. This tutorial will show you how to if needed.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

**steve747** · 05-23-2009

Despite what most people say I have discovered a way to right click - start - explore to open where you want however it does require a registry edit.

1. open registry editor and go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\Shell\Explore\Command
2. rename DelegateExecute to Old-DelegateExecute (or something similar just in case)
3. I added new string value and left the defaults but this step is probably not neccesary
4. Change the value of (Default) REG_EXPAND_SIZE to the path you want as in instuctions above. Mine was %SystemRoot%\Explore.exe /e, c:\

works great!

**Brink** · 05-23-2009

Great find Steve, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Shawn

06-27-2008
supsuper Vista Ultimate x64 2 posts	Re: Start Menu - Customize Context Menu I am trying to get the windows explorer shortcut to show up here, but cannot find the location of explorer.exe. %SystemRoot% does not seem to work. Any idea where Windows Explorer can be found? I want to do this since it is impossible to configure the right-click -> Explore option to open to a desired folder. Thanks.
My System Specs

06-27-2008
supsuper Vista Ultimate x64 2 posts	Re: Start Menu - Customize Context Menu I also want to find out how to add a program to the right click menu within windows explorer, and to open the folder that I right clicked on within windows explorer. e.g. I use a music file tagging utility that used to have a right click menu in XP, but has problems with this in Vista 64 bit. It used to open the folder in the program when I right clicked on a folder and chose this program. Any idea how to do this now in Vista 64? Please let me know.
My System Specs

06-27-2008
Brink Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1 29,548 posts Texas, USA	Re: Start Menu - Customize Context Menu Hello Supsuper. Welcome to Vista Forums. Q1) The location for the Windows Explorer EXE is at C:\Windows\explorer.exe . Q2) You can right click on the file and use Open With to have that file open in a selected program that supports the file extension type. This tutorial will show you how to if needed. Hope this helps, Shawn
My System Specs

05-23-2009
steve747 vista 32 2 posts	Re: Windows Explorer Default Opening Despite what most people say I have discovered a way to right click - start - explore to open where you want however it does require a registry edit. 1. open registry editor and go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\Shell\Explore\Command 2. rename DelegateExecute to Old-DelegateExecute (or something similar just in case) 3. I added new string value and left the defaults but this step is probably not neccesary 4. Change the value of (Default) REG_EXPAND_SIZE to the path you want as in instuctions above. Mine was %SystemRoot%\Explore.exe /e, c:\ works great!
My System Specs

05-23-2009
Brink Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1 29,548 posts Texas, USA	Re: Start Menu - Customize Context Menu Great find Steve, and welcome to Vista Forums. Shawn
My System Specs

Similar topics to: Start Menu - Customize Context Menu
Tutorial	Category
Start Menu - Customize	Tutorials
Customize Context Menu	General Discussion
Customize start menu	Vista General
How to customize context menu?	Vista General
Start Menu "right" click context menu	Vista General

Vista - Start Menu - Customize Context Menu

Start Menu - Customize Context Menu

Start Menu - Customize Context Menu problems?