Add Items to Windows 7/8 Desktop Context Menu

Customizing the Windows Context Menu

The Windows context menu offers a convenient starting point for launching applications, navigating to websites, and accessing folders. There are multiple methods for expanding the menu’s functionality, including utilizing the Windows Registry or employing a dedicated software tool.

A readily available, no-cost utility known as Right Click Context Menu Adder provides a streamlined approach to augmenting the desktop and folders context menus. Beyond simply adding programs, this tool facilitates the inclusion of folders, web links, and individual files.

Using Right Click Context Menu Adder

This application is portable, meaning installation is not required. To begin, extract the downloaded .zip archive (available via the link at the article’s conclusion) and execute the .exe file by double-clicking it.

If prompted by User Account Control, confirm the action by clicking “Yes”. Note that this dialog may not appear, contingent upon your current User Account Control settings.

Ensure the “Add items to menu” tab is selected. From the “Item type to add” dropdown, choose the type of item you wish to incorporate into the context menu. Let's begin by adding a program.

Click the “Search” button positioned to the right of the “Program to add” field. This will open a file selection dialog.

Navigate to the directory containing the desired program and select its executable (.exe) file. Confirm your selection by clicking “Open”. Alternatively, .msi or .bat files can be chosen from the adjacent dropdown menu.

The program automatically retrieves the icon associated with the selected file. However, a custom icon can be assigned using the “Search” button within the “Icon to show on Menu” box. This allows for personalized visual representation on the context menu.

Should you require an icon extraction tool, BeCyIconGrabber is a free option. Additionally, free .ico files can be sourced from websites like IconFinder.

To toggle the visibility of the “Icon to show on Menu” box, utilize the “Compact” or “Extended” links located at the bottom of the dialog. Switching between these modes adjusts the interface layout.

Specify the desired position of the new item within the context menu using the “Position on Menu” dropdown. Enter the text that will be displayed on the menu in the “Text on Menu” field.

To restrict the item’s appearance to instances where the Shift key is pressed, check the “Show only when SHIFT key is pressed” box.

Choose whether to add the item exclusively to the Desktop context menu by selecting the corresponding radio button. To include it in both the Desktop and Folders context menus, opt for the alternative radio button.

Once all parameters are configured, click “Add to Context Menu”.

A confirmation message will appear, indicating successful addition to the menu. Click “OK” to dismiss it.

Adding Web Addresses and Folders

To add a web address to the context menu, select “Web Address” from the “Item type to add” dropdown. Enable the “Download Website icon (Favicon)” checkbox to automatically retrieve the site’s favicon.

Enter the target URL in the “Program to add” field. Configure the “Position on Menu” and “Text on Menu” settings, and then click “Add to Context Menu”.

To incorporate a frequently accessed folder, select “Folder” as the “Item type to add”. Click the “Choose Folder” button within the “Program to add” field.

Alternatively, files can be added by selecting “Any type of file”, which transforms the “Choose Folder” button into a “Search” button for file selection.

Navigate to the desired folder using the “Browse For Folder” dialog, select it, and click “OK”. The “Make New Folder” button allows for on-the-fly folder creation.

Icons are not automatically assigned to folders. To select one, click “Search” in the “Icon to show on Menu” box (when in Extended mode).

Use the “Choose an icon” dialog to locate and select the desired .ico file. BeCyIconGrabber can extract icons from files like .exe or .dll, and IconFinder offers a library of free .ico files.

Click “Add to Context Menu” to finalize the addition of the folder to the context menu.

Managing Existing Menu Items

The resulting context menu will reflect the added items. For example, a website at the top, a folder in the middle, and a program at the bottom.

To remove existing items, switch to the “Remove items from menu” tab. Select the item from the list and click “Remove”. A confirmation prompt will appear.

Note that the displayed options may vary depending on the “Show only items displayed on Desktop Context Menu” setting in the “Options” box.

Settings and Customization

The “Settings” tab allows for program customization. The “Choose Language” dropdown enables language selection.

Disabling the “Ask before remove items” checkbox suppresses confirmation prompts during item removal. Selecting the “Show ‘Added’ alert only in status bar” checkbox displays addition confirmations solely in the status bar.

The “Always start in Compact mode” option simplifies the interface by hiding the “Icon to show on Menu” box.

For web addresses, you can specify the browser used to open links, overriding your default browser setting. Click “Change” in the “Open Web addresses with this Browser” box and select the browser’s .exe file.

As Right Click Context Menu Adder is portable, settings can be saved to an INI file within the program directory. Selecting the “File in the program folder” radio button enables this feature, allowing for easy portability via a USB drive.

Right Click Context Menu Adder offers a user-friendly method for tailoring the Windows context menu to your specific needs. This tool was tested in Windows 7 and is reported to be compatible with Windows 8 as well.

Download Right Click Context Menu Adder from http://vishal-gupta.deviantart.com/art/Right-Click-Context-Menu-Adder-244062201.