Remove NVIDIA Control Panel from Right-Click Menu - Easy Guide

Removing the NVIDIA Control Panel from the Desktop Context Menu

Have you ever considered eliminating the "NVIDIA Control Panel" option from your desktop's right-click menu? It's a surprisingly straightforward process to accomplish this. This procedure remains consistent across Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 operating systems.

For those unfamiliar, the item in question refers to the following menu entry. Access to the NVIDIA Control Panel is readily available through the Control Panel’s Additional Options section, should it be required.

Remove the Easy Way

Simply launch the NVIDIA Control Panel application. Then, uncheck the option labeled "View \ Add Desktop Context Menu".

This action will instantly hide the item from the context menu.

However, it’s important to note that this method only disables the menu item; it doesn't actually remove it from the system.

Remove With a Registry Hack

To completely remove the menu item from the registry, open the Registry Editor (regedit.exe) via the Start menu search or the Run dialog box. Navigate to the following key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\

Locate the "NvCplDesktopContext" key in the left pane. Before proceeding, it is crucial to export the current key to a file as a backup. After backing up, you can then delete the key.

Completely Disable the Shell Extension

If you wish to prevent the shell extension from loading altogether, the Nirsoft ShellExView application provides a convenient solution. Remember to launch ShellExView with administrator privileges (right-click and select "Run as Administrator") on Vista and later versions.

Find the entry with "DesktopContextClass" and the description "NVIDIA Display Properties Extension", then click the "Disable" button.

If you are uncertain if it is the correct entry, double-click it to view the details and confirm its similarity to the example shown (though your version number may differ).

Upon using the "Disable" button, the menu item will be immediately removed.