Modify Context Menu Items

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I’ve just finished prowling through the registry looking for a way to edit the command display titles for the right-click context menus, but found nothing understandable. The command that is bugging me is for Business Logic Corp’s “Destroy-It” program. Right click on a file or folder, and the context menu now takes up 3/4 of the screen!!!

Use Destroy-it! to Destroy the Selected File(s) or Folder(s)...

This command desperately needs to be shortened. The program has a setting to turn the context menu command on or off, but nothing I have found would allow it to be reduced to “Destroy-it!”

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Hi
Run Registry Edit.exe and before editing anything, you’re aware of the precautions you need to take?

Right at the very top (HK_Classes_Root is a key with * as its name. This is the ‘null’ or ‘everything’. Changes to the R context Menu made here will affect all files and shortcuts.

Find ShellEx and Context Menu Handlers. ‘Destoy it ‘ should be listed, and you can shorten its title to what you like. Only, I have not been able to make anything appear on the context menu when using this prog. in either Win 98SE or Win 2kP.

Rgds

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I ‘borrowed’ this from the LockerGnome Tech Specialist. I also found a tool that will edit those pesky context menus but at the moment brain drain has prevented me from finding it for you.

Anyhoo…..

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there are ways to modify what shows up when you right click on files, folders and drives. Here are the registry keys involved:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT * shellex ContextMenuHandlers
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT Directory shellex ContextMenuHandlers
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT Folder shellex ContextMenuHandlers
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT Drive shellex ContextMenuHandlers

By inspecting the items under these keys, you can see which items will appear on the context menu when you right-click on an item, but this will only show you which applications are adding items to the menu. The actual entries are usually controlled by an application’s .DLL file. You’ll probably find entries similar to this as the data:

{E0D79304-84BE-11CE-9641-444553540000}

This is known as a ClassID and references an entry at the following registry location:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT CLSID {E0D79304-84BE-11CE-9641-444553540000}

Under that key, you’ll find the entry pointing to the application executable or .DLL, which is responsible for defining the items actually displayed on the context menu. If you simply want to remove the item from the context menu, remove the entry under the shellex ContextMenuHandlers keys shown above, and leave the CLSID items alone, as they are likely used for several purposes by the system.

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If I find that stinkin’ tool I will let you know.

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…I’d be interested in that tool as well. I often find my RContext Menu showing duplicates, and editing those keys you mention above does not cure the problem. I think it has something to do with the tweakers I keep using.

There is a partial solution to the original problem. Disable the built in ability of Destroy It to add itself to the Menu. (I’ve never got mine to work anyway). Get Magic Menus (#7 from my site). Put Destroy it on to the Menu of a ‘Standard Folder’. This way you can call it what you like. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to work for files.

Rgds

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