Remove menu items under right-click or context menu

Contributor Icon Contributed by William_Wilson  
Tag Icon Tagged: Windows  

This tutorial explains how to remove annoying or non-useful programs from right click menu.


Please only do this if you are comfortable with editing the registry. Breaking the registry can crash your whole system.

1. Click Start
2. Click Run
3. Type in regedit and click ENTER
4. Browse to the following: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

(This is where programs attach to the right click menu.)

5. You simply delete or export then delete the keys you do not want.

 

33 Comments -


  1. Cool said on November 28, 2008

    Thanks dude

  2. Tim said on December 7, 2008

    If you simply add a ‘-’ minus sign in front of the entry you can retain the information if you’d like it back in the future, though it won’t show up. =)

  3. sp001 said on April 16, 2009

    use vista manager its safer

  4. fearthecat said on June 1, 2009

    Assuming you run Windows Vista and not XP etc.

    This registry location does not contain all the third-party context menu items. The * refers to files of any type, so you’re editing context menu items installed for any file type. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.jpg for exampe would be editing JPG file types only.

    The other folders under ” * ” also contain some context menu items, so have a good look around, and of course, make sure you know what you’re doing.

  5. khurram said on July 27, 2009

    thankx DUDU but i knew this already i want to know that how to remove items from my right click menu where the “refresh” key presented. i want to edit that menu.

  6. VipX1 said on September 17, 2009

    Good info and well laid out. I found what I wanted straight away and it worked with no problem. Well Done and Thanks.

  7. adam cleaner said on November 1, 2009

    this doesn’t ork for windows 7 as it only has a few and it isn’t obvious what they are for. i’m looking to change for things like winamp, adobe drive etc. anyone know how?

  8. Anonymous said on November 1, 2009

    DEAR I Want to edit the “Refresh” button. so if any one know how i can do it tell me. this i know already wht told me.but anyway thankx for wht u said may b by this this will help any one else. wating for your soonest reply.

  9. Anonymous said on January 21, 2010

    Thanks, I was so confused but could fix one of the errors. The other is: I’ve added a New Action in “Folder Options” => “File Types” => “File Folder” so when I right click on a folder, it appears! Already have looked for it in the “Registery Editor” as you’d nicely guided, but couldn’t find! Could you help me?

  10. Anonymous said on January 22, 2010

    if you want to add any program in right click in folder menu its very simple and for this you dnt need to find any entery in regedit, just go to folder option and then program menu and then file type or commond and here you can enter any thing wht you like.

  11. Anonymous said on January 23, 2010

    Thanks, BUT I’ve already added a command & can’t remove it!
    I’ve added here: “Folder Options” => “File Types” => “File Folder”

  12. Anonymous said on January 23, 2010

    For this you must go to registry edit and there find the Entery name Shell32, so you can add or remove everything, or you will have to do same thing in ‘GPedit.msc” i think now you will remove item wht u added.

  13. Anonymous said on January 23, 2010

    I did it! Thanks so much. but in another way. just typed the name of the command (that’ve added) in the registryeditor, so it appeared.

  14. alex_rock said on February 15, 2010

    You can remove a richt click menu command from HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT -> DRIVE -> SHELL

  15. Anonymous said on February 15, 2010

    hi its nice ot read wht you said but dear i want to remove few things which are in my desktop right click menu ifyou can tell me abt this so plz, wating…………………………………

  16. Anonymous said on February 18, 2010

    Hey if I have a file say something.exe.
    On right click over it I want that Copy and Cut options get disabled.
    Can it be done?
    And ctrl+c and +x too.

  17. jim said on May 20, 2010

    Remove menu items under right-click or context menu

    Thank you. Answer I was searching.

    – Jim

  18. Stephenwilsher said on July 4, 2010

    How do you delete something from the right click menu, if its not attached to a program?

  19. ASDA said on July 30, 2010

    Great!

  20. Comage4000 said on August 2, 2010

    To Remove items from right click desktop menu u must edit a file which is”shell32.dll” and then you can change your “refresh” to something else.

  21. Kevin Schlanger said on August 6, 2010

    Thanks! Very good. It could use a couple pictures, though.

  22. Joeyung said on September 8, 2010

    Thanks, sample and work in Windows 7.

  23. louis said on September 21, 2010

    How do you delete something from the right click menu, if its not attached to a program?

  24. Deepan said on October 27, 2010

    Hi.. i tried this thing in my system..
    in the right click menu it is showing “BITDEFENDER”
    but in regedit ContextMenu it is not there….
    can u help me to solve this…………

  25. Nikidijs said on November 11, 2010

    i have the same problem.
    in my context menus is manually added line “CMD SHELL:>”
    how can i remove it?
    p.s. sorry for my english.

    thanks :)

  26. Gregory said on November 21, 2010

    Reading this thread was very confusing. But I am in dire need to remove a very certain item from the right click menu.
    The “RENAME” and “DELETE” options sit next to one another. I deal with media and am in constant need to “RENAME” and I hit “DELETE” too much.
    Simply put I need to remove the “DELETE” option from the right click option in any and all folders, and files. I search the registry in all the Keys and values listed and could not find what I needed.
    I am running XP Home SP3.
    I just want to remove the DELETE option. Thanks
    Greg

  27. BigSam said on December 2, 2010

    THANK YOU VERY VERY VERY MUCH !!!!! You’re the best!!!!

  28. dude said on January 3, 2011

    thank you. i did this on each one till i found the one i didn’t want

  29. Ja said on February 18, 2011

    Thanks a lot! I hate MagicISO’s right click menu

  30. Freeaxes said on March 23, 2011

    thnx i found the key and delited it
    thnxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  31. Justin E. Wylie said on March 25, 2011

    this is for BitLocker Drive Encryption

  32. Justin E. Wylie said on March 25, 2011

    this is for BitLocker Drive Encryption

  33. Justin E. Wylie said on March 25, 2011

    how can you edit a .dll file???

 

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