Access favorite applications and URLs right from Windows’ context menu with Context Menu Editor


Have you ever wished you could access a favorite program or website right from the right click context menu on your desktop ? Well now you can with the Context Menu Editor, a handy little freeware tool for Windows 7 and Vista that allows you, as administrator, to make changes to the options that appear when you right-click on the desktop in Windows.

It allows you to change what options appear in that menu including web links and application (.exe) files or even specific commands. You could even set it such that your custom items only appear when you hold SHIFT while you access the right click context menu.

This program essentially creates a shortcut to the specified program or website or Windows command within the right-click menu on your Windows desktop and within Windows explorer. For example, if you are constantly opening a particular game .exe with specific command parameters like ‘/console’ or ‘/godmode’, you could create a link to that program with those command parameters that will appear when you right-click on the desktop or any other ‘blank’ space in Windows. You can define a particular icon for each new menu option, and can even set an ‘extended’ mode that will prevent the option from showing unless you hold the SHIFT key when you open the context menu. This is a handy option for those folks that add a whole lot of new menu options but don’t need to see them every single time we open the context menu.

Context Menu Editor Screenshot1Context Menu Editor Screenshot2

The program is pretty basic. Once you create your new menu options, the program keeps a list of them for you and you can delete each of them with a single click if you like. This is a nice option to avoid having to open and edit the registry directly when you want to remove a particular menu option. The program functions by editing the Windows registry so it is, as always, recommended that you create and store a backup of the registry before you decide to start changing it. Alternatively, or even in addition, you might consider creating a restore point for your computer before making any changes with this or any other program. Also, the program has an ‘information’ tab, which shows handy info about your computer like the WinSAT score, CPU specs and other basic info about your operating system. The program requires that you run it as Administrator, since it messes with the registry, and is compatible with both 32 and 64-bit Windows.

The program’s simplicity is both a pro, and a con from my point of view. It doesn’t offer much in the way of customization, support (provided as-is, according to the readme file), or documentation. Fortunately, its simplicity also means that it’s pretty easy to figure out how to use it in just a few minutes. Once you’ve gotten the hang of creating new menu options, you’ll be adding them like crazy and soon you’ll need to decide what options are most important and keep them at the top of the list. Some suggested uses of the program include: Creating shortcuts for games with specific console or cheat code functions enabled, creating shortcuts to open word processors with specific formatting commands enabled, opening specific web pages that you reference often. The uses are pretty specific but almost unlimited within the basic concept of the context menu and what it can contain.

Have you got a great use for it that isn’t listed here? Post it in comments so others can benefit from your suggestion! Until next time, my friends!

Compatibility: Windows 7, Vista, 32 bit and 64 bit.

Available here.