title: Using Python, how to add an item to the right-click context menu in Windows Explorer?
body: <p>I've been looking around, and found the <code>_winreg</code> module, but that seems like a risky method (fooling around with the registry, that is). Is there any other way?</p>
  
  <p>I've skimmed this so far: <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/b/codefx/archive/2010/09/14/writing-windows-shell-extension-with-net-framework-4-c-vb-net-part-1.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://blogs.msdn.com/b/codefx/archive/2010/09/14/writing-windows-shell-extension-with-net-framework-4-c-vb-net-part-1.aspx</a> and it looks like I'd need to add a key here: <code>HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\&lt;File Type&gt;\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers</code>. </p>
  
  <p>I just want to play it safe before I actually make any changes.</p>
  
  <p>Windows 7, 64-bit.</p>