During the work in the context menu "Explorer" Windows accumulates a large number of unused menu items related to non-existent programs. Removing such items using standard system methods is quite feasible and requires minimal computer knowledge.
Necessary
ContexEdit
Instructions
Step 1
Create a backup copy of the registry files to be able to recover accidentally lost data.
Step 2
Click the "Start" button to bring up the main menu of the system and go to the "Run" item to launch the "Registry Editor" utility.
Step 3
Enter regedit in the Open field and click OK to confirm the command.
Step 4
Expand the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT / * / shell branch and select the folders of unnecessary applications.
Step 5
Delete the selected folders. There is no need to reboot the system or the File Explorer tool.
Step 6
Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT / * / shellex / ContextMenuHandlers. Note the fact that many applications do not write down their obvious name, but an internal identifier.
Step 7
Determine the ownership of the identifiers by copying the name and searching the registry under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT / CLSID.
Step 8
Disable the selected identifier by adding a “-” at the beginning of its name.
This algorithm is also suitable for determining the identity of an identifier - check which of the context menu items disappeared after adding the “-” sign at the beginning of the name of the selected identifier.
Step 9
Make sure that the shutdown did not affect service identifiers that are not displayed on the system. If a certain identifier has been disabled, and not a single item has disappeared in the menu, it is recommended to restore the original form of the identifier.
Step 10
Use the paid utility ContextEdit to simplify and make the context menu editing process easier and more intuitive.
Step 11
Select the editing mode: All Files or regardless of extension in the menu on the left side of the program window.
Step 12
Uncheck the boxes for items to be deleted in the Shell Commands and Context Menu Handlers windows on the right side of the application window and click the Exit button to exit the program.
