removing unwanted right-click context menu options

[aybac]

hi, i'm new to this forum :)
i have searched everywhere how to remove obsolete context menu uptions, when you right-click a file. the only thing i have found is to run regedit and go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\. i tried to delete everything there but the unwanted options that remained after an uninstalled program are still here (they are "rip" and "encode", on audio file). i can't get rid of them.

thanks for help in advance, J.M.

[Darthtanion]

Re: removing unwanted right-click context menu options

Do a Google search for a utility called TweakUI. It is from Microsoft and can do exactly what you;re after as well as many other tasks. Just remember that while it was created by and for Microsoft Windows, it is not officially supported. But then, I've never had any issues.

[aybac]

Re: removing unwanted right-click context menu options

thanks Darthtanion, i already have this utility, but i cant find this function, and i have looked everywhere. could you please point me to the right direction? i also have xteq x-setup.

thanks, J.M.

[Darthtanion]

Re: removing unwanted right-click context menu options

Assuming you have the current version, it should be set up like the screenshot below. Simply uncheck any of the options you do not want to appear in your right-click choices and apply.

[aybac]

Re: removing unwanted right-click context menu options

but that reffers only to the "New" menu, when you right-click on a blank space in the explorer. again i tried unchecking everything but it only affected the new menu and not the menu when you right-click a file. does x-setup have the option to remove items from this menu?

thanks, J.M.

[Darthtanion]

Re: removing unwanted right-click context menu options

I've not used x-setup so I don't know what it can and cannot do... but what exactly are you trying to get rid of? The only choices generally showing up during a normal right-click on the desktop are minimal at best. Items that are added to this menu through program installations are usually controlled from within that application (ATI's control .NET based control panel comes readily to mind).

[aybac]

Re: removing unwanted right-click context menu options

i mean when you right-click a file and there are options as Play in Winamp, Open, Open in..., /Send /Copy /Rename /Properties <-at the bottom. (this is with audio [wav] file) and in the same group where "Open in Winamp" is, there are also options "rip" and "encode", which I want to ged rid of. (and when I click on them it brings me to the Open in dialog.)

thanks for help, J.M.

[Darthtanion]

Re: removing unwanted right-click context menu options

I'm not sure that I am grasping your question, but I'll try to see if I can help out a bit.

First off, when your window for "Open with" shows up, if you want the WinAmp program to be the automatic utility to be used with this type of file, then you can set it under your file association menu. This is located under the Tools-->Folder Options section of Windows Explorer. Once you set a given program to be the default value of a file type, it will use this program when you double click any file of the given type.

As to the options that you are trying to get rid of, look in the options of WinAmp. When you get program specific entries like this, they are usually best addressed from the program that caused them to begin with. I'm sure that there are probably some registry entries that would apply, but I do not know where they reside so I can't help in that direction. I haven't used WinAmp since WMP became a viable player, so I can't tell you where the options you're looking for are located. Hopefully someone can be of more help.

[aybac]

Re: removing unwanted right-click context menu options

ok, i think a screen capture says it all: (sorry if it is too big)
the options i want to get rid of are the ones corcled in red.
(i'm using czech windows, never mind)

[Darthtanion]

Re: removing unwanted right-click context menu options

From the looks of things, you already have the .wav and .mp3 files associated with the WinAmp player, so no problems there. I would start digging into the advanced options of the WinAmp program and see if you can knock those extra items out from there. Since it appears to be a WinAmp function, it should be able to be removed from somewhere inside the options menu(s).

[aybac]

Re: removing unwanted right-click context menu options

i'm pretty sure that these options appeared there after installing a ripping program, but remained after uninstalling it. they are no longer associated with any program so they are completely useless. (they have nothing to do wth winamp i believe)

J.M.

[aybac]

Re: removing unwanted right-click context menu options

has anyone some ideas? (besides reinstalling windows however :p )

Thanks, J.M.

[gophermonkey]

Re: removing unwanted right-click context menu options

Hi aybac -

I have recently had similar issues (uninstalled a prog and it's uninstaller didn't remove all the context menu junk) and here are some good links that I used to resolve this:

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/slowrightclick.htm

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/context_folders.htm

I haven't used the ShellExView tool described on the first page (I just did it manually) however it is freeware and looks like it will do exactly what you need without having to dig around in the registry. If you decide to edit the registry directly - remember to take a backup of the keys that you want to edit BEFORE editing them !

best of luck!