Context Menu - Enable or Disable

Brink · Mar 20, 2008

How to Enable or Disable the Context Menu in Vista

Information

This will show you how to enable or disable the right click Context menu (see example below) for Windows Explorer, Desktop, and the All Programs section of the Start menu. This will affect all user accounts on the computer.

Note

By default the context menu is enabled in Vista. If you disable the context menu, then it will no longer be available for the above areas.

Tip

The keyboard shortcut to open the context menu for the currently opened window is: Shift + F10

EXAMPLE: The Desktop, Windows Explorer, File, and Folder Context Menus
NOTE: These are the context menus that will be enabled or disabled.

OPTION ONE

Using a REG File Download

1. To Disable the Context Menu

A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.

Disable_Context_Menu.reg

B) Go to step 3.

2. To Enable the Context Menu

A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.

Enable_Context_Menu.reg

3. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the Desktop.

4. Right click on the downloaded .reg file and click on Merge.

5. Click on Run, Continue (UAC), Yes, and then OK when prompted.

6. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply the changes.

7. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

OPTION TWO

Manually in Registry Editor

1. Open the Start Menu, then type regedit in the search box and press Enter.

2. If prompted by UAC, then click on Continue.

3. In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below)

NOTE: If you do not have Explorer, then right click on Polices and click on New and Key. Type Explorer and press Enter.

HKEY_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

4. To Disable the Context Menu

A) In the right pane, right click on a empty area and click New and click DWORD (32 bit) Value. (See screenshot above)

B) Type NoViewContextMenu and press Enter. (See screenshot below)

C) Right click on NoViewContextMenu and click on Modify.

D) Type 1 and click on OK. (See screenshot below)

E) The registry should now look like this. (See screenshot below)

F) Go to step 6.

5. To Enable the Context Menu

A) Right click on NoViewContextMenu and click on Delete. (See screenshot above)

NOTE: You can also double left click on NoViewContextMenu and type 0 (number zero) and click on OK instead.

B) Click on Yes to confirm the delete.

C) In regedit, go to the location below. If you see NoViewContextMenu here as well, then right click on it and click on Delete and Yes to confirm.

HKEY_Current_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

6. Close regedit.

7. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply the changes.

That's it,
Shawn

Context Menu - Enable or Disable

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