Best Free Right-Click Context Menu Extensions (Stub only)

 
Introduction

List of shell menu extensions or right-click context menu add-ons and editors.

A review for this software category has yet to be written.

Proposed editor: PsychEroc

Proposed programs to review

Context Menu Additions (add new entries):
FileMenuTools - (reviewed) (another review) ** TOP PICK **
FastExplorer - (reviewed)
Open++ - (reviewed)
ContextMagic (free edition) - (reviewed)
Shock Bookmark - (reviewed)
CMenuExtender - (reviewed)
SubMenuPack
Shell Tools - (reviewed)
QwikTulz - (reviewed)

Context Menu Editors (manage previous entries):
Mmm free - (reviewed)
Context Menu Editor - (reviewed)
ShellExView - (reviewed)
ShellMenuView


Related Products and Links

The programs above add multiple functions to the context menu or allow you to edit the context menu.  The following are "One Trick Ponies", meaning they typically add a single function. These are mostly untested and will not be reviewed, but will be listed here for completeness.

"Send To" Enhancements

Send To Toys - An enhancement of the Send To context menu.
SendTo Commander - Organize and customize the Send To context menu.
Stupid Geek Tricks: Secret Items on the Windows 7 Send To Menu

File/Folder Tools

awxRename - A Windows shell extension to rename files and/or folders by using perl functions and regular expressions.
ClipName - A context menu extension copying the full pathname of the right-clicked file to the clipboard.
Open Command Prompt Shell Extension - Adds an "Open Command Prompt" menu item to the context menus to open a command prompt in the selected directory (or directories) or in the directory you are viewing.
Custom Folder - Adds a highly customisable "New Folder" function to the context menu.
Unlocker - Deletes locked files. See here for a list of other file deletion programs.
Link Shell Extension - A shell extension that provides for the creation of Hardlinks, Junctions, Volume Mountpoints, and Symbolic Links, and a Folder Cloning process that utilises Hardlinks or Symbolic Links.
StyleFolder- A shell extension that makes changing folder icons quick and easy.
HOBComment - A shell extension that allows users to instantly add a comment to files and folders.
CreateShortcutThere - Rightclick a file and select the contextmenu CreateShortcutThere... to choose where to place the shortcut.

Ross's Shell Extensions - Choose any of the following functions to Explorer context menu: "Back" (to previous folder), "Up" (to parent folder), "Select All", "Show Desktop", "Cmd Prompt Here", "File Extension Toggle" (toggle visibility of extensions), "Hidden File Toggle" (toggle visibility of hidden/system files).  SubMenuPack (to be reviewed above) allows you to install all of them with additional ability to customize the sub-menu by adding any of your favorite programs, scripts, etc.

 

Why not contribute your suggestions by leaving a comment  below?

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Filenote

Right click on any file and create a plain text file with the same file name.

http://download.cnet.com/FileNote/3000-2094_4-10019651.html

What about Piky Basket 2.0 (last freeware version). It's really good.

Added links to reviews and made 2 subgroups:
Context Menu Additions add new functions to Explorer's right-click context menu.
Context Menu Editors/Managers allow you to delete (and sometimes move) previously installed entries in the context menu.

Great work.

Tried "Context Menu Editor". Using XP-Pro SP3. Does not show context menu entries properly.

Tried "moo", crashed explorer when "Duplicate Window" was used, this might well be a conflict with QTTABBAR.

Still have not found a suitable context menu editor. I suppose I will just go back to editing the registry! :)

Regards.....

Mike Connor

EDIT: Tried "Fast Explorer" site gives a WOT warning!

An Xp-based article explaining the technique with lots of examples would be attractive.
Curiously, on my system, WOT says green to our "Fast Explorer" link.

Just tried the Moon software as well; "Shell Tools",

works fine, but is not what I am looking for. I don't usually want to add anything to the context menu, I usually want to get rid of stuff that various programs put in there!

I have used "File menu Tools" from Lopesoft before, but it is pretty huge ( 7.3 MB ) and has a lot of stuff I don't want. I only want to edit the context menu!

Will see about an article.

Regards.....

Mike Connor

If your so picky maybe you ought to write the program yourself.

In addition to the ones I mention in the comment directly below,
FastExplorer may also do what you want, at least this review seems to suggest so: http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Fast-Explorer-Review-49759.shtm...
I also found no WOT problem.

Most of the ones you've mentioned are more designed to add rather than remove things from the context menu.
According to their websites, these "editors" should allow you to remove junk:
ShellExView
Context Menu Editor

If no freeware options work out, I use a commercial program that allows me to delete pre-existing entries or move them to a new submenu (i.e. "Rarely Used >"): http://www.shelltoysxp.com/default.asp
However, it also has many other functions which you may not find useful.

Already an excellent article here;

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

Regards.....

Mike Connor

No problem,, you might also want to check out "TYPES" - Windows file types configurator, not sure if it falls into the right click category.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/types/

Default Programs Editor was recently updated to a new version, and new site, now at: http://defaultprogramseditor.com. It has full context menu editing as well as other stuff.

Thanks, I'll check it out.

How about ContextEdit? It's an oldy, but it's interface is great (functionality wise). It's the most comprehensive context edit program I've found.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1556349,00.asp

Yes it's an oldy, the article (found here: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,9879,00.asp) says it runs under Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0, 2000, and Me. Thanks for the lead.

Moo0 RightClicker Free is an excellent context menu enhances AND cleanup/hide utility. I like it better than Mmm Free, and it works with Vista! http://www.moo0.com/software/RightClicker/

I'm looking forward to reading a thorough analysis of Moo vs Mmm! ;-)

How about GXExplorer on SourceForge? Or at least the GXUtilities add-on for it...

GXUtilities is a shell extension that adds additional menu items to the shell's context menu, including options to change the case of file names, set a file's date and time, register or unregister COM objects and encrypt or decrypt files.

That one hasn't been updated in 7 years! That's not to say that it isn't worth a review, but I probably won't get around to it until I've tackled the more modern ones. But thanks for the lead, I would like to gather as complete a list as possible.

Add to Quick Launch context menu option is available to Vista by default. For XP users, a VB script to add that option is available here.

open++ ?

http://dengdun.webs.com/en/openxx.htm

(great stub btw)

Good one, I'll add it to the list.

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