windows explorer question

[tomyrush]

Running win xp with current version of windows explorer. Maybe if I can figure out how to express this question I can find a simple answer.

When I click on a folder to select it (in windows explorer) and then click on file (in the drop down menu) some files give a bare bones set of 4 or 5 options. Normally if I select one of the files in the folder, I will get a lot of entries in the drop down list - 4 of which refer to a compression product that I no longer use.

There are other situations where I can select a file in another folder and I only get the original 4 or five options.

If I ever right click the file or folder - I get the total expanded list. I have assumed that right clicking displayed something called a context list, which I assumed meant these were only options available to that specific file type.

Two questions - 1 what is a context list? Two - how can I get rid of these 4 compression items?

Thanks Tom

[JoeP]

1.) The context menu is the menu that appears when you right click an item. It is called "context menu" because the content of the menu changes depending on the item which was right clicked (i.e. the context).
2.) See FileMenu Tools for a tool you can use.

Joe

[tomyrush]

my problem is I lose focus on the list item before I can select a delete option

Tom

[JoeP]

my problem is I lose focus on the list item before I can select a delete option

What program are you using when you lose focus?

Joe

[DaveA]

Then you are moving your mouse pointer out of the Context menu box and clicking out side of it.
You need to keep the pointer inside the box.

[tomyrush]

I select a file - right click on it to bring up the context menu (this menu has 3 entries on it I want to delete - as well as the File Menu tools entry) I can either select file menu tools or select the items to delete, but not both. The problem is I do not know how to get rid of the entries (3 options for Power Archiver) in the context menu.

Tom

[JoeP]

I select a file - right click on it to bring up the context menu (this menu has 3 entries on it I want to delete - as well as the File Menu tools entry) I can either select file menu tools or select the items to delete, but not both. The problem is I do not know how to get rid of the entries (3 options for Power Archiver) in the context menu.

Whel you select "File Menu Tools", then select "Configure FileMenu Tools". There is a button called "Commands of other applications". Use that to remove the Power Archiver entries.

If you continue to have problems try Context Menu Editor at bartdart.com -- freeware for you.

Joe

[tomyrush]

I am running file menu tools 5.8 (which is the latest release) on win xp - configure filemenu tools does not contain commands of other applications. I installed and ran context menu editor from bartdart and it listed only 4 entires for context editor - one being Power archiver.

I selected it and deleted it - and no change in context menu.

Tom

[HansV]

If you're willing to edit the registry, try this:
- Select Start | Run...
- Type regedit and press Enter or click OK.
- Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers.
- Expand this key.
- If you see a key named PowerArchiver, right-click it and select Delete.

[HansV]

Yet another utility that you might try is ShellExView - Shell Extension Manager For Windows from NirSoft.
Download the zip file (link is way down on the web page).
Unzip the .exe file to any folder.
Run the .exe file.
Right-click on PowerArchiver Shell Extensions in ShellExView.
Select 'Disable selected items' from the popup menu.

[tomyrush]

Thanks to Hans and Joe - using your suggestions I finally figured out what these context menu extensions are, and I am going to leave them alone. The first Power Archiver configuration, the second is a preconfigured PA option to create zip files, the third is a preconfigured option create 7zip files.

I always seem to get in a pickle by tinkering too much.

Tom