Windows Right‑Click Context Menu Enhancements

Add handy options to the File Explorer right‑click menu on Windows 10/11: open Command Prompt/Windows Terminal here, Control Panel shortcuts (incl. God Mode), Safe Mode reboot options, and quick task killers. Each feature is a portable .reg file import to enable, use the Remove folder to disable.

Caution: These modify the Windows Registry. Review files before importing and create a restore point or registry backup. Admin rights are required for most entries.

What’s inside

• add_command_prompt_menu.reg — Adds a "Command Prompt" submenu on background of folders with:
  • Open here (cmd in the current path)
  • Open here as administrator (elevated cmd in the path)
• Add_Open_command_window_here.reg — Adds classic "Open command window here" on directory, background, and drive.
• Add_Open_command_window_here_as_administrator.reg — Same as above but always elevated; also sets EnableLinkedConnections=1 so mapped drives are visible in elevated cmd.
• Add_Open_Terminal_window_here.reg — Adds "Open in Windows Terminal". Requires Windows Terminal (wt) to be installed.
• add_windows_terminal_admin.reg — Adds "Open in Windows Terminal (Admin)" on directory/background/drive using elevation.
• add_control_panel_menu.reg — Adds a "Control Panel" submenu with:
  • Category view
  • All Control Panel Items (icons view)
  • All Tasks ("God Mode")
• add_kill_tasks_menu.reg — Adds "Kill Unresponsive Tasks" submenu:
  • Kill all running tasks (skips a protected list like explorer, winlogon, etc.)
  • Kill only unresponsive tasks (safer)
• add_safe_mode_powershell.reg — Adds "Safe Mode" submenu to reboot into:
  • Normal Mode (removes safeboot flags)
  • Safe Mode (minimal)
  • Safe Mode with Networking
  • Safe Mode with Command Prompt
• add_powershell_menu.reg — Adds "Open PowerShell here" on directory/background/drive.
• add_powershell_admin_menu.reg — Adds "Open PowerShell here as administrator" on directory/background/drive.
• add_copy_folder_path_menu.reg — Adds "Copy folder path" to copy the current folder path to clipboard.
• add_restart_explorer_menu.reg — Adds "Restart Explorer" to quickly restart Windows Explorer.
• add_take_ownership_menu.reg — Adds "Take Ownership" for files and folders (grants Administrators full control; uses UAC).
• add_open_in_vscode_menu.reg — Adds "Open in VS Code" on directory/background/drive (requires VS Code code in PATH).
• add_git_bash_here_menu.reg — Adds "Git Bash here" (requires Git for Windows; path assumed C:\\Program Files\\Git\\git-bash.exe).
• add_copy_file_path_menu.reg — Adds "Copy file path" (for files) and an extra folder variant.
• add_open_with_notepad.reg — Adds "Open with Notepad" for any file.
• add_copy_sha256_menu.reg — Adds "Copy SHA256 checksum" for a selected file (uses PowerShell Get-FileHash).
• add_explorer_view_menu.reg — Adds an "Explorer View" submenu with: Show/Hide hidden files, Show/Hide file extensions.
• add_export_file_list_menu.reg — Export current folder listing to filelist.txt or filelist.csv.
• add_run_custom_scripts_menu.reg — "Run Custom Script" submenu to invoke your own batch/PowerShell scripts (edit paths inside the .reg).
• add_run_as_admin_anyfile.reg — Adds "Run file as administrator" for any file type via elevation.
• add_efs_encrypt_decrypt_menu.reg — Encrypt/Decrypt files and folders using EFS (NTFS only, Pro/Enterprise).
• add_check_signature_menu.reg — Check Authenticode signature and show publisher.
• add_set_as_wallpaper_menu.reg — Set image as desktop background.
• add_copy_file_size_menu.reg — Copy file size (bytes and MB) to clipboard.
• add_run_disk_cleanup_menu.reg — Launch Disk Cleanup.
• add_open_task_manager_menu.reg — Open Task Manager from background menu.
• add_power_controls_menu.reg — Power submenu: Shutdown, Restart, Sleep, Hibernate, Lock.
• add_ai_tools_menu.reg — AI helpers: Ask Copilot about file, Summarize file (opens Copilot), OCR via Tesseract to clipboard.
• add_wipe_free_space_menu.reg — Securely wipe free space on the current drive using cipher /w (heavy and irreversible; Shift+Right‑Click to reveal).
• add_defender_OFF_direct.reg — Simple one-click to turn OFF Windows Defender completely (no submenu).
• add_defender_ON_direct.reg — Simple one-click to turn ON Windows Defender completely (no submenu).
• Defender_OFF.ps1 — PowerShell script to disable Defender with progress display (right-click → Run with PowerShell as Admin).
• Defender_ON.ps1 — PowerShell script to enable Defender with progress display.
• add_advanced_batch_rename_menu.reg — Advanced batch rename with multiple options: sequential numbering, prefix/suffix, find & replace, date/time stamps.
• add_share_bluetooth_menu.reg — Send files to Bluetooth devices using Windows Bluetooth File Transfer.
• add_cloud_upload_menu.reg — Upload files/folders to OneDrive or open Google Drive web uploader.
• add_screenshot_menu.reg — Screenshot tools: Snipping Tool, Snip & Sketch, Full screenshot to clipboard.
• add_file_hash_menu.reg — Complete file hash verification menu (MD5, SHA1, SHA256, SHA512, All hashes).
• add_create_iso_menu.reg — Create ISO image from folder (requires oscdimg.exe from Windows ADK or third-party tools).
• add_file_monitor_menu.reg — Monitor files/folders for changes in real-time using FileSystemWatcher.
• add_advanced_permissions_menu.reg — Advanced file permissions: toggle read-only, hidden, system attributes; view ACL.
• Terminal Option.txt — Extra menu variants (templates) for Command Prompt, PowerShell, Windows Terminal, and admin versions. Copy a block to a new .reg file and import if you want these alternatives.
• Remove/ — Contains matching removal scripts for each feature (e.g., Remove_Open_Terminal_window_here.reg). Run to cleanly uninstall.

Quick start

• Double‑click the desired .reg file and accept the UAC prompt.
• To remove, open the Remove folder and double‑click the corresponding Remove_*.reg file.
• If a menu item doesn’t appear immediately, restart File Explorer.

Optional: Import from the terminal (PowerShell, as Administrator)

# Import (enable)
reg import "add_command_prompt_menu.reg"
reg import "Add_Open_Terminal_window_here.reg"

# Remove (disable)
reg import "Remove\Remove_Open_Terminal_window_here.reg"

Requirements & notes

• Windows 10 or Windows 11.
• Admin privileges required for HKLM writes and context menu registration.
• Windows Terminal entries require Windows Terminal (Microsoft Store) so the wt command is available. If wt isn’t recognized, install it or use the full path to wt.exe.
• VS Code entry requires Code CLI (code) available in PATH (VS Code → Command Palette → “Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH”).
• Git Bash entry assumes Git for Windows is installed to C:\\Program Files\\Git. If different, edit the .reg path accordingly.
• Defender toggle: May be blocked by Windows Security Tamper Protection; turn that off first if needed. Uses Set-MpPreference -DisableRealtimeMonitoring and related flags; admin required.
  • IMPORTANT: If not working, disable Tamper Protection:
    1. Open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection
    2. Manage settings → Turn OFF "Tamper Protection"
    3. Then run the toggle menu
  • Alternative: Use add_defender_toggle_simple.reg for better error messages and status checking
  • RECOMMENDED: Use direct versions for simplicity:
    • add_defender_OFF_direct.reg - One-click OFF (no submenu)
    • add_defender_ON_direct.reg - One-click ON (no submenu)
    • Defender_OFF.ps1 / Defender_ON.ps1 - PowerShell scripts with visual progress
• EFS: Works on NTFS volumes and editions that support EFS (Pro/Enterprise). Keep certificates backed up. See cipher /?.
• Secure wipe: Uses cipher /w:<drive> to overwrite free space. This is slow (can take hours) and cannot be undone. The menu is marked as Extended (hold Shift while right‑clicking) and shows a UAC prompt by design—use only when absolutely needed.
• Advanced Batch Rename: Powerful renaming options for organizing files in bulk. Works on all files in the current folder.
• Bluetooth File Transfer: Uses Windows built-in fsquirt.exe. Ensure Bluetooth is enabled and devices are paired.
• Cloud Upload: OneDrive option copies to your OneDrive folder (must be set up first). Google Drive opens the web uploader.
• Screenshot Tools: Full screenshot captures entire primary screen to clipboard. Snip & Sketch uses Windows 10/11 built-in tool.
• File Hash: Supports MD5, SHA1, SHA256, SHA512. Hash is copied to clipboard automatically.
• ISO Creation: Requires oscdimg.exe from Windows ADK or use third-party tools like ImgBurn, PowerISO.
• File Monitor: Real-time monitoring shows all file/folder changes, creates, deletes, and renames. Press Ctrl+C to stop.
• Advanced Permissions: Quick toggle for file attributes (read-only, hidden, system). View ACL shows detailed security permissions.
• OCR: Requires Tesseract at C:\\Program Files\\Tesseract-OCR\\tesseract.exe or edit the path.
• Safe Mode entries execute bcdedit and then reboot immediately. Save your work before clicking.
• "Kill tasks" entries may terminate apps without saving—use carefully. The "unresponsive only" option is safer.
• "Take Ownership" changes file/folder ACLs to grant the local Administrators group full control. Use only when needed and understand the security impact.
• Some entries are added under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell (right‑click on folder background) and HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell or HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell as applicable.

Troubleshooting

• Entry not showing up:
  • Ensure you imported the .reg with Admin rights.
  • Restart File Explorer (Task Manager → Windows Explorer → Restart) or sign out/in.
  • On Windows 11, built‑in "Open in Terminal" may be present; custom entry still works in the classic menu.
• Windows Terminal doesn’t launch:
  • Install Windows Terminal from Microsoft Store and ensure wt resolves in PATH.
  • Try wt.exe -d "%V" if wt alias is disabled.
• Elevated Cmd can't see mapped drives:
  • Add_Open_command_window_here_as_administrator.reg sets EnableLinkedConnections=1. Sign out/in (or reboot) after applying.
• Defender toggle not working:
  • Most Common: Tamper Protection is ON. Disable it:
    1. Open Windows Security (search in Start menu)
    2. Go to "Virus & threat protection"
    3. Click "Manage settings"
    4. Turn OFF "Tamper Protection" (requires admin)
  • Try the alternative version: add_defender_toggle_simple.reg (shows detailed error messages)
  • Check status with PowerShell: Get-MpPreference | Select-Object Disable*
• Stuck in Safe Mode:
  • Use the "Restart in Normal Mode" item (from the same Safe Mode submenu) or run:

    bcdedit /deletevalue {default} safeboot
    bcdedit /deletevalue {default} safebootalternateshell
    shutdown /r /t 0

Uninstall

Use the matching files in Remove/:

• Remove_Open_command_window_here.reg
• Remove_Open_command_window_here_as_Administrator.reg
• Remove_Open_Terminal_window_here.reg
• remove_windows_terminal_admin.reg
• remove_control_panel_menu.reg
• remove_kill_tasks_menu.reg
• remove_safe_mode_menu.reg
• remove_cmd_submenu.reg (if applicable to your setup)
• remove_powershell_menu.reg
• remove_powershell_admin_menu.reg
• remove_copy_folder_path_menu.reg
• remove_restart_explorer_menu.reg
• remove_take_ownership_menu.reg
• remove_open_in_vscode_menu.reg
• remove_git_bash_here_menu.reg
• remove_copy_file_path_menu.reg
• remove_open_with_notepad.reg
• remove_copy_sha256_menu.reg
• remove_explorer_view_menu.reg
• remove_export_file_list_menu.reg
• remove_run_custom_scripts_menu.reg
• remove_run_as_admin_anyfile.reg
• remove_efs_encrypt_decrypt_menu.reg
• remove_check_signature_menu.reg
• remove_set_as_wallpaper_menu.reg
• remove_copy_file_size_menu.reg
• remove_run_disk_cleanup_menu.reg
• remove_open_task_manager_menu.reg
• remove_power_controls_menu.reg
• remove_ai_tools_menu.reg
• remove_wipe_free_space_menu.reg
• remove_batch_rename_menu.reg
• remove_count_items_menu.reg
• remove_create_shortcut_here_menu.reg
• remove_folder_size_menu.reg
• remove_symlink_junction_menu.reg
• remove_run_python_menu.reg
• remove_advanced_batch_rename_menu.reg
• remove_share_bluetooth_menu.reg
• remove_cloud_upload_menu.reg
• remove_screenshot_menu.reg
• remove_file_hash_menu.reg
• remove_create_iso_menu.reg
• remove_file_monitor_menu.reg
• remove_advanced_permissions_menu.reg

Safety first

• Read the .reg contents before importing.
• Make a System Restore point or export affected registry keys.
• Proceed only if you’re comfortable editing the Windows Registry.

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