Insert icon into the right click menu

[c627627]

There are answers to this but I need one that's been tested and proven to work.

Example for Notepad, if you insert Notepad into your right click menu, how would you setup an icon for it?


* To insert right click > Notepad option into your right click menu, go to Windows Registry:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\Shell\
[If it's not there, create it: Right click on * > New > Key > Shell ]
Right click on Shell > New > Key > Notepad > Double click on (Default) in the right window and enter value &Notepad

then right click on Notepad > New > Key > command > Double click on (Default) in the right window and enter value Notepad.exe %1


EDIT: Previously posted methods elsewhere work for Windows Vista/7/8 but not for Windows XP. EDIT: Not Vista, they work only Win7/8 and not Vista or WinXP.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

There are answers to this but I need one that's been tested and proven to work.

Example for Notepad, if you insert Notepad into your right click menu, how wuld you setup an icon for it?


* To insert right click > Notepad option into your right click menu, go to Windows Registry:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\Shell\
[If it's not there, create it: Right click on * > New > Key > Shell ]
Right click on Shell > New > Key > Notepad > Double click on (Default) in the right window and enter value &Notepad

then right click on Notepad > New > Key > command > Double click on (Default) in the right window and enter value Notepad.exe %1

I GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here:




I follwed your instructions, then I simply added the expandable_string value, named it Icon and pointed it to an Icon!

See?:


You can point it to an exe too, just add ,0 to the end after exe. Like this: C:\Windows\Notpad.exe,0


Hope that helps!

 

[c627627]

Yes, it helped me figure out that it works for Windows Vista/7/8 only. EDIT: Not Vista, Win 7/8 only.


Windows XP does not read it, even if .dll icon files are used in stead of .ico file.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Yes, it helped me figure out that it works for Windows Vista/7/8 only.


Windows XP does not read it, even if .dll icon files are used in stead of .ico file.

Oh! XP? oops, didn't know.
Lemme see if I can dig up something useful.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Perhaps this might help?:
http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1674913

Or this program. (but where's the fun registry tweaking? )
http://www.door2windows.com/ultimat...customize-context-menu-in-windows-xp-vista-7/

Perhaps in XP there is some other key that needs modifications?


Still, I thank you for explaining how to add an item to the right click menu, that's going to be a neat trick for my rig

 

[Luke1978]

Used to be able to use .NET framework and make an all new right click menu, not sure about what youre trying to do though.

 

[c627627]

...not sure about what youre trying to do though.

For the example posted of Notepad, where you can right click on any file and have the option to open it in Notepad, how do you insert a custom icon for the Notepad right click command under Windows XP, since posted methods only work under Win 7 and 8, not Vista or WinXP.

 

[petteyg359]

Make a shortcut to Notepad in the Send To folder, and just change the icon on that shortcut. It won't be in the root of the menu, though.

 

[c627627]

I know. Just trying to figure things out because it's something I always wanted to know since before Vista/7/8 came out. At least they can do it now, Windows XP should be able to as well, just don't know how.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Make a shortcut to Notepad in the Send To folder, and just change the icon on that shortcut. It won't be in the root of the menu, though.

I've always wonder how to do that actually.

 

[petteyg359]

I've always wonder how to do that actually.

In XP, I think it is Start>run>"sendto". Or, just search for folders named "SendTo" on your C: drive. In Vista/7/8, it's %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo. The context menu is just a list of shortcuts, which will have their %1 positional argument set to the selected file(s).

 

[c627627]

Interestingly, this method:

Right click on HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\Shell\Notepad\
New > Expandable String Value > Icon >
Double click on it to enter location of custom Notepad .ico file.

only works for Windows 7 and 8, not Vista (and not WinXP).



That is if you previously already inserted Notepad into the right click menu:
* To insert right click > Notepad option:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\Shell\
[ If it's not there, create it: Right click on * > New > Key > Shell ]
Right click on Shell > New > Key > Notepad > Double click on (Default) in the right window and enter value
&Notepad

then right click on Notepad > New > Key > command > Double click on (Default) in the right window and enter value
Notepad.exe %1

Registry > File > Exit

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Interestingly, this method:

Right click on HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\Shell\Notepad\
New > Expandable String Value > Icon >
Double click on it to enter location of custom Notepad .ico file.

only works for Windows 7 and 8, not Vista (and not WinXP).



That is if you previously already inserted Notepad into the right click menu:
* To insert right click > Notepad option:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\Shell\
[ If it's not there, create it: Right click on * > New > Key > Shell ]
Right click on Shell > New > Key > Notepad > Double click on (Default) in the right window and enter value
&Notepad

then right click on Notepad > New > Key > command > Double click on (Default) in the right window and enter value
Notepad.exe %1

Registry > File > Exit

Really? No Vista as well? Is Vista not NT 6.1 like 7?

....

Hmmm. did you test this on Win 7 without SP1?

 

[c627627]

I have a quadruple boot. It's excellent for testing things like this so I can isolate the problem OS since identical programs are installed on them.

No Vista and no XP, but yes 7 SP1+ and yes 8.0.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

I have a quadruple boot. It's excellent for testing things like this so I can isolate the problem OS since identical programs are installed on them.

No Vista and no XP, but yes 7 SP1+ and yes 8.0.

It's odd that Vista can't do this either, given that Win 7 is basically Vista without the horrible UAC.

 

[c627627]

Well, commands in the registry are not just arbitrary words. Perhaps String Value Icon was added with Windows 7.

Perhaps WinXP and Vista use more complicated different ways do the same. I know I read in one thread that WinXP uses .dll files instead of .ico files. I tried them and they didn't work, possibly because it's not as simple as in Win 7/8 where you just point to the file from (String Value) Icon entry.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Well, commands in the registry are not just arbitrary words. Perhaps String Value Icon was added with Windows 7.

Perhaps WinXP and Vista use more complicated different ways do the same. I know I read in one thread that WinXP uses .dll files instead of .ico files. I tried them and they didn't work, possibly because it's not as simple as in Win 7/8 where you just point to the file from (String Value) Icon entry.

A quick search a few days ago revealed that for XP to display icon from a .dll, you needed to make a .dll, and do something with a GUID?
Probably some garbage I read but anything is possible with XP

 

[redduc900]

Not that it's a difficult task, but more time consuming than anything, and not even worth the effort IMO.

 

[c627627]

redduc900, linkage please, obviously we'd like to know how it's done...


It should be left to us to conclude the obvious about how difficult it is and how time consuming it is. Unless you have no link and would have to write it all yourself, I understand in that case.