Windows 10: How to add Settings to the Desktop context menu in Windows 11/10

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It is important that you have convenient access to the most frequently used utilities while working on your computer. One of these, at least for me, is Windows Settings. They serve a plethora of purposes and I heavily rely on them. One of the easiest ways to make them accessible is to pin them to […]

This article How to add Settings to the Desktop context menu in Windows 11/10 first appeared on TheWindowsClub.com.

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windows 10 desktop icon context menus

Hi Ramon,

In reply to your questions:

• Asus, not sure of model - 64 bit desktop system, Asus motherboard, Intel E5300 dual-core @ 2.6 GHz, 8 Gb RAM, 600 Gb disk (<80% full).
• No error messages at all.
• None of the desktop shortcuts (icons) launch their apps, including old original shortcuts and newer ones. (In other words, all icons' context menus misbehave the same way.)
• No changes or custom mods... off-the-shelf prebuilt system, stock Windows install. Strictly used for home office functions - no gaming or external hardware hung off the PC.

Some additional points:

• Note that the Win-X context menu also mostly not working - none of the utilities launch from the choices on the upper 75% of the menu, only system functions (Run, Shutdown, etc.) at the bottom.
• Also note that context menus work normally elsewhere in the system: like inside File Explorer, and inside the Start Menu.
• Not aware of any other issues anywhere in my system. Applications run promptly and at normal speed, no unusual hangs or error pop-ups. (BTW, Windows tablet mode is OFF - I checked.)
• Windows 10 was an upgrade directly from Windows 7.
• At that time everything worked, including all the desktop shortcut context menus and Win-X.
• The context menus on the desktop stopped functioning after the Anniversary update... now shortcuts only launch on double-click from mouse.
• All additional MS updates and patches since that time have successfully installed.

Thanks for your help.

 

windows 10 desktop icon context menus

(Windows 10 with Anniversary Update, patched up to date.) Following installation of Anniversary Update I have 2 context menu issues. When I right-click a desktop shortcut the context menu appears but Open, Run As Administrator, and Pin to Start don't work
- e.g., the app won't launch and it won't pin to the Start Menu (but it will pin to Taskbar). On the other hand, Cut, Copy, Delete, and Properties do work. It doesn't matter which shortcut I try, and this all worked before the upgrade. Also the Win-X menu
pops open, but none of those choices work either except the 4 bottom ones - Desktop, Shutdown, Run, and Search. Again, if the choice is to run a program, there may be a momentary spinner, but nothing starts up. The shortcuts only launch if I double-click,
and the context menus seem to work from inside the Start list (including creating a tile and pinning to the Start Menu from there.

I've tried different Google searches, but none of the hits quite describe my issues. One of the postings that came close suggested running a utility called ShellExView. I disabled all 7 suspect non-MS context menus it identified, but that made no difference.
So, can anybody help?

 

CCC Context menu

I was recently greeted to a new entry in my desktop context menu after installing 8.12 drivers with the Catalyst Control Center:





I have no idea what the second entry does, since clicking it results in nothing happening.
So I open up CCC and find this new section:





It's completely disabled. I only have a single HD3850. The IGP on my mobo is nVidia, which is disabled anyway.

I spent the last hour or so finding a way to remove the second entry, and this is the only thing I could find:
Deleting this key removes both entries from the context menu
Code: KEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\ACE[/quote] This solved one problem and caused another. I do not like the tray icon, so I have it disabled, so the only way I know to get into CCC is via the context menu. Does anyone know of a way to disable just the "Configure Additive Graphics" entry and keep the CCC entry?

If I kept both disabled, is there some sort of shortcut I could make to get there instead? I don't want to have to go to Display->Settings->Advanced->CCC every time.
EDIT: Just made a hotkey to get there. *Smile