Windows 10: Restart Explorer Context Menu - Add in Windows 10

How to: Restart Explorer Context Menu - Add in Windows 10

How to Add 'Restart Explorer' to Desktop Context Menu in Windows 10


The explorer.exe process is the user shell for Windows, and is used by such items as the desktop, File Explorer, Start menu, and taskbar. Restarting the explorer.exe process is to stop and start it to effectively refresh explorer.exe. When the explorer.exe process has been stopped (aka: "end task"), you will see a blank black desktop with your mouse pointer showing until explorer.exe has been started again.

This tutorial will show you how to add 'Restart Explorer' to the desktop context menu of all users in Windows 10.

While you must be signed in as an administrator to be able to add or remove the context menu, all users will be able to use it.


Restart Explorer context menu usage:

When you right click or press and hold on the desktop and click/tap on Restart Explorer in the context menu, you can then select to click/tap on Restart Explorer Now or Restart Explorer with Pause.

Restart Explorer Now will instantly restart the explorer.exe process now.

Restart Explorer with Pause will open a command prompt window indicating that it has stopped the explorer.exe process, and will wait on you to press any key before starting the explorer.exe process again. This way you can use the context menu to stop explorer, do what you need to do while it's stopped, click/tap on the command prompt window to make it the active window again, and press any key to start explorer.





CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Add "Restart Explorer" to Desktop Context Menu
• Option Two: To Remove "Restart Explorer" from Desktop Context Menu

EXAMPLE: 'Restart Explorer' desktop context menu








OPTION ONE [/i] To Add "Restart Explorer" to Desktop Context Menu
1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and save it to your desktop.
Add_Restart_Explorer_to_desktop_context_menu.reg

Download
2. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

3. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

4. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

5. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.





OPTION TWO [/i] To Remove "Restart Explorer" from Desktop Context Menu
1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and save it to your desktop.
Remove_Restart_Explorer_from_desktop_context_menu.reg

Download
2. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

3. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

4. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

5. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Restart explorer.exe Process in Windows 10
• How to Add Restart Start Menu to Desktop Context Menu in Windows 10

:)

 

Windows 10 - 'Copy To Folder" & "Move To Folder" options mising from context menu

I've found the Windows 7 hack for adding CopyToFolder to the context (right click) menu of Windows Explorer works for WIndows 10 too. See

Context Menu - Add Copy To Folder and Move To Folder - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

About my System

How to Add 'Take Ownership' to Context Menu in Windows 10

Add Take Ownership to Context Menu in Windows 10

 

I'm glad it could help Greg. *Smile

 

I use the command [ tskill explorer ] in the "Run" window to refresh explorer.exe
So, I used your Desktop Context Menu reg file and replaced the batch commands in the bat file for an automatic restart.
Thanks

@echo off
tskill explorer
exit

 

Thank you for sharing Grey, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

 

I have never seen my explorer .exe stop. Is that something that commonly happens >>

 

Hey Wolfgang, *Smile

I mostly use this for when I need to perform an action that requires explorer to be killed while doing it for it to work, then let it restart explorer when finished.

Other times, it can be helpful whenever you just need to restart explorer for whatever reason.

 

Thanks Shawn. I see your application. I do not recall that I ever had to stop the explorer though. You must be doing fancy stuff, LOL.

 

Yeah, just a lot of testing at times to see which way would be easier to apply stuff.

 

I guess all your tutorials require a lot of experimenting.

 

Great tutorial. Sometimes when Windows Explorer crashes, ctrl+alt+delete doesn't always open the Task Manager in time, or may it be unresponsive altogether when i need it most. This is a great workaround to that and saves time, thank you *Biggrin

 

You're most welcome Double. I'm glad it could help. *Smile

 

Shawn, what about adding the Extend string key so you need to press the Shift key to see the Restart Explorer Context Menu entry?
Would be less clutter on the normal Context Menu.

 

Hey Rich, *Smile

Sure that could be done if folks wanted. I just didn't do it since I figured that most folks may want it visible if added.