Windows 10: Unable to 'Open With' multiple files in context menu - missing functionality?

I'm a designer/developer.


I regularly need to select multiple JPG files to open in Photoshop, multiple HTML files to open in Dreamweaver/other browsers etc, multiple PDFs to open at once etc.


However, unlike OSX, Windows 10 is incapable/unable. The option to 'Open With' is missing from the right-click context menu as soon as multiple files are selected, even if they are of the same file type. This seems like a core feature of any operating system. I regularly end up pulling out my Macbook Pro just so that I can work efficiently because this issue really lowers productivity.


I don't remember this being an issue in older versions of windows but I might be mistaken.


Is there any way of adding this functionality/updating registry keys/making a feature request/software or plugin that will add this functionality to the context menu?

:)

 

Custom context menu entries

So, just throwing this out there, in case somone knows.

I have added a custom context menu entry for the program rightload, since by default the menu is broken in vistax64.

It works pefect with single files, but when I select mutiple files and try to open, I get mutiple instances of the program (which makes sense), here is my entry:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Rightload\Rightload.exe --server=1 --autostart %1

So the %1 passes the filename to the program, and when I select multiple files it is just opening multiple instances of rightload each with a different file.

What I'd like to do is be able to pass a list of the files selected to the program. Since I know it is capable of uploading multiple files from the context menu, all in one instance.

So, is there something I can pass besides %1 that will do this? I have looked around and can't seem to find an answer anywhere... *Frown

 

Windows 10 - "Open with" missing from Context menu when multiple (mp3, m4a) files are selected

Windows 10 Home, Version: 1511, Build 10586.36

(Mine is not an insider edition; it is the free Windows 10 upgrade edition)

When multiple files are selected (whether they are MP3s, M4As; or PDFs, DOCXs), there is no "Open with" option in the Context menu.

[Note: all files selected are from the same category--all audio, or all word documents, or all pdfs; and not from different categories: for example, a word document is not being selected with an audio file.]

For example, on my computer:

Groove Music is the default player for m4a type

WMP is the default player for mp3 type

But the two players can play both the types.

And I use the "Open with" option in the Context menu to choose the non-default player.

But I can do this only when a file is selected singly.

When multiple files are selected, there is no "Open with" option in the Context menu, meaning I cannot choose the non-default player.

Is this an intentional omission, or can users add the "Open with" option to Context menu for multiple file selections?

As much as for individual file selection, the "Open with" option is important for multiple file selections to be able to get a choice of non-default applications; especially with audio formats.

I do not necessarily want to change my default player for the formats; I just want to be able to change the app using "Open with" no matter how many files have been selected.

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The following may be slightly related to the above.

I understand that the "Add to playlist" option on the Explorer window's "Play" tab is tied to WMP, not the Groove Music app. But, I noticed:

When a mix of mp3 and m4a files are selected together, I can launch WMP using

1. the "Add to playlist" option on the Explorer window's Play tab

2. the "Add to Windows Media Player list" in the context menu

But I have to select the mp3 files first, before selecting any m4a files.

If an m4a file is selected first, the first option is greyed out, and the second is not available in the Context menu.

I find this behavior curious.

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context menu is missing the 'OPEN' option

context menu is missing the 'OPEN' option