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I am looking into adding a link to my app to the Explorer (windows) context menu. I've looked around for how to do this. I have done it and it works just fine by adding a key to

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell

Searching the web I found this:

http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/441/The-Complete-Idiot-s-Guide-to-Writing-Shell-Extens

But this seemed so simple (the *\shell method)

http://www.howtogeek.com/107965/how-to-add-any-application-shortcut-to-windows-explorers-context-menu/

HOWEVER no app(on my computer) does this (HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT*\shell) and I wonder if this is not the best solution. I think most apps I have use an inproc dll to work with Explorer. I don't know if that's why they don't go with the *\shell method or there's some other reason why this is not the best way. I could convert my app to an inproc dll if I had to but that seems unnecessary to me if I can use the *\shell method.

OF COURSE the big reason is that I have to logged in as Administrator to do this (*\shell). I was thinking of adding a separate little file that the admins would run. Which seems like a better way in a corporate environment (or any where users are not logged in as admins).

Ron
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  • Adding to `*` adds you for all files. Most apps do not register for all files; they register only for the file types they support. – Raymond Chen Jan 14 '15 at 18:15
  • Mine handles all files. – Ron Jan 14 '15 at 18:40
  • possible duplicate of [Add menu item to windows context menu only for specific filetype](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2123762/add-menu-item-to-windows-context-menu-only-for-specific-filetype) – Factor Mystic Jan 14 '15 at 21:13
  • see http://stackoverflow.com/a/2069565/1569 and http://stackoverflow.com/a/2124396/1569 etc, been asked many times – Factor Mystic Jan 14 '15 at 21:14
  • Yes, but, there are apps like Winzip and Notepad++ which work with any file type and they don't use \*\shell from HKCR. – Ron Jan 15 '15 at 05:24

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