Right click 'Open With' Command missing. Help Please.

Anonymous
2009-09-21T20:08:24+00:00

I realised a few days ago that the right click context menu 'open with' command is missing. However its there at the top of the window on the 'menu bar' or whatever.

Not sure how it happened. Maybe when i installed MS .Net Framework 3 SP1 or maybe when I cleaned registry with CCleaner.

I need to get it back please. Could u tell me how??? thanks.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Accessibility

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Anonymous
2009-09-22T12:20:29+00:00

Hi, scurvy:

By design, the Open With menu option is not available when you right-click executable files (.cmd, .bat, .pif, .scf, .exe, .com, or .scr), or shortcuts to executable files.

If you've lost the Open With menu option for ALL file types, including non-executable files, follow this steps:

  1. Click Start, All Programs, Accesories, Notepad.
  2. Copy and paste this text:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Open With]

@="{09799AFB-AD67-11d1-ABCD-00C04FC30936}"

  1. Click File, Save As, name the file "OpenWith.reg" (WITH THE QUOTATION MARKS) and click OK.
  2. Now double-click OpenWith.reg, click Continue, Yes, OK, and see if the problem is solved.

P.S: My personal advice is not to use ANY registry cleaner on the system.

Microsoft MVP Windows Desktop Experience

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-03-06T20:59:49+00:00

    hi there... I've just noticed this issue (MS call it a feature of course:)

    I understand why MS would elect as default to omit file-handling options from context menus of 

    programs  (I can imagine MS OS being so frail that accidentally erasing default run behaviour from these programs might be an inevitability)

    This is one reason why i really like 7zip. It registers context entries for all file types - but not for all shell objects (important distinction - I use VHD attach, for example, and it's great that it can safely detach a VHD via the mounted virtual volume's context... BUT!!! It also adds incorrecly adds this context entry to each and every volume, ie logical drives. Personally I can't sleep at night with shiz like that under my hood. I'm considering therapy for this OCD)

    Back to your very pertinent points on MS negating efficiency... I have a proposal.

    Shift+drag file to taskbar icon.

    It's not perfect (app needs to be pinned/already open)

    MS? Hire some professional software engineers !

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-03-09T02:34:58+00:00

    I received an error that registery could not be change this way

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-03-09T02:35:50+00:00

    Get an error, registry cannot be edited this way

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-03-09T14:37:17+00:00

    You need administrative rights for doing this change to the registry.

    After you have created the REG file as decribed in MohamedDarwish1981's post, save it to a location where you can easily find it again. Example: C:\TEMP\OpenWith.reg

    Then, run a Command Prompt as an administrator. Open the start menu and enter CMD in the field "Search files or folders". If CMD.EXE is shown as a search result, highlight it by left clicking once and then press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER. Confirm the security request.

    A command window opens which runs with administrative rights.

    In this window, enter

    CD C:\TEMP [Enter]

    REGEDIT /S OpenWith.reg [Enter]

    That should do the trick.

    Kind regards,

    DAC324

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