Find Context Menu Shell Verbs in Regedit

This article explains the specific Windows Registry paths where context menu shell verbs are registered and managed. Context menu verbs define the actions (such as Open, Edit, Print, or custom program commands) that appear when you right-click files, folders, or desktop backgrounds in Windows Explorer.

Primary Shell Verb Locations in the Registry

Context menu verbs are registered under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (HKCR), which merges settings from HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes (user-specific) and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes (system-wide).

1. Global Shell Verbs for All Files

To view verbs applied to every file regardless of its extension: * Registry Path: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell * Purpose: Contains commands available on the right-click menu of any standard file.

2. File-Type Specific Verbs

To view verbs assigned to specific file formats (e.g., .txt, .jpg): 1. Navigate to the extension key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.<extension> (e.g., HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.txt). 2. Check the (Default) value to identify the Program ID (ProgID), such as txtfile. 3. Navigate to the ProgID’s shell key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\<ProgID>\shell (e.g., HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell).

3. Folder and Directory Verbs

Commands appearing on folders and directories are split across multiple keys: * All Folders (File System & Virtual): HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell * File System Directories Only: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell * Directory Background (Empty Space): HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell * Drives: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell * All Filesystem Objects (Files + Folders): HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shell

4. Windows Canonical Command Store

Windows maintains a centralized library of predefined system verbs and dynamic commands: * Registry Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CommandStore\shell * Purpose: Contains canonical verbs referenced by the system or third-party applications via the ExplorerCommandHandler interface.

Structure of a Shell Verb Key

Under any \shell key, each subkey represents a distinct verb (e.g., open, print, runas): * (Default) String: Sets the display name that appears in the context menu. * command Subkey: The default value contains the precise executable path and command-line arguments executed when selected (e.g., "C:\Program Files\App\app.exe" "%1"). * Icon Value (Optional): Specifies the icon displayed next to the verb. * Extended Value (Optional): Makes the verb appear only when holding the Shift key while right-clicking.