Create shortcut to modify registry files and add custom context menu

Have you ever wanted to create a shortcut which would speed up your registry editing skills ? or do you modify registry more frequently ? Here is a solution which will perform any task in less than 5 seconds. We will explain this tutorial by adding a custom option in windows Right Click Context Menu of a file. [Not Folder]

  • First, we’d launch Notepad or another text editor.
  • Next add this line at the top of file.

“Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00”

  •  After it add a blank line.
  • To create a key Directory in registry, add full path of it.

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\Open with Softnuke\command]

  • Now add name of key and its value in this format “”=”value”, value could be path of any file with which you want to open.

@=”notepad.exe %1”

  • %1 is used here to provide path of the specified file on which Right click is to be done and @ means default key in directory.

registry-shortcut-open-with-softnuke

  • Now save it as “softnuke.reg”. Always Save the file with the .reg file extension. You can double-click it to add the information to your registry.

A single .reg file can contain multiple entries, so you could have one .reg file that installs all your favorite shortcuts.

registry-shortcut-save

Now can use it the way you like, here is another example : Enable/Disable access of USB

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\USBSTOR\] “Start”=dword:4
  • Finally, to delete the folder and all its continents create a .reg file similar with (-)minus sign in front of its directory.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\USBSTOR\] “Start”=-

For any Queries please comment below.

registry-shortcut-context

Note: Users running earlier versions of Windows may want to substitute Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 with REGEDIT4.

How to Export/Backup Windows Registry

The Windows Registry is a hierarchical database that stores configuration settings and options on Microsoft Windows operating systems. It contains settings for low-level  operating system components as well as the applications running on the platform: the kernel, device drivers, services, SAM, user interface and third party applications all use the registry. The registry also provides a means to access counters for profiling system performance.

Its easy and fast, you can make a backup file for all of your registries stored in OS. You can also select a specific registry to backup if you want to.

Step 1 : Go to Start and enter ‘regedit’ in search bar or press Win+R to open RUN then type regedit and hit enter.

Regedit

(Optional)Step 2 : Windows will ask you to allow executing it, select YES. A new window of Registry Editor will open.

Step 3 : You can see the window is divided into two parts, left one looks like a hierarchy of all registry stored. If you want to backup a specfic one then find it and select it otherwise click My Computer.

Regedit export

Step 4 : Now Go to File >Export. Browse the location where you want to export your backup and click SAVE. It will take 2-3 mins according to your computer specifications to do it so have patience !!.

Step 5: Voila !! and your are Done. Later on if you want to restore Just open back the exported file again by double clicking it.

*You can also explore it by opening through a notepad .