Add Control Panel, Task Manager, Windows Update and Other Useful Shortcuts with Icons in My Computer Context Menu

Control Panel, Task Manager, Device Manager are a few system applications which we use frequently in our daily computer tasks. Wouldn’t it be great if we can access them quickly by right-click on My Computer icon on Desktop?

Today we are going to share a registry script which will add following shortcuts in My Computer context menu:

  • Programs and Features (Add/Remove Programs)
  • Run Disk Cleanup on this system
  • Control Panel
  • Device Manager
  • Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)
  • Event Viewer
  • Manage
  • MSConfig
  • Registry Editor (regedit)
  • Services (services.msc)
  • Task Manager
  • Windows Update

My_Computer_Context_Menu_Shortcuts_.png

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Just download following ZIP file, extract it and run desired REG file. It’ll ask for confirmation, accept it:

Download Registry Script

It’ll work in Windows XP and later Windows versions.

PS: If you receive any error message while running the Registry script, first take ownership of following key in Registry Editor:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell

Now run the Registry script and it’ll work without any problem.

Thanks to AskVG Readers “tlm” and cclloyd9785 for sharing them…

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Also check:

[AIO] Ultimate Tutorial to Customize My Computer Context Menu in Windows

Published in: Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

Comments

NOTE: Older comments have been removed to reduce database overhead.

  1. you are the best VG thanks you very much….site its the best keep sharing and up to date..

  2. I totally miss this after only 2 days on Win 10.

    Can it be made to install/merge as now it refuses.

  3. Does not allow those Reg files to merge (others do work for other things) so is not as if registry is locked.

    I prefer the above method TBH. 🙂

  4. Its not working on Windows 10 i used this on Windows 7 and now its not working! Can you fix it please?

  5. === === === === === === === === ===
    ;Control Panel
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\Control Panel\command]
    @=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
    00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,63,00,6f,00,\
    6e,00,74,00,72,00,6f,00,6c,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,00,00
    ;—- @=”%SystemRoot%\system32\control.exe”
    === === === === === === === === ===

    This works in Windows 10. 🙂

  6. I can assure you this does not work on a clean Win 10 install, the fact another peep chimes in proves so.

    Worked without any issue in Vista/7/8/8.1

    Taking ownership does nothing, all my other Reg tweaks even some from XP days worked in Vista/7/8/8.1 bar this and the sister tweak listed here :

    https://www.askvg.com/add-system-tools-cascading-menu-in-my-computer-context-menu-in-windows-7/

    Thanks to poster for posting full address of key as VG’s info had me searching Registry where there is dozens of results for that key.

    Either way it is no good as it will not import as gets same error as this tweak so I took permissions manually but as above will not import.

  7. Ok thanks now I have correct KEY and Full address it works, I knew this did not work by default on Win 10 as it was driving me c.zy why others worked.

    Windows Update shortcut will not work as its linked to same place the Windows update link in IE11 is and this also does not load Windows Update in Win 10 but not a big deal.

  8. Under Windows 10, the following worked for my (YMMV) to add the Settings master dialog and the Windows Update Dialog to the “ThisPC” icon on the desktop (*after* taking ownership of “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell”):

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\Settings]
    “Icon”=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,\
    00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,53,00,\
    48,00,45,00,4c,00,4c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,37,00,31,\
    00,00,00

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\Settings\command]
    @=”C:\\Windows\\explorer.exe ms-settings:”

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\Windows Update]
    “Icon”=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,\
    00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,53,00,\
    48,00,45,00,4c,00,4c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,32,00,33,\
    00,38,00,00,00

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\shell\Windows Update\command]
    @=”C:\\Windows\\explorer.exe ms-settings:windowsupdate”

  9. THANKS VERY MUCH!

    I was resigned to not having these shortcuts on “This PC” in Win10 (just getting around to it 05/2017), but these work great!

    Cheers!

  10. How do I add the “run”command to desktop context menu? I can get shortcut on desktop and task bar but can’t get it to work in right click menu. Thanks for any advice.

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