Get More Privacy! Delete History Files From Right-Click Context Menu

History files cover Internet history, Windows search history, start menu run history, start menu most frequently used programs, Google toolbar and so on. And most of them are stored in system areas that are not directly accessible from the user and they are scattered at many places. These history files may work with high probability of mistakes that could lead to privacy holes or even render your computer unusable.

When you right-click on a file or folder, some applications like antivirus software and others add some items to the context menu after you installing them because these software install shell extensions to add applications in the right-click context menu. If you correctly delete the appropriate shell extension in the registry, you won’t get these additional menu items and won’t leak your privacy. It’s a necessary task for you to delete some files from right click context menu.

How to delete the file from right-click context menu?

You need to delete the file from your registry, so you should enter into your registry editor with below method.

Windows XP: Go to Start menu, open Run, and type regedit and hit Enter.

Windows Vista: Go to Start menu, type regedit in the Search box and hit Enter.

Once your Registry Editor is open, navigate to “ HKEY-CLASSES-ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers”

Before deleting the files, you’d better first make a backup by right click on the folder and select Export. Then the registry will save at some safe place in case you want to put it back later. Once backup is done, simply delete the folder. You’ll see the file has disappeared from the right click context menu of every file in your computer.

How to delete the program from right click context menu?

You can use the same method as above to open Registry Editor, then navigate to “ HKEY-CLASSES-ROOT\Directory\shellex\contextmenuhandler

You delete the folder just like you did in first method.

You’ll see the file has vanished from the right click context menu of both files and folders in your PC.

Besides deleting unwanted options appearing on right click menu, you can add option, modify right click menu.

Deleting history files from right click context menu will protect my privacy and reduce the loading time!

Editing the Windows registry may give you complete control over the configuration of your menus, but you should be extremely careful not to change registry values that are use by other applications.