Add Icon to "New Context Menu" Entry

atinfo · Feb 11, 2022

Hi forum,

I have added "NP++" to the Win 11 new context menu but I don't know how to change its icon. I had tried some tweaks (create "Icon" key and subkey, linked dll instead of exe as icon...) but didn't work. Any suggestion?

Adding new entry was helped with this guide:

Integrate with the Windows 11 Context Menu · Issue #127365 · microsoft/vscode

The new Windows 11 context menu uses IExplorerCommand + app identity for app integration. Identity is established for unpackaged Win32 like VS Code using Sparse Manifests. A sample can be found her...

github.com

atinfo · Jul 31, 2022

Somebody somewhere has made such a cool app. Why Microsoft can't do it and integrate two menu styles (old and new)?!

Home - Shell

Shell is a powerful context menu customizer with highly responsive for Windows File Explorer.

nilesoft.org

Edwin · Jul 31, 2022

atinfo said:
... integrate two menu styles (old and new)?!

Naw! One or the other! Not both! Too messy! Preferably the classic!

Edwin · Jul 31, 2022

To be honest, I'm growing quite weary of jumping through hoops in an effort to preserve what was once functional and familiar!

I feel like a fecking dolphin at SeaWorld!!!

TizianoMad · Aug 1, 2022

atinfo said:
Somebody somewhere has made such a cool app.

Thanks a lot for sharing this nice discovery.

It's good to note that it's a portable app, working on every OS (W7 > W11).

atinfo said:
Why Microsoft can't do it and integrate two menu styles (old and new)?!

I guess it's more a commercial purpuse.
The new skin given to File Explorer is precisely what justifies the existence of Windows 11, to impose the TPM 2.0 chips.
Less than 2 years ago, Microsoft's plan was to call the OS simply "Windows", on which you can install whatever is compatible with your hardware. And we could hope for a wider personalization.
But all that smells too much of Linux, and therefore very bad for keeping business monopolies.
Money, money, money.

Perhaps your question has alresdy been a request in ExplorerPatcher. (Forum's thread / GitHub closed issues & discussions).
Otherwise you could submit it to the Shell 1.6 developers (GitHub issues).

atinfo · Aug 1, 2022

Edwin said:
Naw! One or the other! Not both! Too messy! Preferably the classic!

The new one but...! If it becomes like (less space between items and narrower):

Edwin said:
To be honest, I'm growing quite weary of jumping through hoops in an effort to preserve what was once functional and familiar!
I feel like a fecking dolphin at SeaWorld!!!

I had the classic one activated (by registry tweak/trick). About three months ago, I decided to switch to the new one (new Menu) and practice getting used to it (because of our unknown UI's future). I am dying to bring NP++ (portable), Everything (portable) and 7Z to the new Menu, by asking their authors. All say they would consider that whenever they switch to Win 11! Just Igor (7Z author) had a significant answer (thanks to him from here for his great app with its great UI). They (the Shell app's authors) did the exact thing I need, see SS above (my new right click menu), I love it. What this tiny (portable ) app did for me? But I don't use it!!

TizianoMad said:
Thanks a lot for sharing this nice discovery.

I am glad it works for you. If you like you can consider reading this full (somehow) Q&A about new Menu (adding Code to the Right Click):

Integrate with the Windows 11 Context Menu · Issue #127365 · microsoft/vscode

The new Windows 11 context menu uses IExplorerCommand + app identity for app integration. Identity is established for unpackaged Win32 like VS Code using Sparse Manifests. A sample can be found her...

github.com

TizianoMad said:
It's good to note that it's a portable app, working on every OS (W7 > W11).

That's the reason I don't use it (Shell). It's an app and has to be work as an BG process. It doesn't implement in Registry and doesn't work as an OS patch, it works as an app. I like it to be part of OS. I appreciate their work. That's great. I love it (its UI).

TizianoMad said:
I guess it's more a commercial purpuse.
The new skin given to File Explorer is precisely what justifies the existence of Windows 11, to impose the TPM 2.0 chips.
Less than 2 years ago, Microsoft's plan was to call the OS simply "Windows", on which you can install whatever is compatible with your hardware. And we could hope for a wider personalization.
But all that smells too much of Linux, and therefore very bad for keeping business monopolies.
Money, money, money.

Exactly! You can read more about those limitations (the same link above). It seems, Microsoft has decided to make UI personalization more limited, and implements its democracy!

They work Binary like their OS. Every morning there are just two options in front of them:
1- If the last night everything was good, then everything in our OS design (OS Core and UI) will go well as before. We take care of Win 11 forever.
2- If the last night nothing was good, then we will destroy everything, and will start again (OS core and UI). We will develop Win 12, 13, Win N …

Yeah, $ is everything and everywhere (except my pocket and wallet, they are under my rug)! HP & MS, Lenovo & MS, AMD & MS, Adobe & MS partnership. The HW companies have to sell more, how?! The recent one (Adobe & MS) had a huge impact on Adobe apps' function on Win 11 (they were terrible, and they've got more terrible now, specifically Photoshop, I don't know if you are aware of it or not, the RAM issue, there are massive complaints about that on Adobe forum, and just guess what are they advising?! They say upgrade your HW!!!)

TizianoMad said:
Perhaps your question has alresdy been a request in ExplorerPatcher. (Forum's thread / GitHub closed issues & discussions).
Otherwise you could submit it to the Shell 1.6 developers (GitHub issues).

Many thanks :thumbsup:

. I have already read it. I am not a fan of ExplorerPatcher.

Edwin · Aug 1, 2022

I prefer the classic menu where I can control what and where to add what I wish...
I don't care for the glyphs either, I'd rather see real program icons.

atinfo · Aug 1, 2022

Your Menu (UI) is the new one with classic items on it! I like it this way (real icons, not glyphs), except for the OS original items with their duo-colour glyphs. AFAIK, our brain responds faster to the real icons than the monochrome glyphs. It can distinguish the specific app faster by seeing its original colourised icon instead of a monochrome glyph. As you can see (in my SS), NP++, Everything and 7Z have their icons on Menu (I have changed Everything's icon).

Edwin · Aug 1, 2022

atinfo said:
Your Menu (UI) is the new one with classic items on it!

Oops! No, it's the menus modified by StartAllBack..., I had one setting wrong...

atinfo · Aug 1, 2022

Edwin said:
It's the menus modified by StartAllBack...

I got it. I mean, I knew the Menu (its UI) had been modified by a third-party app (StartAllBack, I am not familiar with). As I realized, it is something between the Classic and the New! It's not left nor right, just in the middle of the road. It doubts about it to select the right one!

The specific thing I like about the new Menu is the high-traffic functions row! I love this one, the most practical, functional UI design in the new Menu, the best design engineering Microsoft has done yet :thumbsup:

. It helps me a lot. I use the "Rename" function a lot (more than a lot). By bringing those most common commands to the top of the Menu as a separate single row (and next to each other), I can do it faster than ever.

"The most common commands – cut, copy, paste, delete, and rename – are far from the mouse pointer, touch point, or pen", Microsoft said (link below, and I am totally agree with them):

Extending the Context Menu and Share Dialog in Windows 11

blogs.windows.com

TizianoMad · Feb 10, 2023

Hi @moud,

Well, I just notice you are actually the creator of SHELL (on GitHub).
Congrats and thank you so much for sharing your app.

Maybe you can help me out with creating 2 versions of the "shell.shl" file.
I'm not very good at using the syntax, I hope that a kind of "organizer app" will be available some day in the future.

I would need a version which would make the "new options" available only with pressing "Shift + Right Click",
and another version with these options totally removed (convenient for just replacing W10 context menu to match W11 design).

I've read you are planning to add/replace the main options with the standalone top icons. I'm also looking forward to this.

moud · Feb 11, 2023

Thank you TizianoMad

Shell became more dynamic after adding the import option, as it allowed settings file splitting and file import control on condition.

To add new item when the Shift key is pressed, use the vis property and assign it the value key.shift().

Code:

item(title='test item 1' vis=key.shift())

You can also add it to the indicated items as follows:

Code:

// imports/develop.nss
menu(mode="multiple" title='&Develop' sep=sep.bottom image=\uE26E vis=key.shift())

// imports/goto.nss
menu(type='*' where=window.is_taskbar||sel.count mode=mode.multiple title=title.go_to sep=sep.both image=\uE14A vis=key.shift())

// imports/terminal.nss
menu(type='*' where=(sel.count or wnd.is_taskbar or wnd.is_edit) title=title.terminal sep='top' image=icon.run_with_powershell vis=key.shift())

Or you can use the following method inside shell.nss file.

Code:

dynamic
{     
   menu(expanded=true where=key.shift())
   {
     import 'imports/terminal.nss'
     import 'imports/file-manage.nss'
     import 'imports/develop.nss'
     import 'imports/goto.nss'
     import 'imports/taskbar.nss'
   }
}

After each modification, the settings must be reloaded through one of the following methods
1. Press Ctrl + Right-Click2. Restart Explorer with this command shell.exe -restart or from Shell UI > Restart Explorer

TizianoMad · Mar 21, 2023

moud said:
Or you can use the following method inside shell.nss file.

Code:

dynamic { menu(expanded=true where=key.shift()) { import 'imports/terminal.nss' import 'imports/file-manage.nss' import 'imports/develop.nss' import 'imports/goto.nss' import 'imports/taskbar.nss' } }

That's great !

Thank you @moud,
I now have a very simple and light Context Menu as I like it, with :

"Extra" options available via [Shift + Right-Click]
20 character range

Here's the nss file in case anyone likes it this way too (to replace the one in C:\Program Files\Nilesoft Shell).

TizianoMad · May 20, 2023

atinfo said:
... I don't know how to change its icon.

Hi @atinfo

Apologies for answering so late.
I do know a solution for this, using one or 2 apps.

There is maybe more than "one" registry key to edit.
Easy Context Menu v1.6 can help finding them.

You may find different ones for the desktop, files, folders, navigation pane...
Select the entry and press the "Access the registry key"button.

Also, Ultimate Windows Context Menu Customizer can directly replace the icon, but I don' know if it is capable of detecting all app entries. Though, you do access all types (Computer, Desktop, Drives, Files, Folders).
"Add/Edit Item" section > Icon [...]

With using Nilesoft SHELL, it seems you can apply an icon using this fonction :

Code:

icon.box([["path to file"], [index]])

but I couldn't tell you how to integrate it to a specified app.
Maybe @moud could help with this.

Hello @moud,

Your context menu is working wonderfully.
It would've been great if it could have been integrated to apps and browsers.

There's just a little glitch with the "Activated" ✔ icon on locking the taskbar. It's nothing much.

Cheers

atinfo · May 22, 2023

Hi @TizianoMad ,

Many thanks. "Easy Context Menu" and "Ultimate Windows Context Menu Customizer" don't work with the New (Win 11) menu. I don't use the "Shell" app.

NP++ author(s) decided to add the icon in the New menu. Unfortunately, it works just for the installer version (another headache because I am on the mini-portable version):
"Notepad++ v8.5.1: Use new modern shell “Edit with Notepad++” of Windows 11 instead of hijacking “Pin to Quick access”.(Fix #13320, implement #13330)"

TizianoMad · Oct 27, 2023

TizianoMad said:
That's great !

Thank you @moud,
I now have a very simple and light Context Menu as I like it, with :

"Extra" options available via [Shift + Right-Click]

20 character range

Here's the nss file in case anyone likes it this way too (to replace the one in C:\Program Files\Nilesoft Shell).

Hello @moud,

Thank you for the new 1.9 release.

Since the new nss file has a different organisation, I tried to adapt the same rules of the "Light edit" I previously made with your help, but I didn't succeed.
Could you help me update these rules for the 1.9 nss file ?

(Old 1.8.1 nss rules for the "Light Edit" version)

Code:

static
    {   
        import 'imports/static.nss'
        item(where=this.title.length > 20 menu=title.more_options)
    }


    dynamic
    {
       menu(mode="multiple" title="Pin/Unpin" image=icon.pin) { }
       menu(mode="multiple" title=title.more_options image=icon.more_options) { }
       menu(expanded=true where=key.shift())
       {
         import 'imports/terminal.nss'
         import 'imports/file-manage.nss'
         import 'imports/develop.nss'
         import 'imports/goto.nss'
         import 'imports/taskbar.nss'
       }
    }

Thank you