Personalization Add Install CAB Context Menu in Windows 11


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CAB_banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to add Install to the context menu of .cab files for all users in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

A cabinet is a single file, usually with a .cab extension, that stores compressed files in a file library. The cabinet format is an efficient way to package multiple files because compression is performed across file boundaries, which significantly improves the compression ratio.

You can use the DISM /Add-Package command with Windows cabinet (.cab) files to install or remove updates, service packs, language packs, and to enable or disable Windows features.

This DISM command can be used to make installing a Windows Update CAB file easy with a single click in the CAB file context menu.


If you have the .cab file extension type associated to open with a third party app (ex: 7Zip, WinZip, WinRAR, etc...) by default, the Install context menu item added from this tutorial will not show until you restore the default association for the .cab file type.


You must be signed in as an administrator to add, remove, and use the Install context menu for CAB files.

The context menu in this tutorial will not work to install Realtek HD audio drivers from a .cab file. For that, see: Install Realtek CAB file in Windows



EXAMPLE: Install CAB context menu

When you right click on a .cab file, you will need to click/tap on Show more options first, then click/tap on Install.


Show_more_options.png
Install_added_to_CAB_context_menu.png



Here's How:

1 Do step 2 (add) or step 3 (remove) below for what you would like to do.

2 To Add Install to Context Menu of CAB Files

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.​

Add_Install_to_cab_context_menu.reg


(Content of .reg file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CABFolder\Shell\RunAs]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CABFolder\Shell\RunAs]
@="Install"
"HasLUAShield"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CABFolder\Shell\RunAs\Command]
@="cmd /k dism /online /add-package /packagepath:\"%1\""

3 To Remove Install from Context Menu of CAB Files

This is the default setting.


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.​

Remove_Install_from_cab_context_menu.reg


(Content of .reg file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CABFolder\Shell\RunAs]

4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

If you used step 2 and still do not see Install in the context menu of .cab files, then:

1) Download and merge the .reg file for cab in the table of option two in the tutorial here (click on link) to restore the default association for .cab files.

2) Merge the .reg file here in step 2 again.




That's it,
Shawn Brink
 

Attachments

  • CAB.png
    CAB.png
    11.7 KB · Views: 155
  • Add_Install_to_cab_context_menu.reg
    862 bytes · Views: 377
  • Remove_Install_from_cab_context_menu.reg
    490 bytes · Views: 341
Last edited:
@Brink
Used this on two machines yesterday. I'm a slow typist, and not having to type the whole DISM command was a delightful experience. Thanks for doing this chore.

Dan
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i7-9700 @ 3.00GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GBDDR4 @ 2666MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG E2442
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS 500GB NVMe SSD, 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    250GB NVMe SSD (OS and programs), 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    500GB NVMe SSD (Data)
    Case
    Lenovo SFF
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome, sometimes Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium & Defender (working together beautifully!)
  • Operating System
    11 Pro 23H2 22631.3374
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i5-8400 @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 @ 2600MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG FULL HD (1920x1080@59Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS NVMe; 1 x Samsung 980 NVMe SSD
    Case
    Lenovo Think Centre SFF
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium and MS Defender, beautiful together
Works in Win10 too.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 10 pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    several (Dell, HP, custom build, Lenovo, ASUS, etc.)
    CPU
    several
    Motherboard
    several
    Browser
    Firefox
    Other Info
    I have many computers, mostly Dell and HP.
Hey.

I m at ver. 22631.3296 and it didnt work.
What i try with no luck :
1) I unistall 7-zip , reboot
2) I download and merge .cab defaults.
3) I merge the "add.install............".
And a 2nd question : when i click at "open" it says its install.
Is the same with the reg file ? Cause if yes , the reg file isnt required.
(y)
Thanks.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion 17 cd2205nw
    CPU
    Intel 113700H
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 3050 ti
    Screen Resolution
    1980x1020
    Hard Drives
    Micron 512GB
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    100Mbs
    Browser
    Vivaldi , Edge
    Antivirus
    Norton Plus
Hey.

I m at ver. 22631.3296 and it didnt work.
What i try with no luck :
1) I unistall 7-zip , reboot
2) I download and merge .cab defaults.
3) I merge the "add.install............".
And a 2nd question : when i click at "open" it says its install.
Is the same with the reg file ? Cause if yes , the reg file isnt required.
(y)
Thanks.
Hello mate, :alien:

It depends on the CAB file. This will not work on Realtek CAB files.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
Hello mate, :alien:

It depends on the CAB file. This will not work on Realtek CAB files.
Named : "windows10.0-kb5014019-x64_a1e2e82bf30fce2a4ffe482335bd49e9dde218cf.msu".
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion 17 cd2205nw
    CPU
    Intel 113700H
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 3050 ti
    Screen Resolution
    1980x1020
    Hard Drives
    Micron 512GB
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    100Mbs
    Browser
    Vivaldi , Edge
    Antivirus
    Norton Plus
Named : "windows10.0-kb5014019-x64_a1e2e82bf30fce2a4ffe482335bd49e9dde218cf.msu".

Ah, that's a MSU file not CAB file. You can just double click a MSU file to install it.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
Ah, that's a MSU file not CAB file. You can just double click a MSU file to install it.
Oh sorry friend. I m at a little confusion cause of that.
Please delete my stupid question.
Thanks. (y) :eyeroll:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion 17 cd2205nw
    CPU
    Intel 113700H
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 3050 ti
    Screen Resolution
    1980x1020
    Hard Drives
    Micron 512GB
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    100Mbs
    Browser
    Vivaldi , Edge
    Antivirus
    Norton Plus

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium

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