Personalization Add Open Desktop Background File Location context menu in Windows 11


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Desktop_background_banner-2.png

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove Open desktop background file location on the desktop context menu for all users in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

You can change your desktop background in Windows 11 to be a picture, solid color, a slideshow, or Windows Spotlight.

You can add a Open desktop background file location context menu to find and open directly to the image file location of your current picture, slideshow, or Windows Spotlight desktop background with the image selected.

This can make it easy to find and save the current desktop background image as wanted.


You must be signed in as an administrator to add or remove the Open desktop background file location context menu, but all users can use this context menu.



Contents

  • Option One: Add "Open desktop background file location" context menu
  • Option Two: Remove "Open desktop background file location" context menu


EXAMPLE: "Open desktop background file location" context menu, and file location examples

You will need to click/tap on Show more options first by default, then click/tap on Open desktop background file location.


Show_more_options.png
Open_desktop_background_file_location_context_menu.png

Picture_desktop_background.png
Slideshow_desktop_background.png
Windows_Spotlight_desktop_background.png





Option One

Add "Open desktop background file location" context menu


1 Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below.

Add_Open_Desktop_Background_File_Location_context_menu.zip


2 Save the ZIP file to your desktop.

3 Unblock the ZIP file.

4 Open the ZIP file, and extract (drag and drop) the Add_Open_Desktop_Background_File_Location_context_menu.reg and Find_Desktop_Background.vbs files to your desktop. (see screenshot below)

(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\DesktopBackgroundFileLocation]
"icon"="imageres.dll,-5346"
@="Open desktop background file location"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\DesktopBackgroundFileLocation\command]
@=hex(2):77,00,73,00,63,00,72,00,69,00,70,00,74,00,20,00,22,00,25,00,57,00,69,\
  00,6e,00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,00,5c,00,46,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,5f,00,44,00,\
  65,00,73,00,6b,00,74,00,6f,00,70,00,5f,00,42,00,61,00,63,00,6b,00,67,00,72,\
  00,6f,00,75,00,6e,00,64,00,2e,00,76,00,62,00,73,00,22,00,00,00

(Contents of VBS file for reference)
Code:
Const HKCU = &H80000001 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER

sComputer = "."

Set oReg=GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" _
            & sComputer & "\root\default:StdRegProv")

sKeyPath = "Control Panel\Desktop\"
sValueName = "TranscodedImageCache"
oReg.GetBinaryValue HKCU, sKeyPath, sValueName, sValue


sContents = ""

For i = 24 To UBound(sValue)
  vByte = sValue(i)
  If vByte <> 0 And vByte <> "" Then
    sContents = sContents & Chr(vByte)
  End If
Next

CreateObject("Wscript.Shell").Run "explorer.exe /select,""" & sContents & """"

Open_desktop_background_file_location_context_menu-1.png

5 Perform the following steps: (see screenshots below)
  1. Open the C:\Windows folder in File Explorer (Win+E).
  2. Copy or Move the Find_Desktop_Background.vbs file into the C:\Windows folder.
  3. Click/tap on Continue to approve.
Open_desktop_background_file_location_context_menu-2.png
Open_desktop_background_file_location_context_menu-3.png

6 Double click/tap on the Add_Open_Desktop_Background_File_Location_context_menu.reg file to merge it.

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

8 You can now delete the downloaded ZIP, REG, and/or VBS files on your desktop if you like.




Option Two

Remove "Open desktop background file location" context menu


This is the default setting.


1 Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below.

Remove_Open_desktop_background_file_location_context_menu.reg


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\DesktopBackgroundFileLocation]

2 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

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

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

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

6 Perform the following steps: (see screenshots below)
  1. Open the C:\Windows folder in File Explorer (Win+E).
  2. Delete the Find_Desktop_Background.vbs file in the C:\Windows folder.
  3. Click/tap on Continue to approve.
Open_desktop_background_file_location_context_menu-2.png
Open_desktop_background_file_location_context_menu-3.png


That's it,
Shawn Brink


 

Attachments

  • Desktop_background-2.png
    Desktop_background-2.png
    7.2 KB · Views: 48
  • Add_Open_Desktop_Background_File_Location_context_menu.zip
    1.3 KB · Views: 191
  • Remove_Open_desktop_background_file_location_context_menu.reg
    600 bytes · Views: 99
Last edited:
@Brink
I'd like to put it in your Personalize (classic) sub-menu but, I'm doing something wrong...

... never mind..., I got it! Thanks for the inspiration! ;-) (y)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Strix
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook
@Brink
I'd like to put it in your Personalize (classic) sub-menu but, I'm doing something wrong...

... never mind..., I got it! Thanks for the inspiration! ;-) (y)
:shawn:
 

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
After a bit of a stumble, I got it right!
Also, to make it land in the third position...

0002581.png


... I had to create a sub-flyout, so to speak, named 003.2

0002580.png
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Strix
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook

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