This tutorial will show you how to add or remove a File History context menu for your account or all users in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
File History regularly backs up versions of your files in the Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, and Desktop folders and the OneDrive files available offline on your PC. Over time, you'll have a complete history of your files. If the originals are lost, damaged, or deleted, you can restore them. You can also browse and restore different versions of your files. For example, if you want to restore an older version of a file (even if it wasn't deleted or lost), you can browse through a timeline, select the version you want, and restore it.
If you use File History, you can add File History to the context menu when you right click on your desktop, a folder, or folder background. This context menu will open directly to that folder's File History location to make it easy to restore and manage File History from.
Contents
- Option One: Add or Remove File History Context Menu for Current User
- Option Two: Add or Remove File History Context Menu for All Users
EXAMPLE: File History context menu opening File History
You will need to click/tap on Show more options first by default in Windows 11, then click/tap on File History.
The File History context menu will be grayed out when a folder location isn't included in File History.
1 Do step 2 (add) or step 3 (remove) below for what you want to do.
2. Add "File History" context menu for Current User
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Add_File_History_to_context_menu_for_current_user.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\AllFilesystemObjects\shell\Windows.HistoryVaultRestore]
"CommandStateHandler"="{3756e7f5-e514-4776-a32b-eb24bc1efe7a}"
"Description"="@shell32.dll,-37383"
"Icon"="imageres.dll,-5353"
"ImpliedSelectionModel"=dword:00000001
"MUIVerb"="File History"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\AllFilesystemObjects\shell\Windows.HistoryVaultRestore\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,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,46,00,69,00,\
6c,00,65,00,48,00,69,00,73,00,74,00,6f,00,72,00,79,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,\
00,20,00,22,00,25,00,31,00,22,00,00,00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Directory\Background\shell\Windows.HistoryVaultRestore]
"CommandStateHandler"="{3756e7f5-e514-4776-a32b-eb24bc1efe7a}"
"Description"="@shell32.dll,-37383"
"Icon"="imageres.dll,-5353"
"ImpliedSelectionModel"=dword:00000001
"MUIVerb"="File History"
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Directory\Background\shell\Windows.HistoryVaultRestore\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,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,46,00,69,00,\
6c,00,65,00,48,00,69,00,73,00,74,00,6f,00,72,00,79,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,\
00,20,00,22,00,25,00,31,00,22,00,00,00 3. Remove "File History" context menu for Current User
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_File_History_from_context_menu_for_current_user.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\AllFilesystemObjects\shell\Windows.HistoryVaultRestore]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Directory\Background\shell\Windows.HistoryVaultRestore]4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
5 If you have Smart App Control turned on, you will need to unblock the downloaded REG file.
6 Double click/tap on the downloaded .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 .reg file if you like.
You must be signed in as an administrator to use this option.
1 Do step 2 (add) or step 3 (remove) below for what you want to do.
2. Add "File History" context menu for All Users
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Add_File_History_to_context_menu_for_all_users.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shell\Windows.HistoryVaultRestore]
"CommandStateHandler"="{3756e7f5-e514-4776-a32b-eb24bc1efe7a}"
"Description"="@shell32.dll,-37383"
"Icon"="imageres.dll,-5353"
"ImpliedSelectionModel"=dword:00000001
"MUIVerb"="File History"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shell\Windows.HistoryVaultRestore\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,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,46,00,69,00,\
6c,00,65,00,48,00,69,00,73,00,74,00,6f,00,72,00,79,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,\
00,20,00,22,00,25,00,31,00,22,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\Windows.HistoryVaultRestore]
"CommandStateHandler"="{3756e7f5-e514-4776-a32b-eb24bc1efe7a}"
"Description"="@shell32.dll,-37383"
"Icon"="imageres.dll,-5353"
"ImpliedSelectionModel"=dword:00000001
"MUIVerb"="File History"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\Windows.HistoryVaultRestore\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,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,46,00,69,00,\
6c,00,65,00,48,00,69,00,73,00,74,00,6f,00,72,00,79,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,\
00,20,00,22,00,25,00,31,00,22,00,00,00 3. Remove "File History" context menu for All Users
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_File_History_from_context_menu_for_all_users.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shell\Windows.HistoryVaultRestore]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\Windows.HistoryVaultRestore]4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
5 If you have Smart App Control turned on, you will need to unblock the downloaded REG file.
6 Double click/tap on the downloaded .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 .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
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Last edited:
