Backup and Restore Add "System Protection and Restore" Context Menu in Windows 11

Wisewiz · Jan 20, 2024

@Brink

Hi, Shawn,
This reminded me that I have a question for you: when you write

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\SystemProtection]
"MUIVerb"="System Protection and Restore"
"Icon"="rstrui.exe"
"Position"="Bottom"
"SubCommands"=""

I know that the Verb entry is going to appear at the very bottom of the ConMenu, and I already have Restart Explorer at the bottom of my ConMenu (Thank you!), and would like to keep it bottom-most. Is there a setting that would work to place a new ConMenu command at the next-to-bottom position?

Thanks,

Dan

Brink · Jan 20, 2024

Wisewiz said:
@Brink

Hi, Shawn,
This reminded me that I have a question for you: when you write

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\SystemProtection]
"MUIVerb"="System Protection and Restore"
"Icon"="rstrui.exe"
"Position"="Bottom"
"SubCommands"=""

I know that the Verb entry is going to appear at the very bottom of the ConMenu, and I already have Restart Explorer at the bottom of my ConMenu (Thank you!), and would like to keep it bottom-most. Is there a setting that would work to place a new ConMenu command at the next-to-bottom position?

Thanks,

Dan

Hell Dan,

I'm afraid the "Position" value only has "Top", "Middle", or "Bottom" available for it.

Wisewiz · Jan 20, 2024

Thank you, sir. I suspected as much. Might it work to remove Restart Explorer from the menu, then add System Protection, and THEN add back Restart Explorer?

Edwin · Jan 20, 2024

@Wisewiz
You could prefix the Restart Explorer key name with Alt+255
The name is a little moved over, but, that's the only way you're gonna get around the alphanumerical sorting.

Wisewiz · Jan 20, 2024

@Edwin

But we're talking here about adding a key to the reg that positions things at the "bottom." No alpha-ordering involved. My guess is that setting it to go to the bottom just means "make it the last entry," and if that's the case, then something that was positioned at the bottom put itself there with respect to (wrt) what was there at the time. Then, if something else is positioned at the bottom, it should assume the bottom position wrt the other things already in the menu.

No "always on top" battle here, and no major real estate wars. I think it will work that way, but we'll see when I get the chance.

Brink · Jan 20, 2024

Wisewiz said:
Thank you, sir. I suspected as much. Might it work to remove Restart Explorer from the menu, then add System Protection, and THEN add back Restart Explorer?

A context menu item is automatically arranged in alphabetical order by the "MUIVerb" name in the "Top", "Middle", or "Bottom" section you set it to appear on.

It wouldn't matter which one you added first or last, the results will be the same order.

Edwin · Jan 20, 2024

Wisewiz said:
But we're talking here about adding a key to the reg that positions things at the "bottom." No alpha-ordering involved. My guess is that setting it to go to the bottom just means "make it the last entry," and if that's the case, then something that was positioned at the bottom put itself there with respect to (wrt) what was there at the time. Then, if something else is positioned at the bottom, it should assume the bottom position wrt the other things already in the menu.

Naw..., it doesn't work that way, there are Hidden Groups..., also...,
... it depends what Directory you are assigning it to..., these are all assigned to HKCR\DesktopBackground\Shell:

Wisewiz · Jan 20, 2024

I understand you both, and thank you for the knowledge. So, I think that if I send both of those to the "bottom" section, but I change the MUIVerbs for them (or one of them) so it's aphabetically earlier than the other one, I should achieve my desired result. "Restart" would precede "System," but "Protection System" would precede "Restart Explorer." Right?

Edwin · Jan 20, 2024

Wisewiz said:
I understand you both, and thank you for the knowledge. So, I think that if I send both of those to the "bottom" section, but I change the MUIVerbs for them (or one of them) so it's aphabetically earlier than the other one, I should achieve my desired result. "Restart" would precede "System," but "Protection System" would precede "Restart Explorer." Right?

Changing the MUIVerb's won't do anything...,
... if you want Restart Explorer at the Bottom-bottom, prefix the tree key name with Alt+255...

Wisewiz · Jan 20, 2024

That seems to me to contradict what Shawn said:

Brink said:
A context menu item is automatically arranged in alphabetical order by the "MUIVerb" name in the "Top", "Middle", or "Bottom" section you set it to appear on.

It wouldn't matter which one you added first or last, the results will be the same order.

So, if they are both assigned "Bottom," the alpha order should put "Protect" before "Restore." No?

Brink · Jan 20, 2024

Wisewiz said:
That seems to me to contradict what Shawn said:

So, if they are both assigned "Bottom," the alpha order should put "Protect" before "Restore." No?

Correct.

Edwin · Jan 20, 2024

Wisewiz said:
So, if they are both assigned "Bottom," the alpha order should put "Protect" before "Restore." No?

Correct. But, if you wanted Protect to be listed below Restore, you would have to change the Tree Key name..., changing the MUIVerb name only changes the name itself, not it's position on the context menu.

Here's the Restart Explorer entry with the MUIVerb changed:

Here's the same entry with the Tree Key name changed using the same prefix:

Wisewiz · Jan 20, 2024

Okay, now I see what you're saying. If I want them in a given order, I can achieve that with alphabetic ordering, but if I want to break the alphabetic precedence default, I have to use another procedure, namely one like the one you suggested. Yes?

Wisewiz · Jan 20, 2024

(BTW, @Edwin, I use TKL keyboards to reduce the keyboard-edge-to-mouse distance by about 3-4 inches, so I have no idea how I'd achieve the Alt+255 result. I'd have to look that up

)

Edwin · Jan 20, 2024

Wisewiz said:
Okay, now I see what you're saying. If I want them in a given order, I can achieve that with alphabetic ordering, but if I want to break the alphabetic precedence default, I have to use another procedure, namely one like the one you suggested. Yes?

Correct.
You stated earlier that you wanted to keep Restart Explorer at the very bottom..., you could name the Tree Key Name to Z Restart Explorer, for what it's worth, but, I use Alt+255 so it remains an invisible character.