Get Windows Vista to behave the way you want it to – Part two

As I mentioned yesterday, editing the registry is a powerful way to configure Windows Vista to run the way you want it to. This does come with risks however; if you edit the registry incorrectly your computer can cease to work correctly. To protect your computer you should back up your registry before editing it.

To do this click Start and type systempropertiesprotection into Start Search. Once Windows Vista has finished searching your computer’s hard drives for restore points, click the System Protection tab and click Create. Give the restore point an easily identifiable name, for example Pre-Registry Edit 01/07/08, and then click Create.

To restore the registry, click Start and then type systempropertiesprotection. Click the System Protection tab and then click System Restore. In the System Restore dialog box select Choose a different restore point, and then click Next. Select the restore point you created just before you made the registry change, and click Next. Click Finish and your computer will begin to be restored. After your PC reboots, click OK on the System Restore confirmation dialogue box.

Remove 3rd Party Software shortcuts from right-click context menu

When you install new programs, they sometimes add themselves to the context menu that appears when you right-click your mouse. Although these can sometimes be useful, like when your anti-virus software includes a shortcut to scan a file or folder for viruses, some are not needed, and with a lot of software installed, the menu can become cluttered. You can edit your registry to remove unwanted software. Remember to back up your registry using the steps  I outlined above before continuing.
 
Click Start and type in regedit to open up the registry editor. Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers and delete any that you do not want.

Warning – Make sure you are completely sure what you are deleting. If you are not sure, leave it. Do not delete New, as this is a Windows Vista shortcut for creating new files by right-clicking.