Modifying Windows Registry for a Better Windows Experience

The windows registry hold all the settings that interfere with third party and other software in the system.You can change your windows edition as you like with windows registry.But there are some boundaries too.You can find some useful registry settings for windows 7 here.But most of them will also work in other editions also.In this article you can find these tweaks.
#1.Adding programs to the Context Menu(Right Click menu).
#2.Adding programs to the Desktop right click menu.
#3.Removing 'Shortcut to' from shortcuts.
#4.Disabling notification balloons.
#5.Removing Shortcut arrow.

WARNING : DO NOT TRY TO CHANGE ANY SETTINGS IN WINDOWS REGISTRY WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE.FOLLOW THE STEPS EXACTLY AS GIVEN HERE!

Opening the Registry

There are many ways to open the registry in windows.

#1.Hold Windows Key + R ,run box will appear Type "regedit" without quotes.

#2.Just type "regedit" in the start menu (For windows 7).

#3.Go to C:\Windows and search for "regedit".

Now you have access to the Registry Editor.There are 5 Registry keys.Click on the little arrow in left to collapse them in to sub keys.Each sub key has values.We change these values as we want and change the registry.

#1.Adding Programs to the Right Click menu

You can add programs to the right click menu by using the registry.For example let's add 'Open with Notepad' command to the right click menu.

• Open HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT > * > shell.
• Right click on the shell and select New > Key.

• Name the key as Notepad.
• Right Click on that key and New > Key

• Name the key as command.
• Double click on the Default value and enter value data as "C:\Windows\notepad.exe".

Now you'll get Open with Notepad to the Right Click menu.To add any program same steps can be followed.Just create the keys with different names,but not the command key.The path entered in the last step can be found by right clicking with Shift key on the exe file of the program and selecting 'Copy as Path'.

#2.Adding Programs To The Desktop Right Click Menu

This is not a very useful tweak.But some people may find it very useful.Follow the steps.

• Open HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT > Directory > Background > shell
• Right Click on the shell and New > Key.
• You should name that key in the program's name.
• Right Click on that new key and create a new key again.That key must be named as command.

• Double click on the default value of the command key and enter the path of the program as the value data.Use the 'Copy as path' option.

Now you'll see your program in the Desktop Right Click menu.

#3.Removing 'Shortcut to' from shortcuts

Every time you create a shortcut it as the name 'shortcut to' in it.You can remove it and get the application name directly.Some tweaking programs like Tune Up Utilities,Advanced System Care may have done this already.But if you have the 'shortcut to' in the name of your shortcuts follow these steps.

• Open the path HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > Current Version > Explorer.

• While Explorer is selected you can see a value name link at the right,double click it and open it.
• Change the value data to 00 00 00 00 .Click OK.

• Now you're done.

#4.Disabling Notification Balloons

Don't you like the notification balloons? Do you want to remove them? Then follow the below steps.

• First open the path in the registry HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > Current Version > Explorer > Advanced

• Now right click on Advanced and choose New > DWORD (32bit) value.

• Name the value as EnableBalloonTips.

• Double click on the value that you just made and set value data to 0. 

• Click OK.