How to remove directory context menu added by Visual Studio 2017?

Question

I have installed Visual Studio Community 2017 RC on Windows 10.
After installing, it added a new context menu when right clicked on any directory.

I want to remove this option, but can't seem to find it from VS2017 settings.

Solution 1

Run regedit.exe, go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\AnyCode, take ownership of this key, change the permisions for your account and add a DWORD (32Bit) with the name HideBasedOnVelocityId and set the value to 006698a6 (hex):

When you now do a rightclick the entry is gone:

Delete entry or rename it to ShowBasedOnVelocityId to enable the entry again:

Solution 2

This answer is originally from here, and I am just reproducing it here for sake of brevity.

Use the Windows Registry editor to delete two keys:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\AnyCode
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\AnyCode

You may want to back up your registries before going for a delete operation, just a good practice.

Solution 3

From Bryson Gibbons on the Microsoft Forums:

---

Another option, if you don't want to just delete it or can see it being sometimes useful but don't want it cluttering up the context menu, is to move it to the extended context menu (where it is only visible with Shift+Right-click).

Using the Windows Registry editor, add a new string value under each of the following keys, with the name "Extended":

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\AnyCode
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\AnyCode

You should then see the following contents when either of the above registry keys are selected:

Name        Type     Data
(Default)   REG_SZ   @C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\MSEnv\1033\\VSLauncherUI.dll,-1002
Extended    REG_SZ

After doing this you will only see "Open in Visual Studio" on folders/directories when you hold down shift, then right click.

Solution 4

You can use ShellMenuView to find this context menu entry and disable it.

1. Download the program for your OS (32 or 64 bit) and run the shmnview.exe executable.
2. Find in the list something that has to do with Visual Basics and seems to be this entry. (You can sort the list by File Type and look on the entries under with file type Directory)
3. Right-click that entry and select Disable Selected Items.

Solution 5

Based on the answer by @Blaze:

Instead of searching for keys with the registry editor, just copy this into an empty file with a .reg file extension and execute that file to delete the keys.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\AnyCode]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\AnyCode]

View more solutions

Comments

[Mike Gledhill]

This is one of the dumbest things Microsoft has ever added to the context menu. Seriously, I right-click on my Desktop image, and it wants to know if I want to open this in Visual Studio. Open what ?!! Do they think I want to debug my .png image file or something ?

[magicandre1981]

@MikeGledhill linux programs don't have a solution file (sln) like Windows, so this option is to open linux solutions via VS2017

[Stevoisiak]

Related: How to remove items from the right click (context) menu in Windows?

[magicandre1981]

this is a comment, but no real answer. Show more details how to remove the entry.

[magicandre1981]

I explained now in detail how to remove it and not such a crap answer: superuser.com/a/1178368/174557

[Yisroel Tech]

@magicandre1981, I added the details on how to do it. (of course, your answer might still be better, depends on the user who asked it.)

[aniskhan001]

I tried this software before posting the question. But I was unable to find the right entry from there and came here to ask the community. Thanks for your effort, though.

[superjos]

you might want to fix typo 'Backgroud' -> 'Background'

[magicandre1981]

@superjos done, next time click on edit and fix it yourself.

[superjos]

I'm aware but not possible in this case: my account here on superuser has not enough reputation to apply 1-char edits to posts.

[magicandre1981]

@superjos ok, I forgot this

[dgo]

Thank you. Unfortunately the answer @magicandre1981 provided wasn't enough for me. I had to do as you suggested and delete. Then it worked.

[kccricket]

How does this solution differ from deleting the registry keys? Does it prevent Visual Studio from recreating the item in the future?

[magicandre1981]

@kccricket it is easier to restore in case you want it back

[Little Helper]

I installed VS2017 in English language, but decided to install Russian language pack just in case. The context menu item somehow ended up being in Russian. Ridiculous.

[Andreas]

Another option: Simple export the branch HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\AnyCode and delete the key. If you want it back, import the reg file.

[magicandre1981]

@mrt users later tend to delete the file and now it is gone. so rename is safest way.

[Hugo Zink]

The image displays a different value for the registry key than the comment, and neither one of them worked.

[mavis]

Thanks, @Blaze. Good that you brief them here. The link is broken now.

[Naser.Sadeghi]

Is there a way to change the language of that context menu directory?

[Naser.Sadeghi]

I found it. just need to modify the key value to refer to the folder containing my intended language.

[JkAlombro]

Deleting these worked for me as well.

[Aemony]

This was the case for me as well, although with the minor difference of it being located in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Local Settings\MuiCache\304\52C64B7E, and the value was "Open in &Visual Studio"

[Shrirang]

Like this answer. It is more customizable and helpful. Thanks @Stevoisiak!

[aderchox]

Thanks, this worked for me too. For anyone who might be worried, this will NOT affect VSCODE's item in the context menu.

[Svante]

This answer worked for me - I was able to very easily find the items I wanted to remove and disable them using the ShellMenuView software. Much easier than fiddling around in the registry!

[Basil Peace]

ShellMenuView runs under admin, which may be not the current user. And it looks that it can't enumerate user entries (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes) at all. These may be the reasons why it doesn't show something

[Basil Peace]

This removes just the MUI string, but not the actual menu item. It could work if 1) Explorer just ignores incomplete items 2) MUI cache is not repopulated (after, for example, software or Windows update). Since MUI is used, you should search the value you found (@C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\MSEnv\1055\\VSLauncherUI.dll,-1002) in the usual places (proposed in other answers).