5

If I right click a JPG or PNG file, the "Edit" option opens MS Paint, whereas I would like it to open GIMP. I found the ShellMenuView and ShellExView programs, but I can't find the relevant entries.

In fact, ShellMenuView has an entry for .png that says Edit with GIMP and appears to call the correct executable, but this doesn't appear in the menu (and I don't really want it clogged up with two Edit options).

I have also looked in the registry and see these keys:

  • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\OpenWithList\MSPaint.exe\ (which has only one entry, (Default) with blank Data)
  • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.png\ with folders OpenWithPrigId and PersistentHandler.
  • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\pngfile\shell\ with folders crush (PNGcrush which I added myself a while back) and open.

I saw this question but that only applies to Windows XP and doesn't work in Vista. The "File types" tab is not there, and "Set Associations" in the Control Panel only sets the "Open with" menu.

So how and where can I change what the "Edit" option in the context menu does?

Community
  • 1
DisgruntledGoat
  • 6,110

3 Answers3

3

Easier answer: Use NirSoft's FileTypes Manager like so:

In the upper pane, find and select the .JPG Extension.
Create a "New Action" (Actions/New Action or lower pane/right-click/New Action).
Set the Action Name and Menu Caption to "Edit" and browse to the .EXE that should edit the file.
Click OK to save your changes.
Presto, now Windows does what you want.
Apparently, this new setting just overrides the existing Edit command.

Bilbo
  • 1,036
1

You ought to be able to create the key yourself. For example, this registry entry should assign MS Paint to the edit verb:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\pngfile\shell\edit\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,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,4d,00,53,00,\
  50,00,41,00,49,00,4e,00,54,00,2e,00,45,00,58,00,45,00,20,00,22,00,25,00,31,\
  00,22,00,00,00
Andrew Lambert
  • 7,805
0

Easier alternative to my previous answer: Use Types.EXE from https://ystr.github.io/types

To make the program even more convenient, save this code as Types.REG and merge the file into the registry:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\*\shell\Type]
@="Edit file type"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\*\shell\Type\command]
@="\"C:\\Utils\\Types\\Types.exe\" \"%1\""

Then open your Explorer context menu and follow the new item.

Bilbo
  • 1,036