The context menu is one of the most undervalued aspects of Windows. Most users do not even know it exists, and others only discover it by accident, but once you master it, it has the potential to surpass any shortcut or entry on the Start menu. It is a shame that Windows does not let us manipulate the context menu as easily as we would like, but Right Click Enhancer has enough features to fill that gap.
"Right-click" is one of the actions that confused my former clients the most in the past. The simple idea of using "the other button" on the mouse seemed strange to them, after fully assimilating the difference between a click and a double-click. You learn many things about the context menu when you get to know it. The first is its potential: depending on the place or section you click on, the context menu can present very high-profile functions. The second is its limits. Windows is quite jealous when it comes to allowing its editing, and many tutorials require diving headfirst into the Registry, but there are some freeware programs out there that do the dirty work for us. Right Click Enhancer is one of them.
What can you do with Right Click Enhancer?
What does Right Click Enhancer let us do? First, add entries such as editing a file with Notepad (beyond its extension), taking ownership of a file (when there are permission conflicts), adding a shortcut to Control Panel or the always useful MSConfig, opening a system console (with or without administrator privileges), and accessing the famous God Mode of Windows, among other things. Second, Right Click Enhancer has a robust file-association editor. The folks at Redmond will forgive me, but Windows never did a good job in that regard. Right Click Enhancer's approach is a bit "artisanal", if you will, adding and editing associations... although it works. Finally, I want to highlight the editor for the "Send to..." section. I have never sent a fax or an email with that menu, and whoever wants to edit it will be able to do so.
The catch: the Pro version
If we have to talk about a "problem" with Right Click Enhancer, it is that it keeps the best for the professional version. I am referring to the possibility of placing shortcuts to programs within the context menu. This would reduce running your favorite software to two clicks, without relying on traditional desktop shortcuts. The Pro version of Right Click Enhancer costs ten dollars. If after trying the standard edition you think it is worth making the jump, go ahead. Otherwise, if you think we should mention a superior alternative, leave a comment.
