Add or Remove Open with Context Menu to URL files in Windows 10  

    Add or Remove Open with Context Menu to URL files in Windows 10

    Add or Remove Open with Context Menu to URL files in Windows 10

    How to Add or Remove Open with Context Menu to URL files in Windows 10
    Published by Category: Customization
    05 Sep 2020
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Add or Remove Open with Context Menu to URL files in Windows 10

    A .url file is an Internet shortcut that opens with your default web browser.

    The Open with context menu allows you to choose an app to open the file with.

    By default, .url files in Windows do not have "Open with" in their right click context menu. Adding "Open with" to the context menu of .url files will make it easy for users to be able to quickly choose an installed browser they want to open the Internet shortcut with on demand.

    This tutorial will show you how to add or remove Open with to the context menu of URL files for all users in Windows 10.

    You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to add or remove the Open with context menu for URL files.



    EXAMPLE: Open with added to URL context menu
    Add or Remove Open with Context Menu to URL files in Windows 10-url_open_with_context_menu.png



    Here's How:

    The downloadable .reg files below will add or remove the registry key in red below.

    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\IE.AssocFile.URL\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers\{09799AFB-AD67-11d1-ABCD-00C04FC30936}


    1 Do step 2 (add) or step 3 (remove) below for what you would like to do.


    2 To Add "Open with" to Context Menu of URL files

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Add_Open_with_to_URL_context_menu.reg

    Download


    3 To Remove "Open with" from Context Menu of URL files

    This is the default setting.

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Remove_Open_with_from_URL_context_menu.reg

    Download


    4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

    5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

    6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

    7 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


    That's it,
    Shawn






  1. Posts : 11
    Windows 7, Windows 10, OS X Mavericks
       #1

    Looks like Microsoft restored ''old way'' URL Opening with latest update, KB 3074665.

    Add or Remove Open with Context Menu to URL files in Windows 10-1.png

    ''Open with ...'' won't work anymore.

    Here are working entries:

    URL-add_Open_with.reg

    URL-remove_Open_with.reg
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2

    Hello Kizo,

    The method in the tutorial still works for me in build 10240 fully updated, but "Open with" doesn't expand like in your screenshot.

    I can't get your .reg files to work for me though.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 11
    Windows 7, Windows 10, OS X Mavericks
       #3

    Brink said:
    Hello Kizo,

    The method in the tutorial still works for me in build 10240 fully updated, but "Open with" doesn't expand like in your screenshot.

    I can't get your .reg files to work for me though.
    I don't know why, but try making .reg files yourself, 'cause they give me security warning (which is normal) when I download it and try to run or edit them:

    Add or Remove Open with Context Menu to URL files in Windows 10-capture-0.jpg

    URL-add_Open_with.reg:

    Code:
    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
    
    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\InternetShortcut\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers\Open With]
    @="{09799AFB-AD67-11d1-ABCD-00C04FC30936}"
    URL-remove_Open_with.reg:

    Code:
    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
    
    [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\InternetShortcut\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers\Open With]
    And everything works, even after today's security update, which deleted some other registry hacks.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #4

    The security warning wouldn't affect it. You can just unblock the file to stop getting it.

    Your version still won't work for me though. Let's see what others that tried it say.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 19
    Win 10
       #5

    Is it about opening URL shortcuts from Desktop only? Is there a way to open links from any webpage or program like MS Word or OneNote in any installed on the PC browser? Its a good to have feature, since you can open one linked page in Firefox without opening the entire last saved session in Chrome or Edge, or vice versa.

    May be its possible to use VBS for this, though its hardly supported outside of IE.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Hello zamar, :)

    This is to just add "Open with" to the context menu of URL files to be able to open them with any supported app you want other than the default app.
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 16,713
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #7

    Brink,

    I think this solution has been affected by subsequent Windows updates.

    I have IE as my default browser and am still on ver 1709.

    I ran Add_Open_with_to_URL_context_menu.reg and Open with could then be used but, as my default is IE, it showed me IE as a choice but did not include Edge in the list.

    Since this first test, Open with no longer appears.
    - I tried Remove_Open_with_from_URL_context_menu.reg then repeating Add_Open_with_to_URL_context_menu.reg but it still refuses to appear.
    - I did notice before running the removal that there was no HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\InternetShortcut\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers\Open With key to be removed anyway.

    I am not pursuing the matter any further but thought you would want to know how it behaves in Ver 1709.

    Denis
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Hey Denis,

    That's correct. For whatever reason, only desktop apps show up for .url files in "Open with".

    A workaround would be to set Microsoft Edge as the default "Web browser", and use "Open with" for IE, Chrome, Firefox, etc...
      My Computers


 

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