Windows’ right click menu has many uses. It is sometimes referred to as the context menu but its contents can change depending on the item that was selected when the right mouse button was pressed – different items appear in the menu if the desktop has clicked than when a file is clicked, for example.

Using Your Menu, you can transform the right click menu of Windows 7 into an handy repository of shortcuts to programs you use on a regular basis, avoiding the need to look through the Start menu or clutter your desktop with icons.

Some of the programs you have installed may have already added their own entries to the right click menu and it could be the case that your menu is already fairly lengthy. If this is the case, you can take advantage of Your Menu’s option to create a cascading menu. With this option selected, any shortcuts you choose to add to the right click menu will not appear in the root of the menu, but in a sub-menu.

To start customising your right click menu, install and launch Your Menu. To add a shortcut to a single program, select the Single option at the top of the screen and in the Menu Name column, enter a meaningful name for the shortcut you are adding. Click in the corresponding empty field in the Select program column and use Explorer to select the program you would like to create a link to.

Now click the Generate REG File button in the lower right hand corner, choose a name and save location and two .reg files will be created for you – one will have the name of the program you are adding and the other with be appended with the word ‘undo’. Double click the [program_name].reg file you have created, and the necessary registry changes will be made for you and when you click the right mouse button you should see that your new entry is present.

Should you decide that you want to remove a menu entry you have created with Your Menu, simply double click the [program_name]_undo.reg file to reverse the changes that have been made to the registry. You can use this ‘single’ menu entry creation method to create as many new shortcuts in the Windows 7 right click menu as you need, and all can be easily removed when you no longer need them.

The other option is to create a cascading menu which is a great way to add a large number of shortcuts without creating a lengthy menu. Select the Cascading option at the top of the Your Menu window and enter a suitable name for the menu entry. Using the empty fields below you can create shortcuts in the same way as before, generating the necessary registry file and undo option when you’re ready.

Your Menu is a very simple idea, but it can be put to great use. If you’re tired of having to hunt through the Start menu to launch a particular program, you can ensure that a shortcut is never more than a click away.