Windows 7 - Open with - Clean Up and Remove Programs

**Brink**

How to Clean Up and Remove Programs from the "Open with" Context Menu

Information

This will show you how to enable and disable programs that are listed in the Open with right click context menu in Windows 7 and Vista.

If you disable a program, it will be removed from the Open with context menu.

If you enable or re-enable a program, it will be added back to the Open with context menu.

EXAMPLE: Open with
NOTE: This is when you right click on a file and select Open with (left screenshot), or select Open with and click on Choose default program (right screenshot).

Here's How:

1. If you have not already, you will need to download, extract all files, and run the free OpenWithView program.
NOTE: OpenWithView is a standalone exe program, so it does not install on your computer. You would just run it instead.

2. To Disable and Remove a Program from "Open with" Context Menu
A) In OpenWithView, select and right click on one or more listed Application Name (program) that you want to remove from "Open with".
NOTE: You can select more than one Application Name by pressing and holding the CTRL key while selecting the programs, then release the CTRL key when ready to right click on one of the highlighted (selected) programs.

B) Click on Disable Selected Items.
NOTE: You will notice that under the Disabled column, it will now change to Yes to confirm that it has been disabled.

3. To Enable and Add Back a Disabled Program to "Open with" Context Menu
A) In OpenWithView, select and right click on one or more listed Application Name (program) that you want to re-enable and add back to "Open with".
NOTE: You can select more than one Application Name by pressing and holding the CTRL key while selecting the programs, then release the CTRL key when ready to right click on one of the highlighted (selected) programs.

B) Click on Enable Selected Items.
NOTE: You will notice that under the Disabled column, it will now change to No to confirm that it has been enabled again.

4. When finished, you can close OpenWithView.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

**Capt.Jack Sparrow** · 07-07-2010

Good Tutorial .. Thanks Shawn !!

dew1 · 07-07-2010

Great job .. thank you very much

**Brink** · 07-07-2010

You're most welcome guys. Thank you.

**ignatzatsonic** · 08-31-2010

Shawn:

I'm having trouble with this.

I want to control what is shown in the "open with" menu when I right click an mp3, a WAV, or a JPG--and possibly other file types.

I have used Open With View.

Below are 2 pictures. The first shows the choices I am offered under "open with" when I right click an mp3. Notice there are 6 choices. I want only 2: Audacity and Media Player Classic. I don't want to see the other 4.

The second picture shows what I see in the Open With View program. Note that I-tunes is supposedly disabled. Yet it still shows, as seen in the first picture. Same situation with Windows Media Player--it's disabled, but is still shown on the "open with" context menu.

The other apps I want to remove from the list (Switch and Windows Media Center) don't even appear in the list of applications shown in the Open With View menu.

So, I am obviously not understanding something. How do I remove those 4 unwanted items?

Thanks for any help.

**Brink** · 08-31-2010

Hello Ignatzatsonic,

You might also check at the registry location below for each file extenstion to delete the program that you do not want in "Open With" for that file extension.

How to Remove Programs from the "Open With" List

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Explorer\FileExts\.extension\OpenWithList

Hope this helps,
Shawn

**ignatzatsonic** · 08-31-2010

Shawn:

Thanks for that. I will check it out and report back if I still fail.

**ignatzatsonic** · 08-31-2010

Shawn:

No joy.

I went to your link and noticed it did not specify Win 7, so I then entered "Remove Programs from the "Open With" List" under advanced search at the MS Win 7 site.

That lead me here:

Remove Right Click File Association

which gives the same location in the registry as you provided--so I guess your link is also valid for Win 7.

However..........

See the before and after pix below of the MP3 registry key at that registry location.

In the before pic you will see the numerous choices shown before I made an edit. Notice that several of the choices shown do NOT actually appear when I right click an mp3.

Also notice that I-Tunes, which does appear when I right click an mp3, does NOT appear on this list in the registry.

I made the edit anyway, removing everything but Audacity, mplayerc (Media Player Classic), default, and MRU list--as shown in the after pic.

The result---no change in the listed items when right clicking an mp3.

Next advice? Other similar locations in the registry? Removing either MRUlist or Default?

**ignatzatsonic** · 08-31-2010

Hmmm.....curiouser and curiouser.

I then go here:

Default File Type Associations - Restore

and restore the mp3 default file associations.

A right click on an mp3 now shows only 4 items:

Media Player Classic
Switch
Windows Media Center
Windows Media Player

Why in the world would Switch and Media Player Classic be mp3 defaults when they are not even part of Windows?

The registry now shows no "OpenWithList" at all at that location--so how do I now remove Switch, Media Center, and Media Player?

At least it got rid of some right click items.

**Brink** · 09-01-2010

You might also check the location below to see what is listed.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.extension\OpenWithList

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