How to Add or Remove "Personalize" from Desktop Context Menu in Windows 7 and Windows 8
Information
This tutorial will show you how to add or remove Personalize from the desktop context menu for all users in Windows 8 and Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise.
You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.
You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.
Warning
This tutorial will not work in the Windows 7 Starter and Windows 7 Home Basic editions since they do not have the personalization features included in them.
For the Windows 7 Starter and Windows 7 Home Basic editions, see OPTION TWO in the tutorial link below to add Personalize instead.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/47294-desktop-background-change-windows-7-starter.html
For the Windows 7 Starter and Windows 7 Home Basic editions, see OPTION TWO in the tutorial link below to add Personalize instead.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/47294-desktop-background-change-windows-7-starter.html
EXAMPLE: "Personalize" in Desktop Context Menu
NOTE: This is when you right click or press and hold on a empty area of the desktop.

OPTION ONE
To Remove "Personalize" from Desktop Context Menu
1. Press the Windows+R keys to open the Run dialog, type regedit and click/tap on OK.
Note
If you have already previously done steps 1-4, then you can just skip them and only have to do step 5 below instead.
2. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.
3. In regedit, go to the registry key location below, take ownership of set permissions to Allow your user account Full control of the Personalize registry key. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: For Windows 8, see also: Take Ownership of a File, Folder, Drive, or Registry Key in Windows 8
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\Personalize

4. In regedit, go to the registry key location below, take ownership of set permissions to Allow your user account Full control of the command registry key. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: For Windows 8, see also: Take Ownership of a File, Folder, Drive, or Registry Key in Windows 8
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\Display\command

5. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .reg file below.
NOTE: This will delete the Personalize and command registry keys above for you automatically instead of you having to manually doing it.
Remove_Personalize_from_Desktop_Context_Menu.reg
Download
A) Save the .reg file to your desktop.
B) Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
C) If prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK.
D) When finished, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
OPTION TWO
To Add/Restore "Personalize" to Desktop Context Menu
1. Click on the Download button below to download the .reg file below.
NOTE: This will restore the default Personalize and command registry keys and their entries that were deleted from above.
Add_Personalize_to_Desktop_Context_Menu.reg
Download
2. Save the .reg file to your desktop.
3. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
4. If prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK.
5. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn
Related Tutorials
- How to Create a Personalization Shortcut in Windows 7 and Windows 8
- How to Change the Windows 7 Desktop Background
- How to Change Your Desktop Background and Slide Show in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1
- How to Change the Desktop Background in Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic Editions
- How to Create a Change "Desktop Background" Shortcut in Vista and Windows 7
- How to Change the Window Color and Appearance in Windows 7
- How to Change or Save a Windows 7 Theme
- How to Change the Event Sound Effects in Windows 7
- How to Change the Screen Saver in Windows 7
- How to Add or Remove "Advanced Window Color and Appearance" from Desktop Context Menu in Windows 7
- How to Add or Remove Expanding "Personalize" Desktop Context Menu in Windows 7 and Windows 8
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