Menus Open to the Left or Right Side

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    Menus Open to the Left or Right Side

    Menus Open to the Left or Right Side

    How to Set Menus to Open to Left or Right Side in Windows 7 and Windows 8
    Published by
    Designer Media Ltd


    How to Set Menus to Open to Left or Right Side in Windows 7 and Windows 8


       Information
    This tutorial will show you how to set all menus (ex: context menu, Menu bar, etc...) to open to the left or right side of where you click at in Windows 7 and Windows 8.

       Warning
    If the menu does not have enough room to fully open at the border of the window or display screen, it will compensate and open from the opposite direction of the border instead. This will override whatever side you have the menu set to open on below.

    EXAMPLE: Right-handed
    NOTE: Menus open to the left of your hand.
    Menus Open to the Left or Right Side-right_handed.jpg
    EXAMPLE: Left-handed
    NOTE: Menus open to the right of your hand.
    Menus Open to the Left or Right Side-left-handed.jpg



    OPTION ONE

    Set Menus to Open to Left or Right Side in Tablet PC Settings


    1. Open Tablet PC Settings, and click/tap on the Other tab. (see screenshot below)

    2. To Have Menus Open to the Left
    A) Select (dot) Right-handed, and click/tap on OK.
    3. To Have Menus Open to the Right
    A) Select (dot) Left-handed, and click/tap on OK.
    Menus Open to the Left or Right Side-tablet_pc_setttings-other.jpg



    OPTION TWO

    Set Menus to Open to Left or Right Side using a REG File


    1. Do step 2 or 3 below for what you would like to do.

    2. To Have Menus Open to the Left
    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
    Menus_Open_To_Left.reg
    3. To Have Menus Open to the Right
    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
    Menus_Open_To_Right.reg
    4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

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

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

    7. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.

    8. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.



    OPTION THREE

    Set Menus to Open to Left or Right Side in Registry Editor


    1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog, type regedit, and press Enter.

    2. If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.

    3. In regedit, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows

    Menus Open to the Left or Right Side-reg1.jpg
    4. To Have Menus Open to the Left
    A) In the right pane of Windows, right click or press and hold on an empty space, and click/tap on New and String Value. Type MenuDropAlignment, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
    NOTE: If you already have MenuDropAlignment, then skip this step and go to step 4B instead.
    Menus Open to the Left or Right Side-reg2.jpg
    B) In the right pane, double click/tap on MenuDropAlignment and to modify it. (see screenshot above)

    C) Type 1, click on OK, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)
    Menus Open to the Left or Right Side-modify.jpg
    5. To Have Menus Open to the Right
    A) In the right pane of Windows, right click on MenuDropAlignment and click on Delete and Yes. (see screenshot below step 4B)

    OR

    B) Repeat all steps in step 4, type 0 (zero) in step 4C instead, and go to step 6 below.
    6. Close regedit.

    7. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.
    That's it,
    Shawn









    Related Tutorials




  2. kookster
    Posts : 134
    Windows 7 64-bit Windows 7 32-bit
       New #1

    I cant find the "Tablet PC Settings" folder, I'm guessing it only exists on tablet PC's, is there a way to add it to non tablet PC's? Cause I've always wanted these to show up to the left of the mouse.
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  4. Brink
    Posts : 71,574
    64-bit Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       New #2

    Hello Kookster,

    Double check in Windows Features to make sure that you have the Tablet PC Components option checked. Afterwards, it should be available in the Control Panel.

    Menus Open to the Left or Right Side-windows_features.jpg

    Hope this helps,
    Shawn
      My Computer
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  5. Jonathan_King
    Posts : 13,354
    Windows 7 Professional x64
       New #3

    Shawn, I do have the feature turned on, and I still don't see anything in Control Panel. A search for it was fruitless.
      My Computer
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  6. Brink
    Posts : 71,574
    64-bit Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       New #4

    Um, it seems that MS removed Tablet PC Settings in the Control Panel.

    Well, I'll have to do some more digging on this. These are the settings for this in the registry in Vista.

    RIGHT_HANDED
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows]
    "MenuDropAlignment"="1"


    LEFT_HANDED
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows]
    "MenuDropAlignment"="0"


    UPDATE:
    They work, but you have to log off and on and not just kill/restart explorer. Tutorial has been updated with this new way. :)
    Last edited by Brink; 23 Feb 2010 at 16:11. Reason: Update
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  7. Jonathan_King
    Posts : 13,354
    Windows 7 Professional x64
       New #5

    That works very well now Shawn. Thanks!
      My Computer
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  8. Brink
    Posts : 71,574
    64-bit Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       New #6

    You're most welcome. :)
      My Computer
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  10. kookster
    Posts : 134
    Windows 7 64-bit Windows 7 32-bit
       New #7

    Thanks Brink works just fine now.
      My Computer
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  11. Brink
    Posts : 71,574
    64-bit Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       New #8

    You're most welcome. :)
      My Computer
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  12. NoN
    Posts : 4,167
    Windows 7 Professional SP1 - x64 [Non-UEFI Boot]
       New #9

    Brink said:
    Hello Kookster,

    Double check in Windows Features to make sure that you have the Tablet PC Components option checked. Afterwards, it should be available in the Control Panel.

    Menus Open to the Left or Right Side-windows_features.jpg

    Hope this helps,
    Shawn
    Hi Shawn, i was hanging around reading a thread...and linked here.

    Seems Tablet PC Components does exist on my Win 7 (it is checked on mine), and aswell the registry key:
    "RIGHT_HANDED
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows]
    "MenuDropAlignment"="1"."

    No need to create the key now, just have to set to 0 or 1....:)
    Last edited by NoN; 28 Apr 2010 at 13:24.
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