Does anyone know how to edit context menu items?

I need quick and easy steps, please. I need to point a shortcut to a different executable.

Thanks.

 

musicollector--

It is not quite clear what you want. Your question does not necessarily involve a context menu, which you mention in your thread's title.
I think what you mean is that when you right click on a file (not a shortcut) you want the option, on a one time basis, to use a different executable than usual to open the file. Open your Send To folder (Start|Run|type sendto|OK. Put a shortcut to that executable in the Send To folder. Now when you right click a file and click SentTo, you will have the option to chose that exectable to open the file.
If, on the other hand you want to always open this type of file with a specific executable, you do not have to edit context menus to do that. The following applies to WinXP but I think Win2000 is the same.
Find any file of this file type, right click on it|Open With|choose the executable you want to use from the list or, if you do not see, it click Choose Program. In the next window highlight the program you want to use from the list (or if you still do not see it, click Browse to find and click on it), check the box at the bottom "Always use the selected program... "|OK.
The only thing I can think of that could be different in Win2000 is that you might have to hold down the Shift key before right clicking on the file.
If you really mean that you want to change the executable for a specific shortcut, this does not involve a context menu, either. Right click on the Shortcut|Properties. Change the Target line to the location of the executable you want to use. Put that location in Quotes if there are any spaces in the location of the executable. For example the Target line for my shortcut for WordPad reads "C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\wordpad.exe "

 

Thank you, Jim. Much obliged.

Well, it is like this. I have always known the above methods, but this situation does not apply as the program automatically places an item in the Right-Click menu. Just for good measure, I repeated the above suggestions - none of the above works. It is definitely a registry fix.

Thanks.

 

Open any folder and click tools>folder options>file types. Find the file extension in the list that you want to add the menu item to, click on it to highlight it and then click the advanced button. In the window that opens click on the new button. Then, where it says "action" type whatever it is you want it to say in the context menu. Where it says "application used to perform this action" type the path to the app you want it to use or click the browse button and browse to the file and select it. Then, just OK your way back out of things and you should have the menu item you want.

Edit:
Oops, I just realized this is in the win2k forum. The instructions I gave are for XP. I don't have 2k so I don't know if it's exactly the same or not but it will be something similar. XP's not that much different from 98 in this respect so I don't know why 2k should be any different. It may be that you'll find the folder options in a different menu. Also, there may not be an advanced button. If not, it might be an edit button or something similar. In 98 you can just double click on the file type to open the window for adding menu items.

 

musicollector--If Zander's suggestion does not do what you want, you might want to look at ShellExView
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html