14 DAY TRIAL // The default context menu in Windows 7 changes when users select a larger number of file, and they’ll be able to notice that some of the options disappear. Context menus appear by right-clicking a single file or a selection of items. Normally, in Windows Explorer, users will be able to execute commands such as Open, Print and Edit.
But all these options are no longer featured if customers select and then right-click on 15 files or more. Microsoft explains that the shortened context menu is not the result of a bug.
“This is by design. These context menu items will not appear if selecting more than 15 items to avoid accidentally performing these actions on a large number of files,” the company said.
Windows 7 is not the only Windows client displaying this behavior but also its predecessors. Microsoft has detailed a very simple workaround to this issue, but since it involves a registry hack, it’s not for everybody.
Customers need to fire up regedit, and navigate to HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer. Here they’ll find the MultipleInvokePromptMinimum key which needs to be modified.
The default value of MultipleInvokePromptMinimum is 15 (decimal) DWORD. Customers that want to still enjoy the full context menu in Windows 7 even when selecting a large number of files need only increase this value accordingly.
“The registry change will go into effect after logging off and back on, or after terminating Windows Explorer (Explorer.exe) and re-launching the process,” Microsoft said.
Some users will find that MultipleInvokePromptMinimum is missing, but they can resolve this problem by simply creating it.
“A value of 16 is interpreted as "unlimited" for showing the options from the context menu, however it does not allow the actual opening of the documents selected if selecting more than 16,” Microsoft explained.
“To allow the opening of more than 16 documents, set this key to a decimal value greater than the amount of documents you wish to open. Microsoft recommends only increasing this value to a reasonable number in a controlled environment and only where users really need this value increased.”
Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) RTM Build 7601.17514.101119-1850 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) RTM are available for download here.
Windows 7 RTM Enterprise 90-Day Evaluation is available for download here.