Add Shutdown and Restart Options in the Windows 8 Context Menu

Introduction

Microsoft has launched Windows 8 with many new features and many changes such as the Start menu has been replaced by the Metro Start screen and charm bar. So if you want to use the functionality of the Start menu like Shutdown or Restart then you have to go to the charm bar, click on Setting, click on the power option and then you can shutdown or restart your computer. That is a very long process to shutdown or restart the computer.

In this article we are going to explain how to add Shutdown and Restart options to the right-click context menu. After adding this option, in the right-click context menu you can easily shutdown or restart your computer with just one right-click on the Desktop screen. You don't need to go onto the charm bar and then Setting.

How to add Shutdown and Restart options in the right-click context menu.

Step 1

Open Notepad, then copy the following text and past it into Notepad.

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\Restart Computer]
"icon"="shell32.dll,-221"
"Position"="Bottom"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\Shutdown Computer]
"icon"="shell32.dll,-329"
"Position"="Bottom"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\Restart Computer\command]
@="shutdown.exe -r -t 00 -f"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\Shutdown Computer\command]
@="shutdown.exe -s -t 00 -f"

Step 2

Go to the File menu and click on "Save As". Select All File from "Save as type" and type "filename.reg" and click on "Save".

Step 3

Now go to the folder where you saved the .reg file and double-click on the .reg file.

Step 4

A Registry Editor message will be displayed; click on "Yes".

Step 5

After the registry success message is displayed click on "OK".

Step 6

Now go to the Desktop Screen and right-click; the Shutdown and Restart options will be shown.