Suggestion – option to remove shell menu

[Duke Nukem]

I formerly had AxCrypt installed on my computer but I’ve uninstalled it because it adds a shell/context menu to Windows Explorer.

For whatever reason these menus always slow down right clicking and it gets worse the more software you have installed which forces shell integration.

My workaround is to use AxCrypt portable and then associate .axx with the portable executable. It’s not good because it means that every time AxCrypt is updated I have to change the Open With option to associate itself with the new AxCrypt release name. It does mean that I’m able to double click a file and it launches AxCrypt.

Please introduce an option to Remove shell integration because it’s so annoying. I know that lots of people might use the shell menu so it could be a default on but a simple click would allow people who don’t want it to remove it from the shell. Lots of other software has this option and users don’t likely playing with the registry.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Duke Nukem,

Thanks for the suggestion! However, to be honest, this is the first time anyone has asked for this. After almost 17 years, and perhaps 20 milllion downloads. I can only conclude that it’s not a common gripe ;-) I’ve never seen “remove me” from the context menu, although I have seen some softwares offer the “shell extension” as a feature that can be deselected during installation. What we’re trying very, very hard with AxCrypt is to have as few options as possible. This makes it more streamlined for the vast majority of users, and also makes our support easier to manage. If we include this option, every time we get a support case with “AxCrypt is not in the context menu”, we’ll have to investigate if the user has manually disabled it.

I would like to suggest a ‘workaround’ for your situation though, it’s still a manual operation though. Just rename the versioned download to the generic name ‘AxCrypt.exe’, then you won’t have to reassociate. Of course, you’ll have to delete the old one, and do the rename instead. You could also write a small script that does the association for you.

[Duke Nukem]

I’d thought of doing the renaming thing but it takes me the same amount of time as right clicking on an encrypted file and updating the Open With association that way.

I’m surprised nobody has asked for it although it’s not a major problem. I’ll continue using the portable version and maybe write a quick PowerShell script.

Some software has the removal option in the install wizard, others have it in the main interface and some allow a “–noshell” switch during installation so only those who know what they’re doing can trigger it (and to speed up silent installs).

[Duke Nukem]

“I’ve never seen “remove me” from the context menu”

These are two separate pieces of software that I have on my computer; this is how they implemented the option. I’ve got 3-4 more pieces of software which have the ‘remove me’ feature in the context menu. You can turn it on/off at any time.

[Duke Nukem]

Here’s one with an interesting option to either add/remove directly into the right click menu or have any/all of the first 3 options within a cascading submenu (like AxCrypt does).

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Duke Nukem,

Ok, yes I see. Nevertheless our main strategy has always been to minimize the number of options, and the number of options you show there are horrifying to me ;-)

Also, I really wonder about your initial motivation for not having it there – that it takes time. I can understand if you think it clutters up the menu and you don’t use it anyway, but that it would take time? In the case of the “enable / disable”, it depends on how they’ve implemented it, but my guess is that it’s actually loaded and still installed – but when queried by the shell it doesn’t display anything. When it’s during installation, it’s probably really not installed if you deselect it.

[Duke Nukem]

Hi.

Keeping it simple by default is best and I agree with Steve Jobs (and you) in that regard. Some software I use has an Expert Mode which reveals lots of otherwise hidden sub-menus.

I think you misunderstood my motivation for having an option to remove it: the more extensions you have in you the right click menu, the slower the menu responds, a problem that has plagued Windows for many versions. I also think that it clutters the menu visually and lots of software wants to install options that I don’t use from the right click menu.

When I said: “I’d thought of doing the renaming thing but it takes me the same amount of time as right clicking on an encrypted file and updating the Open With association that way” I was referring to resetting the association with AxCrypt. I was saying that the amount of time it takes to change the filename is broadly equivalent to the amount of time it would take to change the file name.

In terms of using AxCrypt I drag and drop files and folders directly into the interface. I don’t use the Secure Wipe feature or the Decrypt option from the desktop right click menu. Therefore to me these options are redundant as I have AxCrypt in my tray (and in my startup folder).

I suspect you’re right about the “loaded and installed” comment because certain software context menus appear as loaded, but not visible, when checked with specialist software (below) whereas others don’t appear at all. However that returns us to the question about it appearing cluttered.

• http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shell_menu_view.html
• http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html

It’s not a major concern, I’m using the portable version and if I do go back to the fully installed version I’ll use one of those two free utilities to remove it the context menu. You can physically remove the menu, i.e. from memory, using those utilities.

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