Windows Defender Cascading Desktop Context Menu - Create in Windows 8

How to Add a "Windows Defender" Cascading Desktop Context Menu in Windows 8 and 8.1​

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove a cascading (expandable) Windows Defender menu to the desktop context menu for all users in Windows 8 and 8.1 to be able to quickly open Windows Defender to settings, update, update and quick scan, quick scan, or full scan.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to add or remove this desktop context menu, but all users are able to use it.

EXAMPLE: Windows Defender Cascading Desktop Context Menu

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Here's How:

1. To Add "Windows Defender" to the Desktop Context Menu

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A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 3 below.​

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Add_Windows-Defender_to_Desktop_Context_Menu.reg​

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2. To Remove "Windows Defender" from the Desktop Context Menu
NOTE: This is the default setting.

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A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 3 below.​

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Remove_Windows-Defender_from_Desktop_Context_Menu.reg​

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3. Save the REG file to your desktop.

4. Double click/tap on the REG file to merge it, and click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK when prompted to approve the merge.

5. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

6. Right click or press and hold on your desktop to see the change.
NOTE: You can press the Windows+ D keys to go to the desktop.


That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Create a "Windows Defender" Shortcut in Windows 8
• How to Set Up Windows Defender to Scan on a Schedule in Windows 8
• How to Add "Scan with Windows Defender" for Files and Folders in Windows 8
• How to Turn Windows Defender On or Off in Windows 8
• How to Turn Windows Defender Real-time Protection On or Off in Windows 8

 

[BongoKongo]

Nice one, I don't understand why this wasn't included from the outset.
By the way, can you right click on a file or folder & choose "Scan with windows Defender"?

 

[Brink]

Thank you BongoKongo. Yeah, it would have been nice to have at least a shortcut to it by default.

There's not a "Scan with windows Defender" option by default. There is an option to add it to the context menu, but it only runs in the background without notice unless something is found. I find it to not be very helpful, and still working on a way to make it work better.

You could also open Windows Defender to do a "custom scan" and "Scan Now" to scan specific files though.

 

[corax]

Thanks for this, been looking for some way to start scans. BTW what do you think of Windows Defender Offline, I find I can now update it after booting up from USB thumbdrive though not via wireless, but it works if I am connected by the cable.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Corax. Windows Defender Offline can be hand little bootable USB when you need to scan your PC for malware and viruses at boot.

 

[Clint]

Good one. Thanks

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Clint, and welcome to Eight Forums.

 

[bagavan]

Brink see this

Nothing shows up when I move the cursor to windows defender

 

[Brink]

Hello Bagavan,

Were you signed into an administrator account when you merged the .reg file?

If so, merge the .reg file again to make sure that you clicked on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK in step 4. If you mistakenly didn't approve one of these prompts, then it will not work.

Hope this helps for now.

 

[bagavan]

I did the exact procedure.

 

[Brink]

It sounds like part of the .reg file did not merge with your registry for some reason.

If you could, edit the .reg file, then double check in your registry to see if those entries have been added or not. Afterwards, please post back with what wasn't added. I'll see what I can do to help.

 

[bagavan]

Is malwarebytes stopping changes to the registry?

 

[Brink]

I wouldn't think so since it's not an application/executable file.

For the entries that you find didn't merge, I was going to get you to check the permissions of the keys to see if there may have been some sort of permissions issue that prevented parts of the .reg file from being merged.

By default, the .reg file should of had full permission to do so once you did step 4 to approve.

 

[bagavan]

First of all If the reg files were not merged it would have never showed up in the context menu rite?

 

[Brink]

There are several entries in the .reg file. It looks like some of them didn't merge for you.

It could very well merged enough for the context menu to show, but not enough for the submenus.

If you could double check your registry to compare it with the .reg file to let me know what wasn't merged, that would help out a lot in figuring out what may have gone wrong for you and hopefully getting it sorted.

 

[bagavan]

where should I look in the registry?Please guide me.

 

[Brink]

bagavan,

I'm going to say it wouldn't be a good idea for you to go poking around in your registry if you are not familiar enough with it. It's just not worth the risk of you mistakenly doing something in there that could hose your Windows 8 installation.

Instead, try enabling the built-in Administrator account, sign in to it, then try merging the .reg file being sure to click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK at step 4. If you click on No or Cancel by mistake (and it's easy to do), then the .reg file will fail to merge completely.

 

[bagavan]

I enabled the admin account and I ran the reg file.

but still the problem is not solved.

 

[Hopachi]

Great tutorial Shawn!

What we still miss on Win8 is the right click on file or folder scan. That was well included in Security Essentials in previous Windows versions. Can we transfer that shell entry (some way) from Security Essentials to Defender?

I see the guys here did something to "send to" and it works with the command line scanner:


And adding that to what I want is this:


That is what I need. I case I missed a tutorial with this, sorry.

If it was possible in the GUI it would be even nicer but nevertheless we have this and your tutorial for extra right click options.

Thank you.

Hopachi

 

[Brink]

Hello Hopachi,

Thank you.

I'll create something today that should work a bit better than these two, and will post back later with it.

To bad you can only scan a folder, and it's in the command prompt.