Linux-like Context Menu for XP?

Is there any possible way that I could customize Windows XP's context menu so it looks like the ones in these screenshots?

http://news.softpedia.com/images/reviews/large/wolvixcub-large_009.png

http://news.softpedia.com/images/reviews/large/wolvixcub-large_008.png

Basically, I'd just like to organize and add programs to the context menu as if it were the start menu.

Thanks.

 

I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be able to do that in any version of Windows, though maybe you could use something like andLinux to try and virtualize kMenu or something...

 

You can add certain items to the context menus in XP, although the method I know involves adding subkeys to various registry entries and I also do not know if you can customize to the extent of the examples the OP gave from linux.

However, I've just come across this webpage that describes a means to do a lot more customization to the context menu in XP than I was aware of. Starting about a third of the way down the page is a discussion about manually adding such customizations to both XP and _Vista.

 

http://www.stardock.com/products/rightclick/

Works great and has allot of skins around

 

Seems like it's only for Vista. :\

Thanks though.

Is that free? Doesn't seem to be since I can purchase it.

 

I beg to differ, did you actually scroll down past the first third of the page, to the point where it states:"Manually Adding the Entries (Windows Vista and XP):"?

Yes, I know, DIY is a pain; however, (a) sometimes stick shift is better than automatic transmission, even though you have to learn how to double-clutch, and (more to the point) (b) I posted that as a quick example of what I was talking about, that I came across doing a quickie google search.

Just for reference, here's another google I just did on the terms windows-xp customize context-menu; as you'll see, there is no dearth of hits coming up for a fairly narrow(-ish) search. See if any of the hits in the search I've provided yield anything else you like.

 

O ok, I see it now. I was thinking maybe I could have expanding menus as well. I'll keep searching with your suggested key terms.

Thanks a lot Shyster.

 

I think you can try litestep: http://www.litestep.net/

 

That actually looks very promising. And complicated.

I'll check it out. Thanks Ayle.

 

You're welcome. I'm actually glad that you asked your question (and that I read it), because customizing the context menus is something I would like to do more of - the default provided by MS just doesn't cut it. I'm planning on exploring some of the references the search pulled up and will let you know if I find anything interesting.

In terms of what you'd like to do precisely, the fact that the search pulled up so many hits gives me some hope that the MS context menu may be flexible enough to do what you want; unfortunately, it may take a bit of experimenting with manual edits to the registry to get there. It would also involve making a lot of the same edits to a number of different registry keys in order to get the same menu items to come up when you right-clicked on a bunch of different objects - in other words, the context menu is (as far as I know, with what very little I've learned) defined for each category of "object" like folders, logical drives, and etc..., and each category has its own little set of registry keys that have to be edited to customize the context menu that should pop up when you right-click on a particular instance of those categories.

Anyway, if I do actually manage to discover anything useful, I'll try to remember to come back here and post it.

p.s., sorry for being a little grumpy in my last post - I can only claim tiredness as my defense.:SLEEP: