You often need to access Windows 10 settings which is a hectic task if you always go through the control panel. If you want to quickly access settings then the best way is to add settings to the desktop context menu. All you need is to make a quick registry edit that will add the Settings to the desktop context menu.
With this simple registry edit, you will get all the major group of settings to the desktop context menu. You can also modify the settings to add only the items you often need.
Add Settings to the Desktop Context Menu
Open Notepad and paste the given code and save it as Settings name and reg file extension. This will add each and every setting to the desktop context menu.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings] "Position"="Middle" "Icon"="SystemSettingsBroker.exe" "SubCommands"="" ; Settings home [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\01subcmd] "Icon"="SystemSettingsBroker.exe" "MUIVerb"="Settings" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\01subcmd\command] @="explorer ms-settings:" ; System [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\02subcmd] "CommandFlags"=dword:00000020 "MUIVerb"="System" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\02subcmd\command] @="explorer ms-settings:display" ; Devices [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\03subcmd] "MUIVerb"="Devices" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\03subcmd\command] @="explorer ms-settings:bluetooth" ; Network & Internet [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\04subcmd] "MUIVerb"="Network && Internet" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\04subcmd\command] @="explorer ms-settings:network" ; Personalization [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\05subcmd] "MUIVerb"="Personalization" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\05subcmd\command] @="explorer ms-settings:personalization" ; Apps [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\06subcmd] "MUIVerb"="Apps" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\06subcmd\command] @="explorer ms-settings:appsfeatures" ; Accounts [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\07subcmd] "MUIVerb"="Accounts" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\07subcmd\command] @="explorer ms-settings:yourinfo" ; Time & language [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\08subcmd] "MUIVerb"="Time && language" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\08subcmd\command] @="explorer ms-settings:dateandtime" ; Gaming [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\09subcmd] "MUIVerb"="Gaming" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\09subcmd\command] @="explorer ms-settings:gaming-gamebar" ; Ease of Access [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\10subcmd] "MUIVerb"="Ease of Access" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\10subcmd\command] @="explorer ms-settings:easeofaccess-narrator" ; Cortana [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\11subcmd] "MUIVerb"="Cortana" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\11subcmd\command] @="explorer ms-settings:cortana" ; Privacy [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\12subcmd] "MUIVerb"="Privacy" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\12subcmd\command] @="explorer ms-settings:privacy" ; Update & security [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\13subcmd] "MUIVerb"="Update && security" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\13subcmd\command] @="explorer ms-settings:windowsupdate" ; Mixed Reality [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\14subcmd] "MUIVerb"="Mixed Reality" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\14subcmd\command] @="explorer ms-settings:holographic"
Once the file is saved, right-click on the new reg file and choose Merge from the context menu. It requires administration rights to merge the file to the registry.
After the settings are merged, you will be able to access Settings from the desktop context menu. In the settings menu, each of the sub-menu options provides the group of settings available in that specific category.
For adding a specific group of settings, you need to edit the previously created registry file and pick and choose the group of settings that show up in the context menu. Before editing, you need to keep in mind that every code must be inside
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00” and “@=”explorer ms-settings:”
Once you are done editing the blocks for each setting and merged the new file with the registry, you will find only the settings you need in the context menu. Every group name is listed in the code with a semicolon.
Example
; Privacy [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\12subcmd] "MUIVerb"="Privacy" [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\Settings\shell\12subcmd\command] @="explorer ms-settings:privacy"
Until the next group of settings appears. This piece of code makes it possible for the users to add Privacy group of settings to the Desktop context menu. Same is the case with other settings, leave the settings code block which you need and remove others group of settings code.