ShellExView vs ShellMenuView

Solution 1:

What is the difference between ShellExView and ShellMenuView?

The ShellExView utility displays the details of shell extensions installed on your computer, and allows you to easily disable and enable each shell extension.

Note:

• Not all Shell Extensions add menu items - only those that are Context Menu Handlers. See below for examples of other types of Shell Extension.

Source ShellExView - Shell Extension Manager For Windows

ShellMenuView is a small utility that displays the list of static menu items that appeared in the context menu when you right-click a file/folder on Windows Explorer, and allows you to easily disable unwanted menu items.

Source ShellMenuView - Disable/enable context menu items of Explorer

What is a Shell Extension?

A shell extension is a COM object that adds some kind of functionality to the Windows shell (Explorer).

There are two parts in the term "shell extension." Shell refers to Explorer, and extension refers to code you write that gets run by Explorer when a predetermined event happens (e.g., a right-click on a .DOC file). So a shell extension is a COM object that adds features to Explorer.

A shell extension is an in-process server that implements some interfaces that handle the communication with Explorer.

There are many types of shell extensions, each type being invoked when different events happen. Here are a few of the more common types, and the situations in which they are invoked:

Source The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Shell Extensions - Part I - CodeProject

What is a Static Menu Item?

In this context, any menu item that appears in the context menu when you right-click a file/folder on Windows Explorer that has not been added via a Shell Extension.