FIX: Open with menu option is missing in Windows 10

by Milan Stanojevic

Deputy Editor

September 9, 2020

Affiliate Disclosure

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If you want to open a certain file with a different program, usually you’ll right-click that file and choose the Open with from the menu.

Many users use the Open with menu on their PC, but sometimes this menu can become missing.

Users reported the following problems:

• Windows 10 Open with not working –  This is a strange problem, but you should be able to fix it by keeping your Windows up to date.
• Open with disabled windows 10 –If you’re having this problem, you might have to tweak your registry in order to fix it.
• Windows 10 Open with greyed out – This can be a big problem, but you should be able to fix that by creating a new user account.
• Open with missing from the context menu, right-click – If you’re having this problem, be sure to try some of our solutions.

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How can I fix the Open with menu missing in Windows 10?

1. Check your antivirus

An antivirus is a crucial component of every PC because it provides you with protection from online threats.

However, sometimes your antivirus can interfere with Windows and that can cause the Open with menu to become missing.

If you’re having this problem, we advise you to temporarily disable your antivirus and check if that solves the issue.

Now, if that doesn’t help, you might have to uninstall your antivirus. If removing your antivirus solves the problem, you’ll need to switch to a different antivirus solution.

There are many great antivirus tools available on the market, but currently, the best antivirus applications is Bitdefender.

There are many great selling points to why you should use it, and some of them are its excellent protection against viruses and the use of minimal PC resources, although constantly running in the background.

Bitdefender has made a name for itself due to it’s enhanced security and deep scan options that stop any threats even before becoming an issue.

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2. Create a .reg file and change registry values

1. Open Notepad.
2. When Notepad opens, paste the following into it:
   • Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
   • [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\Open With]@=”{09799AFB-AD67-11d1-ABCD-00C04FC30936}”
3. Click File and Save as.
   
4. In the Save as type section, choose All Files.
5. In the File name section enter OpenWith.reg and lick Save.
   
6. Find the OpenWith.reg file and double click it to add its content to the registry.

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 3. Change the registry manually

1. Press Windows Key + R and type regedit.
2. Press Enter or click OK to start Registry Editor.
   
3. When Registry Editor starts, in the left pane navigate to the following key:
   • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
     
     
4. If you see Open With key available, click it.
5. If it’s not available, right-click ContextMenuHandlers and choose New and select Key.
6. Enter OpenWith as the name and click the OpenWith key.
7. In the right pane, you should see Default.
8. Double click it to open its properties.
   
9. In Value data enter:
   • {09799AFB-AD67-11d1-ABCD-00C04FC30936}
     
     
     
10. Click OK to save the changes and close the Registry Editor.

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4. Run Restore_Open_With.reg file

If you don’t want to change your registry manually, and you don’t want to create .reg files you can add them to the registry, by simply downloading this file.

Once downloaded, run the Restore_Open_With.reg and the Open with menu should be restored.

Note: Make sure to only use this solution if you are confident you know how to use it. This file is hosted by a forum not affiliated with us.

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5. Use third-party software to disable shell extensions

Sometimes programs add their functionality to the right-click menu in Windows, and this can sometimes cause the Open with menu to be missing.

To fix this issue, you need to find the problematic software, and in order to do that, you’ll need CCleaner or ShellExView.

Regardless of which one you use, make sure to disable shell extensions and turn them back on, one by one, in order to see which one is causing the problem.

Once finished, make sure to restart Windows.

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6. Copy all files from WinX folder

1. Go to C:UsersDefaultAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsWinX.
2. Select all files in WinX folder and copy them to C:\Users\[user.account.name]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WinX.
   
3. Restart Windows Explorer.

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7. Create new values in the registry

1. Open Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to ComputerHKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell key in the left pane.
   
3. Now right-click shell key and choose New and select Key from the menu.
4. Enter Open With as the name of the new key.
   
5. Now right-click Open With key, choose New and select Key.
6. Set its name as Command.
7. Select Command key and in the right pane double click on.
   
8. Set the value data to rundll32.exe shell32.dll,OpenAs_RunDLL %1 and click OK to save changes.
   

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8. Perform SFC and DISM scan

1. Press Windows Key + X and choose Command Prompt from the menu.
   
2. Once the Command Prompt starts, enter sfc /scannow.
3. Now press Enter to run the command.
   
4. The scanning process will now start.
5. Keep in mind that the SFC scan can take up to 15 minutes, so don’t interrupt it.

Run a DISM scan

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Now enter DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press Enter to run the command.
   
3. DISM scan will now start.
4. Keep in mind that this scan can take up to 20 minutes or more, so be sure not to interrupt it.

Note: Once the DISM scan is finished, check if the problem still appears. If the issue is still present or if you were unable to run SFC scan before, run the SFC scan again and check if that solves your problem.

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9. Install the missing updates

1. Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings app.
2. Navigate to the Update & security section.
   
3. Now click on Check for updates button.
   

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10. Create a new user profile

1. Open the Settings app and navigate to the Accounts section.
   
2. Click on Family & other people.
3. Now click on Add someone else to this PC.
   
4. Select I don’t have this person’s sign-in information.
   
5. Now click on Add a user without a Microsoft account.
   
6. Enter the desired name and click Next.
   

That is all. If the Open with menu is missing on Windows 10, in most cases the cause lies in your registry, and the issue can be easily resolved after performing few registry changes that we mentioned in our solutions.

Let us know in the comments section below if you have other suggestions or recommendations.

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in February 2018 and has been since revamped and updated in September 2020 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in February 2016 and was revamped and updated in November 2020 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.