ContextShell v1.9.21

What's new

• Changes apply instantly. The menu now reloads its config by itself when you save a theme in Settings or edit any .nss file. Before, you had to Ctrl + right-click or restart Explorer.
• Slimmer Liquid Glass. Rows are clear so the glass shows through, and only the item you hover gets a soft pill. Spacing is tighter and the shadow and sheen are subtler. It still follows Windows light and dark mode.
• New website and docs: https://therayjohnson.github.io/ContextShell/ has searchable docs with light and dark mode and copyable examples. The installation guide and the new ContextShell Settings page are written for ContextShell. Every docs link in the app now points here.
• Theme editor: new fields for the effect tint and icon size. The editor and theme cards understand [color, opacity] values. Previews follow Windows light and dark mode until you pick one.

Fixes

• Saving: saving in ContextShell Settings no longer fails with "Illegal characters in path."
• Base style: the theme editor now writes the base style in the quoted form the engine expects.
• Close prompt: closing Settings with unsaved changes asks in a matching dialog instead of a plain system box.
• Docs links: the classic shell.exe manager's buttons now open the docs, GitHub issues and this repository.

Install

Uninstall Nilesoft Shell or iMA Menu first. They hook the same Explorer menu.

File	For
ContextShell-v1.9.21-x64-setup.exe	Most Windows 10/11 PCs
ContextShell-v1.9.21-arm64-setup.exe	Windows on ARM
ContextShell-v1.9.21-x86-setup.exe	32-bit Windows 10
*.msi	For msiexec, Intune or Group Policy
*-portable.zip	No installer

Updating from 1.9.19 or 1.9.20: run the setup. Your themes and menu settings are kept. Full install options: Installation.

Known issues

• The binaries aren't code-signed yet, so SmartScreen may warn on first run. Choose More info > Run anyway.
• Glass and acrylic themes need Transparency effects on in Windows Settings > Personalisation > Colours.

ContextShell v1.9.20

What's new

• ContextShell Settings. Pick a theme from a gallery with previews, or customize one. The theme editor has a field for every theme option, can give any color its own dark-mode value, and shows a live preview. You can also turn menu sections (Terminal, File manage, Develop, Go To, taskbar menu) on or off and set the submenu delay. You no longer need to edit config files in Notepad as administrator.
• Liquid Glass theme. A translucent, frosted menu with a bright edge and a soft sheen. It follows Windows light and dark mode.
• New installer. A Windows 11-style setup with light and dark mode. It lets you choose the install folder, the Start menu and desktop shortcuts, and update checks. Running it again offers Repair and Uninstall.
• Update notifications. At sign-in, at most about once a day, ContextShell checks GitHub for a newer release and offers to install it. Downloads are verified against SHA256SUMS.txt. You can turn this off in Settings > Updates.

Fixes

• Upgrades. Installing a newer MSI over an older one no longer fails with error 1638. Reinstalling the same version replaces it instead of adding a second entry in Apps.
• Default theme. The default theme is now solid and readable on any wallpaper.

Install

Uninstall Nilesoft Shell or iMA Menu first. They hook the same Explorer menu.

File	For
ContextShell-v1.9.20-x64-setup.exe	Most Windows 10/11 PCs
ContextShell-v1.9.20-arm64-setup.exe	Windows on ARM
ContextShell-v1.9.20-x86-setup.exe	32-bit Windows 10
*.msi	For msiexec, Intune or Group Policy
*-portable.zip	No installer

Silent install: ContextShell-v1.9.20-x64-setup.exe /quiet. Add /? to see all options, including INSTALLFOLDER, ADDDESKTOP, ADDSTARTMENU and AUTOUPDATE.

Updating from v1.9.19: run the setup. Your config is kept. Your existing theme shows up in Settings as "My theme", and the new themes are one click away.

Known issues

• The binaries aren't code-signed yet, so SmartScreen may warn on first run. Choose More info > Run anyway.
• Glass and acrylic themes need Transparency effects on in Windows Settings > Personalisation > Colours.

ContextShell v1.9.19

First release of ContextShell, a free, open-source context menu manager for Windows 10 and 11 File Explorer.

ContextShell is a fork of Nilesoft Shell 1.9.19 (MIT). It keeps the Shell engine and the .nss config language. It ships without a launcher, plugin marketplace, auto-updater or telemetry.

Why use it

• Plain text config. Add, move, rename or remove any menu item in shell.nss. Changes apply on the next right-click.
• Nothing hidden by default. Native items such as "Open in new window" on Quick Access pins stay in the menu.
• Existing configs work. The syntax is the same as Nilesoft Shell, so configs from Nilesoft Shell or iMA Menu work as-is.
• Coexists safely. It has its own COM CLSIDs and registry key, so it doesn't overwrite another Shell-based menu's registration.

Install

Uninstall Nilesoft Shell or iMA Menu first. They hook the same Explorer menu. Only one can be active at a time.

1. Download the MSI for your system below. Most PCs need x64.
2. Run it. It registers the extension and restarts Explorer.

Portable: extract the zip, then run this in an elevated terminal from that folder:

.\shell.exe -register -treat -restart

To remove the portable install:

.\shell.exe -unregister -restart

Downloads

File	For
ContextShell-v1.9.19-x64.msi	Most Windows 10/11 PCs
ContextShell-v1.9.19-arm64.msi	Windows on ARM (Snapdragon, Surface Pro X)
ContextShell-v1.9.19-x86.msi	32-bit Windows 10
*-portable.zip	Same files, no installer

Known issues

• The default theme is very transparent on busy wallpapers. The next release makes a solid theme the default. To fix it now, open C:\Program Files\ContextShell\imports\theme.nss as administrator. Inside background { }, change opacity=auto to opacity=100 and effect=auto to effect=0.
• The MSI installs 7 of the 17 language files. The portable zip has all of them.
• The binaries aren't code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen may warn on first run.

Credits

Based on Nilesoft Shell by Nilesoft Ltd. Uses plutovg, plutosvg and Microsoft Detours. MIT License.