How To Change Right Click In Photoshop

How to Utilise the Windows Right-Click 'Edit' to Launch Photoshop Instead of MS Paint

Like all modern operating systems, Windows lets users set the default awarding that volition open each file type. But many users will desire to occassionally open up certain files with an application other than the one that is fix as the default for that file blazon. Rather than change the default application for the file type, which is often not what the user wants, or manually launch the non-default app and open the file by hand, Windows includes a useful "Open up With" selection in the correct-click menu. By right-clicking on a file and selecting "Open With," the user can temporarily bypass the default application and open the file with whatever compatible plan.
Equally an case, consider images. In the screenshot above, our Windows 10 PC is configured to open up image files by default in the new universal Windows "Photos" app. This lets us chop-chop view images without launching more avant-garde software. But when it's fourth dimension to actually edit an image, we prefer to use Adobe Photoshop. Instead of setting Photoshop as the default app for all image file types, which would greatly impede our ability to apace view the images, we can simply right-click on the desired image file and cull Open With > Adobe Photoshop.
windows open with
Sounds easy, right? Well, there's just one trivial problem: the "Open up With" menu isn't available when a user selects multiple files. For some inexplicable reason, Microsoft forbids users from easily opening files in a not-default application when any more than than a single file is selected, including selections of multiple files that all share the same file type.
windows no open with
In that location's one solution, however, and that's the "Edit" selection in the right-click menu. The "Edit" choice is always available no thing how many image files are selected, even those with dissimilar file types. Merely, once more, this isn't a perfect solution because using the "Edit" pick in the right-click carte opens the selected images in MS Pigment, which is far from the preferred image editing software of most users.
Thankfully, there's a workaround, and this time the solution might exist equally perfect equally we tin get. The reply is to change the application that'due south launched when the "Edit" option is selected, simply to do this, you'll need to dive pretty deep into the Windows Registry.
Before we continue, make sure yous're familiar with the Registry and the basics for modifying it. We'll walk you through the process for changing the application used for the "Edit" option, just be advised that making other changes in your Registry may crusade permanent damage to your Windows installation, and even your data. Therefore, delight be careful when making these changes, and brand sure you have robust backups of all important information before y'all continue.
To get started, launch the Windows Registry Editor by searching for "regedit" from the Start Card or Get-go Screen (Windows Vista through Windows 10) or by going to Start > Run and typing "regedit" (Windows XP). In the Registry Editor, use the folder hierarchy on the left to navigate to the following location:

ComputerHKEY_CLASSES_ROOTSystemFileAssociationsimageshelleditcommand

Annotation that some of these folders, HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT in particular, contain many hundreds of entries. The list is alphabetical, so you can scroll through it if you lot like, but y'all can also use the Registry search feature (located at Edit > Discover) to chop-chop locate the proper key.
windows change edit application registry
In one case you've arrived at the "command" key, you'll come across a single string on the right side of the window with the value "%systemroot%system32mspaint.exe" "%1". This tells Windows to launch MS Paint when the user selects the "Edit" option after right-clicking on an image file. We tin can modify this entry to point to any compatible application we want past double-clicking the registry cord to open up it, and replacing the path within the starting time set of parentheses in the "Value data" box.
Continuing our case, nosotros'll change the path to point to our local installation of Photoshop CC 2015, which by default is located at C:Program FilesAdobeAdobe Photoshop CC 2015Photoshop.exe. You lot can find your favorite app's installed location by correct-clicking on its shortcut and choosing Properties. The path in the "Target" box is what you'll need to copy into the Registry string.
windows change edit application photoshop
When you copy the new path, make sure you keep the existing parentheses, and don't remove or modify the trailing "%1," which is important for the way that Windows passes the selected epitome files to the divers application. In our example, the complete contents of the Value Data field would be:

"C:Program FilesAdobeAdobe Photoshop CC 2015Photoshop.exe" "%one"

In that location's no demand to reboot or log off once your change is fabricated; the new application will have over immediately as the "Edit" method in the right-click menu. To test it, head to your desktop (or any location in Windows explorer), select a grouping of images, correct-click, and cull Edit. As long every bit you chose an application that is compatible with prototype files, all of your selected images will open in the new program.
windows edit with photoshop
If yous always want to alter the Windows Edit awarding over again the future, just take hold of the right path of your desired application, head back to the Registry path identified to a higher place, and repeat the process outlined, just this time you'll be replacing your first custom choice for an epitome editing app instead of the default MS Paint. Speaking of Paint, if you want to set it as the default again, only put its original path dorsum in place, which is listed below for your reference:

"%systemroot%\system32\mspaint.exe" "%1"

By changing the "Edit" application, we were able to successfully work around Windows' limitation on the "Open up With" bill of fare, and it gives us the flexibility to quickly open multiple images at once in our favorite image editing awarding. An easy solution to this problem would be for Microsoft to just expand support for "Open up With" to cover multiple items — much in the same way as information technology is handled in Bone X — but this event dates back as far as Windows 7, providing little hope that Microsoft will address the state of affairs. Until the Redmond company gets effectually to it, nonetheless, this handy modification of the "Edit" option should adapt virtually Windows users.