The Download Blog

Right-click, then select Find using... to query any URL.

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Like many other Download.com staffers, I use a customized version of Mozilla Firefox. I run the Littlefox theme to maximize real estate, Tab Mix Plus to manage my myriad tabs, and a few other essential add-ons like CustomizeGoogle and Greasemonkey for specific functionality.

The most noticeable tweak in my version of Firefox is the lack of a search-engine box in the upper-right corner of the browser. Back in summer 2007, I explained how and why I killed it. In essence, I replaced the functionality of the Firefox search engines--annoying to manage--with keyword-activated bookmark searches--simple to manage--that I could run from the standard Firefox address bar.

That setup choice gave me a bigger address bar with which I can better view and edit lengthy URLs, and it also allowed me to compile a literal library of hundreds of keyword-based quick search bookmarks. (Helpful hint: The OpenBook extension for Firefox allows you to add a keyword field to the standard "Add Bookmark" dialog window.)

However, address-bar-based searches still require cutting and pasting, which is frustrating when the search term I want to use is right there on a Web page. What I really needed was to highlight a term in the page, right-click, and then search that term in a new tab using whichever Web site or service I choose.

I first tried the Auto Context extension, which is a fantastic add-on that adds a host of new functionality to the Firefox right-click menu. It's also highly configurable, letting you automatically copy any selected text or open new URLs in new windows, new tabs, or background tabs, etc. However, it only allows searching on the Firefox search engines, which as I mentioned above are too much of a pain for me to manage.

Adding and editing URLs are still basic.

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Enter Advanced URL Builder. Created by James Cook, this tiny 30K add-on lets you create bookmarks nearly identical to the keyword-based quick searches that I use hundreds of times a day. Unfortunately, the process of setting up Advanced URL Builder is not just as simple as importing your Firefox bookmarks (now that would be a great extension). In order to use Advanced URL Builder, you'll need to re-create all of those searches in the options for the add-on. It's one huge cutting and pasting task, but you'll only have to do it once.

The Advanced URL Builder options interface is very basic. You have the ability to add or edit existing URLs or group them into folders. However, I had a very difficult time organizing URLs by folders. Specifically, creating new folders had a tendency to completely delete the contents of other folders, erasing all my hard work. Frustrating!

After a few thwarted tries at grouping my URLs in directories (which would appear as submenus in the right-click menu), I gave up and created one list. It's not the most elegant implementation, but it still lets me highlight any text and quickly search any URL in my list from the right-click menu.

The miscellaneous options are slim.

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The miscellaneous preferences in the second options dialog window allow you to specify where the new search page should open--new tab, background tab, new window, or current tab in current window--and which placeholder variable you plan to use for search queries. Firefox uses the variable "%s" in keyword searches, and using the same for Advanced URL Builder will make transferring search URLs from your bookmarks much easier. If you don't select a variable, the add-on will simply append your search term to the end of the URL provided.

The Firefox extension that I really want to find would let me select any text, right-click, and then automatically search that text using any of the existing keyword searches already in my bookmarks. I can imagine the difficulties of connecting a subset of Firefox bookmarks (those with keywords) with the right-click context menu, but surely it must be possible? For now, Advanced URL Builder definitely provides the basic one-click searching functionality that I require.

What are your favorite Firefox add-ons for searching the Web, or what shortcuts do you use to minimize effort and maximize results? Tell me about them in the comments.

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This freeware utility is a boon for users looking to manager their file menus. FileMenu Tools's simple interface logically presents all functions and menus. Most users should have no problem quickly learning to operate this application. A detailed Help file is available for those novices new to the file menu.

Operating FileMenu Tools merely means manipulating select pull-downs and function icons. Users choose a menu and use the Actions function list to add commands, submenus, or separators. Deleting and moving menu items also takes only a click. Clicking a menu item displays basic function descriptions and properties when available.

Adding commands is FileMenu Tools's power function. Advanced users familiar with element types, extensions, and variable manipulation won't have any problems correctly filling in all fields for new commands. Other users will find the Help file answers most questions. After just a few minutes, most will have a new command added to a favorite menu.

FileMenu Tools is another freeware application that proves helpful, high performance utilities can come at no cost. The application performs well, functions are logical presented and easily learned, and it improves on basic Windows operation.

Place your favorite folder shortcuts on the right-click menu with this handy freeware utility. Folder Guide's compact button and results window interface won't take more than a minute to understand. Even the single-page Help file is superfluous.

Operating this utility is a piece of cake. Simply click Add to create an alias and insert the folder path. A built-in browse function makes it easy to navigate to the folder. The alias is immediately available under the Folder Guide option on the right-click menu. With a click you can sort the aliases alphabetically, or reorder them using simple Up and Down buttons. Keeping different sets of aliases is easy with Export and Import functions. The program uses few resources, and the quick access to favorite folders saved them time and trouble.

If you need to visit the same two or three folders regularly, this is an interesting and effective way to jump around quickly.

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Who doesn't love to right-click, especially when browsing the Web? Whether saving images we like to our local drives, copying HTML links to send to friends, or scanning downloaded files for viruses, the right-click has become an essential part of most users' computing lives.

Yet how many times have you right-clicked on a file in Windows and then painfully scoured a long list to find the only option you need; sometimes it's the only one you ever use. Wouldn't life be much simpler to have only the items you want in your right-click menu? Well, for Windows Explorer, it's mostly possible, and the free utility FileMenu Tools makes it rather simple.

The problem with right-click menus (or "context menus," for all you semantic sticklers) is that there's no one place to edit them, even for something as integral as Windows Explorer. Your "Send To" shortcuts are generally editable in your "Documents and Settings" directory, e.g. "C:\Documents and Settings\[USERNAME]\SendTo," but menu items for applications like WinRAR or your favorite FTP program are likely only accessible via your Windows Registry. Editing the Registry can be a hassle--and sometimes downright dangerous--for casual PC users.

FileMenu Tools changes that. Not only can you remove almost all of the right-click menu items that you never use, but the program also offers more than 20 valuable context-menu items that you can choose to include, as well as the ability to create your own. Find and replace for multiple documents and batch-file renaming are only a few of the very cool features that FileMenu Tools can add to your right-click menu. In fact, those new features are worth an article of their own, so for today, I'll only focus on paring down the Windows Explorer context menu to the items that I want to include.

The FileMenu Tools context-menu options include very cool features.

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When you first start FileMenu Tools, your standard Windows context menu will grow rather than shrink. That's because FileMenu Tools adds all of its optional items such as "Shred Files," "Change Time," and "Copy Content" to your right-click menu, along with a few new dividers.

Have no fear. The first tab of the main FileMenu Tools interface, called Commands of FileMenu Tools, displays all of those new context-menu options with check boxes next to each. To get rid of them all, simply unselect the check boxes, and then hit the green check mark in the upper-left corner to apply your changes. As I mentioned, there are some very cool features in those commands, but that's a subject for another day.

Next, take a look at the "Send To... " menu tab of FileMenu Tools. These are the commands that are also stored in your Documents and Settings directory. Again, simply uncheck the options that you don't want in your right-click menu, then click the green check mark to apply those changes. If you change your mind before applying, the red X will cancel all your changes.

Adding your own item to the Send To... menu is a snap

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It's also fairly easy to add a new program or location to the "Send To..." submenu. In my example, I've added Mozilla Firefox, because I often browse directories as well as open files with it. To add it to my "Send To..." items, I used Edit -> Add Command, selected the "New Command" that was created, and then hit Edit -> Properties to enter in the name (Mozilla Firefox) and the target (C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox2\firefox.exe). Voila. Now I can send any directory, folder, or file that I want to my default browser.

The Commands of other applications tab is where you can trim the most.

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The third tab of the main FileMenu Tools interface is likely the most useful. This area lets you remove (or add) commands from applications on your PC, such as compression programs, FTP software, and other utilities. Most programs, such as the aforementioned WinRAR, are good about making it easy to customize context-menu items from their own interface. However, others aren't so nice, and if you've got a lot you want to disable at once, FileMenu Tools makes it much easier than searching around through the "Advanced Options" of individual applications.

The Commands of other applications tab is divided into a variety of areas that you likely use with Windows Explorer, such as "All file types," "Drives," and "Directories." The most commonly used context menu is for "All file types," so let's take a look at that one. In my example, I had 12 different commands for various applications or Windows actions in my default right-click menu, but I really only use two--VirusScan (currently McAfee) and WinRAR. So I unselect the check boxes for the rest, click the green apply check mark, and my list is quickly truncated, as you can see from the image below.

Take a look at my context menus before and after FileMenu Tools.

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Now, as far as I can tell, FileMenu Tools can't get rid of all of the default Windows right-click menu items, such as Copy, Rename, or the never-used (in my case) Create Shortcut. To remove some of those options, you will need to roll up your sleeves and get down and dirty in the Windows Registry. Also, reordering right-click menu elements is extremely limited; it's easy to change the order of FileMenu tools commands or those you create your own, but many existing Windows commands can't be reordered. For removing unnecessary third-party applications and customizing, however, FileMenu Tools provides a simple, easy, and free way to clear away some of the clutter.

As I mentioned earlier, I'll take a look soon at all of the functionality you can add to Windows Explorer with FileMenu Tools. Tell me what you think of the app or ask any questions you have about it in the comments.

CMenuExtender can add a range of options to Windows Explorer context menu.

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There aren't many options for Windows users who want to alter Windows Explorer context menus. One imperfect, though reasonable choice is the CMenuExtender. The application lets users customize choices within the context menu.

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