Add PowerShell to a folder's context menu

On Windows, I want the ability to call PowerShell by right-clicking onto a folder.

Not a problem, open PowerShell for the last time from the start menu. Reminder: It's under "W" like "Windows PowersHell".

Call the command regedit:


Select HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT -> Folder -> shell -> PowerShell -> command. Put in cmd /K cd %L && powershell


Now start Windows Explorer and right-click on any folder there. You will see "PowerShell" in the context menu:


If you click on it, you will be in the respective folder in PowerShell:


What did we do here?

We added a key to the Windows Registry. This is the central key-value store for all Windows programs, mostly storing configuration data. In this case Windows Explorer will consume the config data for displaying context menus on a folder.
The key is "Default" and it will be executed. The value is cmd /K (run a command) cd %L (change to the directory handed over in the variable L) && (if the previous command was successful, run the following command) powershell (call PowerShell).

See also

  • I got my inspiration for this post from http://www.staerk.de/thorsten/Software/Shortcut_to_Dos-Shell
  • Why does && mean "if the previous command was successful, execute the following command"? Know that this works under Windows and Linux and read http://linuxintro.org/wiki/Bash_operators#.26.26
  • powershell -noexit & cd '%L' is better

    • Todo

  • Test it on a virgin computer. Is there really in a default registry Folder -> shell -> PowerShell?
  • Why does just running powershell terminate while running cmd && powershell does not?

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