This article will introduce how to add a menu item to the "Tools" drop-down menu of Microsoft Internet Explorer browser. This newly added menu item means running a Microsoft Win32 application, or running a script program.
Basic knowledge and environment required
If you want to accurately complete the function of adding menu items under the "Tools" menu in Internet Explorer, you must be familiar with the operations of the registry.
Moreover, the method discussed here requires that the browser is Internet Explorer version 5 or higher.
General steps
The steps described in this section must be strictly performed. If any step is omitted (except optional), it will not ultimately achieve the purpose of adding menu items.
Note: The steps to add menu items described below are for all users who access the machine. If you want to add menus for each different user, you can replace HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE with HKEY_CURRENT_USER in the following steps.
Create a correct globally unique representation, namely the GUID.
Using the above GUID, create a new key value under the following registry item:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions
Once correctly established, it is like the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >
(Optional steps) Under the following registry item, create a new string value MenuCustomize:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions
Once correctly established, it is like the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\\MenuCustomize
If the new menu item you need to add appears under the browser's "Help" (HELP) menu, set the MenuCustomize value to "help". If set to another value, or MenuCustomize is not set at all, the menu item will eventually appear under the Tools menu.
Under the following registry item, create a new string value CLSID:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >
Once correctly established, it is like the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >\CLSID
Set the value of CLSID to {1FBA04EE-3024-11d2-8F1F-0000F87ABD16}.
Under the following registry item, create a new string value MenuText:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >
Once correctly established, it is like the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >\MenuText
Set the MenuText value to the text displayed in the tool menu. Note that text does not support any underscores required to implement shortcut keys.
(Optional steps) Under the following registry item, create a new string value MenuStatusBar:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >
Once correctly established, it is like the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\\MenuStatusBar
The text set in MenuStatusBar represents the information displayed in the browser's status bar when the menu item is selected with high brightness. In order to give the user a clear meaning, please set the text to the exact meaning of the menu item executing the program or executing script.
Add details
After completing the initial steps above, you need to further add the key values. The specific values and other steps below depend on the type of the actual running program represented by the menu item. The following will discuss several possible program types and their added details:
COM Object
The following steps will implement the creation of a menu item that executes the COM object under the "Tools" menu of the browser. Similarly, if any step is omitted (excluding optional ones), the purpose of adding menu items will not be achieved in the end. Moreover, the described steps are for all users accessing the machine. If you want to add a menu for each different user, you can replace HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE with HKEY_CURRENT_USER in the following steps.
Register COM object.
Under the following registry item, create a new string value ClsidExtension:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >
Once correctly established, it is like the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >\ClsidExtension
Set ClsidExtension as the GUID of the COM object.
Moreover, the COM object must execute IOleCommandTarget. If the COM object needs to access the DHTML object model on the page, IObjectWithSite must be executed.
script
The following steps will enable the creation of a menu item that executes the script program under the "Tools" menu of the browser. Similarly, if any step is omitted (excluding optional ones), the purpose of adding menu items will not be achieved in the end. Moreover, the described steps are for all users accessing the machine. If you want to add a menu for each different user, you can replace HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE with HKEY_CURRENT_USER in the following steps.
Under the following registry item, create a new string value Script:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >
Once correctly established, it is like the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >\Script
Set the Script value to the full path to the script to be run.
Execute the program
The following steps will create a menu item that executes the .exe file under the "Tools" menu of the browser. Similarly, if any step is omitted (excluding optional ones), the purpose of adding menu items will not be achieved in the end. Moreover, the described steps are for all users accessing the machine. If you want to add a menu for each different user, you can replace HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE with HKEY_CURRENT_USER in the following steps.
Under the following registry item, create a new string value Exec :
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >
Once correctly established, it is like the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >\Exec
Set the Script value to the full path to the .exe file to be run.
Basic knowledge and environment required
If you want to accurately complete the function of adding menu items under the "Tools" menu in Internet Explorer, you must be familiar with the operations of the registry.
Moreover, the method discussed here requires that the browser is Internet Explorer version 5 or higher.
General steps
The steps described in this section must be strictly performed. If any step is omitted (except optional), it will not ultimately achieve the purpose of adding menu items.
Note: The steps to add menu items described below are for all users who access the machine. If you want to add menus for each different user, you can replace HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE with HKEY_CURRENT_USER in the following steps.
Create a correct globally unique representation, namely the GUID.
Using the above GUID, create a new key value under the following registry item:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions
Once correctly established, it is like the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >
(Optional steps) Under the following registry item, create a new string value MenuCustomize:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions
Once correctly established, it is like the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\\MenuCustomize
If the new menu item you need to add appears under the browser's "Help" (HELP) menu, set the MenuCustomize value to "help". If set to another value, or MenuCustomize is not set at all, the menu item will eventually appear under the Tools menu.
Under the following registry item, create a new string value CLSID:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >
Once correctly established, it is like the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >\CLSID
Set the value of CLSID to {1FBA04EE-3024-11d2-8F1F-0000F87ABD16}.
Under the following registry item, create a new string value MenuText:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >
Once correctly established, it is like the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >\MenuText
Set the MenuText value to the text displayed in the tool menu. Note that text does not support any underscores required to implement shortcut keys.
(Optional steps) Under the following registry item, create a new string value MenuStatusBar:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >
Once correctly established, it is like the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\\MenuStatusBar
The text set in MenuStatusBar represents the information displayed in the browser's status bar when the menu item is selected with high brightness. In order to give the user a clear meaning, please set the text to the exact meaning of the menu item executing the program or executing script.
Add details
After completing the initial steps above, you need to further add the key values. The specific values and other steps below depend on the type of the actual running program represented by the menu item. The following will discuss several possible program types and their added details:
COM Object
The following steps will implement the creation of a menu item that executes the COM object under the "Tools" menu of the browser. Similarly, if any step is omitted (excluding optional ones), the purpose of adding menu items will not be achieved in the end. Moreover, the described steps are for all users accessing the machine. If you want to add a menu for each different user, you can replace HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE with HKEY_CURRENT_USER in the following steps.
Register COM object.
Under the following registry item, create a new string value ClsidExtension:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >
Once correctly established, it is like the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >\ClsidExtension
Set ClsidExtension as the GUID of the COM object.
Moreover, the COM object must execute IOleCommandTarget. If the COM object needs to access the DHTML object model on the page, IObjectWithSite must be executed.
script
The following steps will enable the creation of a menu item that executes the script program under the "Tools" menu of the browser. Similarly, if any step is omitted (excluding optional ones), the purpose of adding menu items will not be achieved in the end. Moreover, the described steps are for all users accessing the machine. If you want to add a menu for each different user, you can replace HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE with HKEY_CURRENT_USER in the following steps.
Under the following registry item, create a new string value Script:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >
Once correctly established, it is like the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >\Script
Set the Script value to the full path to the script to be run.
Execute the program
The following steps will create a menu item that executes the .exe file under the "Tools" menu of the browser. Similarly, if any step is omitted (excluding optional ones), the purpose of adding menu items will not be achieved in the end. Moreover, the described steps are for all users accessing the machine. If you want to add a menu for each different user, you can replace HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE with HKEY_CURRENT_USER in the following steps.
Under the following registry item, create a new string value Exec :
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >
Once correctly established, it is like the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions\< Your GUID >\Exec
Set the Script value to the full path to the .exe file to be run.