Context Menu Bridge Application Runtime

Starting with InstallAware X15, a new application runtime offers a one-click way to bridge your existing IContextMenu based Windows File Explorer right click menus to the new Windows 11 File Explorer with zero code changes or recompiles.

Adding the Context Menu Bridge to Your Project

First, ensure that your project already installs your IContextMenu based context menu implementations normally, and has code signing enabled through a PFX/P12 certificate. Next:

1. To switch to the Application Runtimes designer, on the Design tab, from the Views section, click Product Details. Then click the Application Runtimes link.
2. Check the Context Menu Bridge application runtime to add it to your project, and then click the Options button to configure your bridge. The Context Menu Bridge plug-in dialog shows.
3. In the IContextMenu CLSIDs to Bridge field, simply paste the CLSID of each IContextMenu implementation you would like to bridge over. Paste one GUID per line, including the curly braces. You may paste any number of GUIDs.
4. Enter a unique name for your menu in the Name field, and supply a value in the Default Menu Caption field. Finally, click any one of the ... buttons to generate new GUID identifiers for your menu, and choose OK to save your changes.

You may now normally build and install your project. Upon installation, InstallAware shall automatically bridge all your desired menus to the top-level of the new Windows 11 File Explorer menu.

Scripting Details

The default implementation as encapsulated in the application runtime include scripts uses the plug-in based script commands (Un)Install Sparse MSIX Package and Context Menu Bridge.

You may customize the default implementation as you see fit. In particular, you may invoke Context Menu Bridge multiple times to create multiple top-level entries on the Windows 11 File Explorer context menu.