Customize the Windows 7 “Send To” Menu Option

Since it’s now a given that XP and Vista are going away in favor of Windows 7 for netbooks, now might be a good time for more Win7 tips and tricks. Take this one from the How-To Geek, for example, that deals with the “Send To” menu option in Windows 7. Like prior versions of Windows, this is one of your options when right-clicking an item; it does what it says: it sends a copy of the object to the option you choose. The default choices with a normal right-click are the Desktop, a Zip folder, a fax or mail recipient, or any additional drives connected to your PC.

Holding the Shift key down while right-clicking offers far more choices as shown below:

send-to-windows-7

It seems like there should be a happy medium: the default choices are limiting while holding the Shift key and clicking provides too many choices.

The How-To Geek offers an easy way to customize the default choices. Simply type “shell:sendto” (without the quotes) in the location bar of a Windows Explorer window. You’ll see the default choices here. Now you can pull any of the defaults out or you can add locations you want in the standard list with a simple drag-and-drop.

I don’t anticipate faxing anything, so I’ve removed that option. Likewise, I wanted an option to send files to my Downloads folder, so I’ve added that.

custom-send-to

The end result? I don’t have to remember to press the Shift key for the Send To options I want when right-clicking an object. The Send To –> Fax Recipient is gone and I now have a way to send items to my Downloads folder with a simple right-click.

custom-send-to-result1

  1. Thanks for the tip on Send To folder. I have worked 2 days trying to find it to drop on my desktop so I could transfer formatted embroidery files to and from program. Laid my head down at one point and cried.What an idiot thing to do!!! If it ain’t broke DON’T fix it???

  2. Thanks I’ve used this hint (from you) for some time for dirprint.bat – however I now cant send to a USB (lieu of LPT) printer? Any help appreciated.

  3. I want to see how i can stay on top of my many projects
    I want windows 7 to keep me on track

  4. The PC Mechanic Sunday, January 31, 2010

    One of the more useful shortcuts you can put in “SendTo” is a shortcut to the Send To folder itself…

  5. Sendto notepad should be a default setting – all good now : )

    Thanks, Mick

  6. Thank you very much. Your tip just did the needful (I wanted to send to C:).

  7. Thx. Worked great

  8. Great…I was looking for this, and well, i couldn’t find it..

  9. The sendto folder in Windows 7 can be found at:
    usersusernameAppDataRoamingMicrosoftWIndowsSendTo.

    You can copy or delete a shortcut to or from this folder and it will appear on the sendto list.

  10. thanks champ! This helps a lot.
    And Travis, you’re a cock smoke! :D

  11. That shell:sendto thing has opened a can of worms in my mind, thanks.

  12. Great, however the “Send to Any Folder” option that could be added to previous versions of windows was extremely useful; is there any way that it could be added to Windows 7? Many thanks!

    1. You are referencing the old “sendtox” Windows Power Toy app, which was the best version of this functionality — I used the “Send to Clipboard as Name” countless times to create a printable list of directory contents (e.g., to store with backup CDs for ready reference.) And the Send to any folder option with a simple radio button choice to either “Copy” or “Move” could hardly be improved on … does anyone know if sendtox will run on W7?

  13. Thanks! I was wondering where it was in Win 7. ^_^

  14. my personal favourite in this area… Send To Notepad

    allows you to get a quick view of any file in your favourite text viewer.

  15. Pretty neat.

    How to add the default printer in send to context menu in windows 7?

    creating a shortcut to the printer does not work, neither does dragging & dropping! :(

    Using win 7 RC 1

    thx

  16. Thanks a bunch! Works like a charm and this will save me tons of time each day.

  17. Thanks man! It works really well.

  18. Thanks for posting this!!

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  20. I understand that Travis, but not every reader is aware of that. I’ve been able to tether a phone for modem use since 2004 as well, but it’s still one of the of most oft asked questions I get in e-mail for example. ;)

  21. You’ve been able to do this since Windows 95…

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