Add Windows Defender Options as Cascading Right-Click Menu in Desktop

Last we saw how the Windows Defender GUI (msascui.exe) can be automated using hidden command-line switches, similar to it’s command-line version – mpcmdrun.exe. Here is a registry tweak that adds some Windows Defender options to the Desktop Context menu as cascading menu to quickly run a scan, update or open Windows Defender.

Download Registry Tweak – defender_menu.zip, unzip and run the enclosed REG file. When you right-click on the desktop, you’ll see a Windows Defender menu option with sub-menu containing open, scan, settings, quick scan and full scan options.

Registry File Contents

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

;Ramesh Srinivasan
;Winhelponline.com
;Adds Defender cascading menu in Desktop Right-click menu

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsDefender]
"Icon"="C:\\Program Files\\Windows Defender\\EppManifest.dll"
"SubCommands"="WD-Open;WD-Settings;WD-Update;WD-QuickScan;WD-FullScan"
"Muiverb"="Windows Defender"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CommandStore\shell\WD-FullScan]
@="Full Scan"
"Icon"="C:\\Program Files\\Windows Defender\\EppManifest.dll"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CommandStore\shell\WD-FullScan\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Windows Defender\\MSASCui.exe\" -FullScan"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CommandStore\shell\WD-Open]
@="Open"
"Icon"="C:\\Program Files\\Windows Defender\\EppManifest.dll"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CommandStore\shell\WD-Open\command]
@="C:\\Program Files\\Windows Defender\\MSASCui.exe"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CommandStore\shell\WD-QuickScan]
@="Quick Scan"
"Icon"="C:\\Program Files\\Windows Defender\\EppManifest.dll"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CommandStore\shell\WD-QuickScan\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Windows Defender\\MSASCui.exe\" -QuickScan"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CommandStore\shell\WD-Settings]
@="Settings"
"Icon"="C:\\Program Files\\Windows Defender\\EppManifest.dll"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CommandStore\shell\WD-Settings\command]
@="explorer.exe ms-settings:"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CommandStore\shell\WD-Update]
@="Update"
"Icon"="C:\\Program Files\\Windows Defender\\EppManifest.dll"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CommandStore\shell\WD-Update\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Windows Defender\\MSASCui.exe\" -Update"

It’s obvious from the REG file what command is run when you click on the menu items. For more information, check out my earlier post Command-line Switches to Automate Windows Defender GUI (MSASCui.exe).