To remove NVIDIA Control Panel from the desktop right-click menu, open NVIDIA Control Panel, open the Desktop menu and clear Add Desktop Context Menu. NVIDIA documents that option and it is the cleanest fix. AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition has no matching switch in its documented Preferences, which is why its entry is harder to get rid of. ContextCleaner from Automata Labs handles both cases, and every other graphics or app entry, from one list: it shows which app or package added each item and hides it reversibly, with a snapshot written before every change and undo that survives a restart.
See every right-click entry and the app behind it, then hide what you never use.
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Why is NVIDIA or AMD in my right-click menu?
Graphics drivers ship with a settings app, and the installers add a shortcut to it on the desktop’s right-click menu so you can reach display settings quickly. On a PC you set up once and rarely tune, it is one more line between you and View, Sort by and New.
On Windows 11 there is an extra twist. The right-click menu is built from several separate sources, so the same kind of entry can come from different places depending on the vendor and driver version:
| Surface | What it is | Typical owner |
|---|---|---|
| Classic commands | Traditional entries, mostly under “Show more options” | Older software, many installers |
| App add-ons | COM shell extensions registered by installed apps | Archivers, cloud drives, some driver tools |
| Modern menu items | Windows 11 compact menu, including packaged and MSIX apps | Newer apps and packaged components |
| New submenu | Document types under New | Office and other installers |
That is why one guide’s registry tweak works for one person and does nothing for the next. Our explainer on right-click items that are not in the registry covers the packaged case in detail.
How do I remove NVIDIA Control Panel from the right-click menu?
NVIDIA documents the setting in its own help. The NVIDIA Control Panel Desktop menu help page describes Add Desktop Context Menu as follows: “This is selected by default, and adds the NVIDIA Control Panel menu item to the desktop context menu.”
- Open NVIDIA Control Panel, from the Start menu or from the desktop right-click menu itself.
- In the menu bar, open Desktop.
- Click Add Desktop Context Menu to clear the check mark.
- Right-click the desktop to confirm the entry is gone.
To bring it back, repeat the steps and select the option again. Because it is the vendor’s own switch, it is the least risky way to remove NVIDIA’s entry.
The same Desktop menu has a related item, Add “Run with graphics processor” Option, which adds that entry to the right-click menu for programs. NVIDIA notes it “appears only with systems using NVIDIA’s power-saving GPU technology,” typically laptops with both integrated and NVIDIA graphics. Clear it there too if you never use it.
How do I remove AMD Software from the right-click menu?
This one is harder. AMD’s support article on customizing AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition preferences, last updated June 2025, lists the available Preferences: SteamVR, in-game overlay, web browser, System Tray Menu, advertisements, toast notifications, game adjustment tracking, language, always on top, sidebar position, animations, the AMD User Experience Program and AMD Image Inspector. There is a toggle for the tray icon, but none for the desktop right-click entry.
That leaves three routes:
- Live with it. It is harmless, just clutter.
- Follow a removal guide from a forum. Many guides remove a packaged AMD component with PowerShell. They work for some people, but they are not documented by AMD, and a driver update may restore the entry. Make a restore point first if you go this way.
- Hide it with a context menu editor that can see packaged and modern items as well as classic ones, and that can undo the change later.
We would pick the third for most people, because it leaves AMD’s software installed and intact, and it is one click to reverse if you change your mind.
How does ContextCleaner remove graphics driver entries?
ContextCleaner is a right-click menu editor for Windows 11 and Windows 10. According to its product page and Microsoft Store listing:
- All four surfaces in one list: classic commands, app add-ons, Windows 11 modern and packaged items, and the New submenu.
- The app behind every row. Each entry names the app, DLL or package that added it, where it was found and which file types it applies to. Search by name or filter to third-party only, so “NVIDIA” or “AMD” finds every related entry at once.
- Non-destructive removals. Entries are marked hidden and add-ons go on a block list. Nothing is uninstalled.
- A snapshot before every apply. If the snapshot cannot be written, the change is not applied.
- Undo and redo on disk, up to 25 steps each, surviving app and PC restarts, plus one-click restore of any earlier snapshot.
- Protected entries. Items File Explorer needs cannot be removed, even by a bulk action, and you get a warning before switching off a built-in Windows component.
- One administrator prompt per apply for machine-wide entries, and an honest count if Windows refuses one.
- No Explorer restart needed. It asks Windows to refresh its cached menu, so changes appear on your next right-click.
- No network requests, no account and no telemetry.
Search “NVIDIA” or “AMD”, switch the entries off, and undo any time.
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Vendor setting, manual removal or ContextCleaner?
| NVIDIA’s own setting | Forum PowerShell or registry guide | ContextCleaner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works for NVIDIA | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works for AMD | No setting exists | Sometimes | Yes, if the entry appears in its scan |
| Documented by the vendor | Yes | No | Not needed, it does not remove vendor software |
| Easy to undo | Yes | Depends on the guide | Snapshot, undo and restore |
| Survives driver updates | Usually | Not guaranteed | Not guaranteed, re-check after an update |
| Handles other clutter too | No | One entry at a time | Every entry, in one list |
A fair note on driver updates: any method can be undone if a new driver re-registers its menu entry. After a major graphics driver update, right-click the desktop and check. With ContextCleaner, a fresh scan shows whether anything came back.
What else is worth removing while I am there?
Once you can see where each entry comes from, it is easy to clear other common leftovers:
- Cloud and sync add-ons you no longer use.
- Archiver entries that add several lines each.
- Old “Open with” style entries from editors you uninstalled long ago.
- Unused document types in the New submenu.
Switching off a single add-on often removes several entries at once, because one handler can contribute more than one line. If the menu also feels slow, see shell extensions that slow down right-click, and if Explorer crashes when you right-click, see Explorer crashes on right-click.
Frequently asked questions
Will removing NVIDIA Control Panel from the menu uninstall it?
No. Clearing Add Desktop Context Menu only removes the shortcut. You can still open NVIDIA Control Panel from the Start menu.
Why does AMD Software keep coming back to my right-click menu?
AMD’s documented Preferences have no option for it, and some removal methods are reversed when the driver or AMD Software updates. Re-check after updates.
Is it safe to hide graphics entries from the context menu?
Yes. Hiding a shortcut does not change your display driver or its settings. With ContextCleaner, the change is reversible and a snapshot is saved first.
Does ContextCleaner need administrator rights?
Not to run, and not for per-user entries. Machine-wide entries need one approval per apply.
Does ContextCleaner work on Windows 10?
Yes. Windows 10 simply shows fewer modern and packaged entries, because that menu surface is a Windows 11 feature.
Try ContextCleaner
Get ContextCleaner from the Microsoft Store. It is a one-time purchase with no subscription, and the Store listing shows the current price.
A tidy right-click menu in about two minutes, with every change reversible.
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NVIDIA is a trademark of NVIDIA Corporation. AMD, Radeon and Adrenalin are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. ContextCleaner is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
Last updated 20 October 2026. Published by Automata Labs, a software company in Canada.