On Windows 10, the right-click menu for images often includes an item named Edit with Photos. If you don’t use Microsoft Photos as your editor, that extra click gets old fast.
This guide shows multiple ways to remove the Edit with Photos option from the image context menu. The most dependable method edits the specific Windows file association handler in the registry (with a safety backup first).
Quick note: Exact registry paths can vary slightly by file type (JPEG, PNG, etc.) and by Windows 10 build. The steps below tell you how to find the right entry and remove the correct handler.
What this setting actually controls in Windows 10
The context menu item is created by a Windows shell “handler” registered under file association keys like SystemFileAssociations. Photos registers an “edit” verb for image types, so Windows surfaces Edit with Photos whenever you right-click a matching file.
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Changing your default photo editor doesn’t always remove the “edit verb” registration. That’s why registry-based removal is usually the cleanest fix when you want the menu item gone entirely.
Prerequisites and safety checklist
- Windows 10 (tested approaches work on common builds such as 1809, 1909, and 22H2).
- Administrative access (you’ll edit HKCR and system file association keys).
- Backup strategy: you must be able to restore registry values if needed.
Before you change anything: Create a restore point or export the keys you plan to edit. Don’t skip this—context menu breakage is usually reversible, but only if you backed up.
Method 1: Remove the Photos handler from the registry (most reliable)
This method targets the specific shell verb that creates Edit with Photos for image file types. You can either delete the entry or disable it by renaming it.
Step 1: Back up the relevant registry keys
- Press Win + R, type
regedit, press Enter. - In Registry Editor, click File > Export.
- Choose a safe folder, name it something like
Win10-Remove-EditWithPhotos.reg, and export the full registry or—better—export only the keys you’ll edit after you locate them. - Optional but recommended: create a system restore point via Control Panel > System > System protection.
Step 2: Locate the Edit with Photos shell entry for your file type
Start broad, then narrow. The entry often exists under the “image” class and/or per-file-type associations (like JPEG or PNG).
- In
regedit, press Ctrl + F to search. - Search for one of these terms (run searches one by one):
editwithphotosMicrosoft.PhotosMicrosoft PhotosPhotos(this may be broad—use results filters once you find the relevant key)
- When results appear, look specifically for keys under paths similar to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\(image or file extension)\shellHKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\jpegfile\shell(JPEG)HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\pngfile\shell(PNG)
- Click a likely match and look at the right pane. The key you want usually contains a value that is the verb/command used to launch Photos for editing.
What you’re hunting: a shell subkey whose verb name corresponds to edit-with-Photos behavior, and/or values whose command points to %ProgramFiles%\WindowsApps Photos app packages.
If you want a targeted approach without hunting: once you find one correct key for (say) JPEG, repeat the same pattern for other file types you care about (PNG, GIF, BMP, etc.).
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Step 3: Disable or delete the registry value that creates Edit with Photos
Once you’ve found the exact key that produces Edit with Photos, you have two safe options: delete it (clean removal) or rename it (disable while keeping a rollback point).
- Right-click the relevant shell verb key (the one that corresponds to the Photos edit verb) and choose one of the following:
- Rename it to something like
_EditWithPhotos_DISABLED - Delete the key
- Rename it to something like
- If the key contains multiple subverbs, remove only the one that creates Edit with Photos.
- Repeat for other image file associations if they each register their own handler (common for
jpegfile,pngfile, andgiffile).
Common gotcha: Don’t delete random shell items. You want the one specifically tied to Photos’ edit verb. If you’re unsure, export that exact key first, then rename it (disable) instead of deleting.
Step 4: Restart Explorer or sign out/in
- Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
- Find Windows Explorer.
- Right-click it > Restart.
- If you don’t see changes, sign out and sign back in.
After restart, right-click a JPEG/PNG and confirm the menu entry is gone (or the submenu no longer includes Edit with Photos).
Method 2: Disable the Photos shell extension via ShellExView (no registry edits)
If you prefer not to edit the registry directly, a shell extension tool can disable the context-menu entry by turning off the responsible COM handler.
One commonly used utility is ShellExView (by NirSoft). It lists shell extensions and lets you disable them temporarily.
Steps
- Download ShellExView from the developer’s site.
- Run it (you may need to start as Administrator).
- In the extension list, look for items related to Photos or image editing.
- Disable the extension that corresponds to the Photos edit context menu.
- Restart Explorer or sign out/in.
Why this works: many context-menu items come from shell extensions. If you disable the extension that registers the verb, Windows stops showing the entry without you manually deleting registry keys.
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Method 3: Change default apps (helps sometimes, doesn’t always remove the menu item)
Changing default apps can reduce how often Photos shows up, but it doesn’t reliably remove the “edit verb” registration. Still, it’s worth trying if you mainly want Photos out of the editing flow.
Set the default photo editor away from Microsoft Photos
- Open Settings > Apps > Default apps.
- Under Photo viewer or Set defaults by file type, choose an editor/viewer you actually use (for example, Paint or a third-party tool).
- In Set defaults by file type, select
.jpg,.png, and other extensions you care about and change the default editor.
After changing defaults, check the right-click menu again. If Edit with Photos is still present, use Method 1 or 2.
Reset the Photos association if you want it back
- Go back to Settings > Apps > Default apps.
- For each affected file type, select Microsoft Photos as the default.
- If you removed registry keys, you must restore them (see the restoration section below).
How to confirm the item is gone
Use a controlled test:
- Create a fresh copy of a
.jpgfile and right-click it. - Look for the entry named exactly Edit with Photos.
- If you see a different submenu (for example, Open with), that’s fine—what matters is the specific Photos edit verb.
If you still see it, your registry edit didn’t target the correct file association. Don’t guess—repeat the search and confirm you disabled the right key.
Troubleshooting when the menu item won’t disappear
Context menus can be surprisingly sticky due to caching and because Photos may register handlers for multiple file types.
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It only disappears for some file types
That’s normal. Photos often registers edit verbs per file class. For example, JPEG and PNG may be separate associations.
- Identify which file types still show Edit with Photos (right-click
.jpgvs.pngvs.gif). - Repeat the registry search for the Photos edit verb under the corresponding
SystemFileAssociationskey. - Disable/rename the matching shell verb entry for each remaining file type.
The entry comes back after updates
Windows updates can reinstall Photos components and restore shell verb registrations.
- Use your exported
.regbackup as a quick restore target for your current state. - After an update, re-run the registry search for
editwithphotosorMicrosoft.Photosto locate new or restored keys.
Context menu caching still shows the old option
If Explorer hasn’t reloaded the relevant handlers, the menu may look unchanged even after registry edits.
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- Restart Windows Explorer (Task Manager > Restart).
- If needed, restart the PC.
- After restart, test with both an existing and a newly created image file.
Explorer crashes or right-click feels broken
This usually happens when a wrong shell verb key was deleted or disabled incorrectly.
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- Immediately restore the registry export you created earlier.
- In ShellExView, re-enable the Photos-related extension if you used Method 2.
- Retry with the disable-via-rename approach instead of deleting keys.
Restoring the Edit with Photos option
If you ever decide you want the menu back, restoration should be quick if you exported your keys (and slow only if you deleted the wrong entries without a backup).
Restore from the registry backup
- Open
regedit. - Double-click your exported
.regfile (created before edits) to restore values. - Restart Explorer or sign out/in.
Recreate default registry keys (manual fallback)
If you didn’t export and you deleted keys, you can restore by reinstalling/reparing Photos and then resetting defaults. This is less precise than a backup but often works.
- Open Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
- Search for Microsoft Photos.
- Choose Advanced options > Repair (or Reset).
- Restart and check the context menu.
If the context menu item is still missing, the specific shell verb registration likely needs to be restored by reinstalling the Photos app.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Editing the wrong key: “Photos” appears in many registry entries. Disable only the verb that produces Edit with Photos.
- Deleting instead of renaming: Deleting can break the shell verb if you remove a broader parent key. Rename first.
- Forgetting other file types: You may need to fix
jpegfile,pngfile,bmpfile, and more separately. - Not restarting Explorer: Context menu behavior may not update until Explorer reloads.
- Using default-app changes alone: This often changes “Open with,” not the edit verb that creates the context menu item.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will removing Edit with Photos affect double-click to open images?
No—context menu verbs and default file open handlers are separate. Your double-click behavior should remain tied to your chosen default photo viewer/editor.
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Yes. If you only edit the registry entry under the relevant SystemFileAssociations\jpegfile (or whichever JPEG association you found), Windows won’t remove the item for PNG or other types.
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Is there a supported UI option to remove it?
Windows 10 doesn’t provide a direct checkbox to remove a single context-menu verb like Edit with Photos. That’s why the practical solutions are registry edits, extension disabling, or changing defaults (which doesn’t always fully remove the verb).
Does this work on newer Windows 10 builds and Windows 11?
This guide is Windows 10 focused. The Photos shell registration model is similar, but registry paths and keys can differ between versions. If you’re on Windows 11, confirm the exact key names with a registry search before removing anything.
What’s safer: delete the registry key or rename it?
Rename/disable is safer. It keeps the original key structure for easy restoration without having to re-create values manually.
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If you want the Edit with Photos option removed from Windows 10’s image right-click menu, the most reliable path is targeted registry removal of the Photos shell verb under SystemFileAssociations (with a backup first). That approach removes the menu item regardless of your default editor.
If you’d rather avoid registry edits, use a shell extension manager like ShellExView to disable the Photos-related context handler. Either way, verify by right-clicking multiple image types and be ready to restore from your export if Windows updates reintroduce the entry.
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