Question:

How can I restore the folder shortcuts in the SendTo context menu?

I have a problem with the SendTo context menu on my computer. It used to show shortcuts to folders that I created, but now it only shows batch files in the same folder. I don’t know what caused this change or how to fix it. Can you please advise me on how to make the folder shortcuts appear again in the SendTo context menu? Thank you.

Answer:

The SendTo context menu is a handy feature that allows you to quickly send a copy of files or folders to various locations, such as a compressed folder, a desktop shortcut, a mail recipient, or a Bluetooth device. However, sometimes the SendTo context menu may not show all the items that you expect, such as the shortcuts to folders that you created. This can happen due to various reasons, such as a corrupted registry, a malware infection, a system update, or a user error. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to restore the missing folder shortcuts in the SendTo context menu. In this article, we will show you how to do that in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Method 1: Copy the shortcuts from the SendTo.zip file

One of the simplest methods to restore the missing folder shortcuts in the SendTo context menu is to copy them from the SendTo.zip file, which contains the default SendTo items for Windows 10 and Windows 11. You can download the SendTo.zip file from [this link]. After downloading the file, follow these steps:

• Right-click on the SendTo.zip file and select Properties. Under the General tab, click on Unblock and then OK. This will allow you to access the contents of the file without any security warnings.
• Double-click on the SendTo.zip file to open it. You will see a list of shortcuts, such as Bluetooth device, Compressed (zipped) folder, Desktop (create shortcut), and so on. These are the default SendTo items that should appear in the SendTo context menu.
• Open another File Explorer window and type shell:sendto in the address bar and press Enter. This will open the SendTo folder for your account, where the SendTo items are stored. Alternatively, you can navigate to the hidden folder path C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo, where is your account name.
• Drag and drop any missing shortcuts from the SendTo.zip file to the SendTo folder. For example, if you want to restore the Documents shortcut, drag and drop the Documents shortcut from the SendTo.zip file to the SendTo folder. You may need to confirm the action by clicking on Continue or entering your administrator password.
• Close both File Explorer windows and right-click on any file or folder. You should see the restored folder shortcuts in the SendTo context menu.

Method 2: Create new shortcuts in the SendTo folder

Another method to restore the missing folder shortcuts in the SendTo context menu is to create new shortcuts in the SendTo folder. This method is useful if you want to add custom folder shortcuts that are not included in the default SendTo items, such as a specific folder on your hard drive or a network location. To create new shortcuts in the SendTo folder, follow these steps:

• Open File Explorer and type shell:sendto in the address bar and press Enter. This will open the SendTo folder for your account, where the SendTo items are stored. Alternatively, you can navigate to the hidden folder path C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo, where is your account name.
• Right-click on an empty space in the SendTo folder and select New > Shortcut. This will open the Create Shortcut wizard.
• Click on the Browse button and navigate to the folder that you want to add to the SendTo context menu. For example, if you want to add a shortcut to your Pictures folder, navigate to C:\Users\\Pictures, where is your account name. Select the folder and click on OK.
• Click on Next and type a name for the shortcut. For example, you can name it Pictures. Click on Finish to create the shortcut in the SendTo folder.
• Repeat the steps above for any other folder that you want to add to the SendTo context menu.
• Close File Explorer and right-click on any file or folder. You should see the new folder shortcuts in the SendTo context menu.

Conclusion

The SendTo context menu is a convenient way to quickly send files or folders to various locations, but sometimes it may not show all the items that you want, such as the shortcuts to folders that you created. In this article, we showed you two methods to restore the missing folder shortcuts in the SendTo context menu: copying them from the SendTo.zip file or creating new shortcuts in the SendTo folder. We hope that these methods helped you to solve your problem and make the most of the SendTo feature. If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know in the comments below.

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