How-to: Right-click on any folder to start a simple HTTP server

Here's how to setup your Windows machine to quickly get a simple http server running in any directory from the contextmenu.

Installation

1. Install node.js from http://nodejs.org/

• Install the http-server app

  npm install http-server -g

• Create a file named http-server-here.reg and add the following contents (or download from github):

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
     [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\httpserver]
     @="HTTP Server Here"
     [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\httpserver\command]
     @=hex(2):22,00,25,00,41,00,50,00,50,00,44,00,41,00,54,00,41,00,25,\
     00,5c,00,6e,00,70,00,6d,00,5c,00,68,00,74,00,74,00,70,00,2d,00,73,00,65,00,\
     72,00,76,00,65,00,72,00,2e,00,63,00,6d,00,64,00,22,00,20,00,22,00,25,00,31,\
    00,22,00,00,00
  

• Doubleclick http-server-here.reg to import the contextmenu settings into the Windows Registry.

Now you can start a simple HTTP server on any folder from the context menu.