Windows 11 introduced a modernized, simplified right-click context menu that hides many of your familiar options behind a secondary button labelled “Show more options.” If you rely heavily on third-party tools like 7-Zip, Notepad++, or advanced Git commands, having to click twice every single time you right-click a file becomes incredibly frustrating. Fortunately, you can restore the classic, full-size Windows 10 context menu using a single command.
How to Restore the Classic Context Menu
Because Microsoft did not include a simple toggle switch for this in the Settings app, we must modify a specific registry key via the Windows Terminal.
- Right-click the Start button and select Terminal (Admin) from the menu. (Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control).
- Copy and paste the exact following command into the terminal window:
reg.exe add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" /f /ve - Press Enter. You should see a message saying “The operation completed successfully.”
- For the change to take effect, you must restart the File Explorer process. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Find Windows Explorer in the list, right-click it, and select Restart. Your taskbar will briefly disappear and reappear.
Now, whenever you right-click any file, folder, or empty space on your desktop, you will instantly see the classic, fully expanded context menu without the annoying “Show more options” button.