The Problem with the Windows 11 Context Menu
When Microsoft released Windows 11, they completely redesigned the right-click context menu in File Explorer. Instead of the long, text-heavy list of options familiar to Windows 10 users, the new menu features a truncated, minimalist design with icons for cut, copy, and paste at the top. While visually cleaner, this new design hides almost all third-party application integrations (like 7-Zip, Notepad++, or antivirus scanners) behind an extra button click labeled “Show more options” (or Shift+F10). If you rely on these third-party tools for your daily workflow, having to click twice for every single right-click action is incredibly frustrating. Fortunately, you can bypass the modern menu entirely and force Windows 11 to display the classic, full-size context menu by default.
How to Restore the Classic Menu via Command Prompt
To revert the menu, you must add a specific key to the Windows Registry. The safest and fastest way to do this is by executing a single command in the Command Prompt.
- Click the Start Menu and type cmd.
- Right-click on the Command Prompt app and select Run as administrator.
- Click Yes on the User Account Control (UAC) prompt.
- Carefully copy and paste the following command exactly as written into the black terminal window:
reg.exe add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" /f /ve- Press Enter.
- The terminal should display a message stating, “The operation completed successfully.”
How to Apply the Changes
The registry has been modified, but Windows File Explorer needs to restart to read the new instruction.
- You can either simply restart your computer, or manually restart Explorer.
- To do it manually, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
- In the list of running processes, scroll down until you find Windows Explorer (it will have a yellow folder icon).
- Right-click on Windows Explorer and select Restart.
- Your taskbar will briefly vanish and reappear. When you right-click on any file on your desktop, you will instantly see the massive, classic Windows 10 context menu with all your third-party tools fully visible.
How to Revert Back to the Modern Menu
If you decide you prefer the modern Windows 11 design, simply open the Command Prompt as an administrator again and run the delete command:
reg.exe delete "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}" /f- Restart your computer.