The context menu (right-click menu) in Windows 11 is a big source of frustration for many users. It's slower, requires extra clicks to access familiar options, and is less intuitive than the classic menu. If you miss the simplicity and speed of the old right-click menu, you can bring it back.
Why is Windows 11's context menu so bad?
Windows 11 is supposed to be a step up from Windows 10 , but for many users, Windows 11 feels like a new look on the same old interface. In fact, with its focus on minimalism, Windows 11's changes often seem designed more for the mobile experience than for improving usability on the desktop.
One of the biggest annoyances in Windows 11 is the context menu. Instead of the familiar function menu from Windows 10, you’ll find an overly simplified version. It only offers basic actions, most of which can be performed more quickly with keyboard shortcuts. Adding to the confusion, essential options like cut, copy, paste, and rename have been replaced with confusing icons.
If you want full access to the options, you have to click Show more options , which restores the classic menu — but at the cost of an extra click. The change in styling between the new and old menus makes this transition even more frustrating. The classic menu isn't gone; it's just hidden behind an unnecessary step.
The fact that Windows 11 still keeps the classic context menu behind this mask allows it to be restored as the default menu. While Microsoft doesn't provide a built-in toggle to switch between the two menus, there is a way to do this using the Registry Editor.
How to restore the old context menu in Windows 11
Restoring the classic right-click menu in Windows 11 is simple with a quick Registry tweak. To get started, press Win + R on your keyboard, type regedit , and press Enter to open the Registry Editor .
Warning : Modifying the Registry can potentially cause problems for your system, so only proceed if you are confident you can follow instructions correctly and know what you are doing.
In Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Classes > CLSID in the left pane. Be sure not to confuse this with the .cls folder - they are completely different.
Right click on CLSID , go to New and select Key. Name this new subkey {86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}.
Next, you will need to add a subkey within this key. Right-click on the new key, select New > Key and name it InprocServer32.
Now, select InprocServer32 in the left pane. You will see a default value titled (Default) on the right. Double click on it and press OK without entering any text. This will initialize the subkey with a blank value.
That's it! To apply these changes, you'll need to restart Windows Explorer . Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc , locate Windows Explorer , right-click it, and select Restart .
Now, when you right-click in Windows Explorer, you will see the old classic context menu.
Microsoft has made an important announcement for customers using the Remote Desktop for Windows app from the Microsoft Store. On May 27, 2025, this app will be officially discontinued and removed from the Microsoft Store.
With a constant stream of notifications and alerts on your Windows 11 laptop, staying focused becomes a challenge. So take control and customize your notifications to suit your needs.
Windows 12 is a potential future update to the Windows operating system. It is expected to be released in 2024, although there has been no official confirmation from Microsoft yet.
The nvlddmkm.sys blue screen error (also known as Video TDR Failure error) has been occurring to many Windows users, most of whom also happen to be using Nvidia GPUs.
You can enable Telnet on Windows 10 and 11 computers through the Command Prompt tool or the graphical user interface (GUI).
This guide will show you how to customize DLNA Media Streaming settings for your account on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
If an app has accessed your camera, it will show you the last time it accessed it. Here's how to find out when it last accessed your camera on Windows 11.
The green checkmarks on your Windows desktop icons show sync status with cloud services – usually Microsoft OneDrive since it’s built into Windows. While useful, these can be distracting.
With Windows 11 clipboard sync, you can instantly move images, links, and text between your PC, Windows laptop, or even your Android phone.
Accessing Control Panel on Windows 11 is extremely simple, but this article will guide you to add Control Panel to the Windows 11 context menu.
Recent Windows updates have changed the way the condensed date and time is displayed. If your computer is experiencing this, follow the article below to display the full date and time on the Windows 11 Taskbar.
Windows 11 version 24H2 — the only major Windows 11 update in 2024 — has been out for a few months and is slowly stabilizing.
The issue was first reported when users reported that some PCs were unable to complete the update and encountered a blue screen of death (BSOD) error.
Although Microsoft promotes Windows 11 as the future of computing, many people have recently downgraded to Windows 10 on their main PCs. Here's why it might actually be worth it to go back to an older operating system.
Windows 11 is expected to receive two notable major updates this year.
