Windows 11 introduces a modernized user interface, focusing on simplicity and touch-friendliness. This is evident in key areas like the Start menu, Taskbar, and File Explorer. A notable change is the streamlined right-click or context menu in File Explorer, which is designed to be minimalistic and less cluttered, mainly featuring icons for common actions such as Cut, Copy, Rename, and Delete.

However, this new design can be confusing for some users. For those preferring the more detailed classic context menu of Windows 10, there is a simple method to get back the old context menu in File Explorer on Windows 11 without having to select 'Show more options' every time.

Enabling ‘Show More Options’ by Default on Right-Click

There is no direct setting that you can use to get back the old Windows 10 context menu on Windows 11. Instead, you have to tweak the registry files a little bit to restore the classic context menu. Follow these simple steps exactly to do so:

  1. Launch Command Prompt as administrator. Click on the Start Menu, search for ‘Cmd’ or ‘Command Prompt’, and select ‘Run as Administrator’ from the right pane.
  1. Copy and Paste the below-mentioned command in the Command Prompt window and hit Enter.
reg add HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32 /ve /d "" /f
  1. Open File Explorer and try right-clicking on a file. You should have the old right-click context menu back.

    If not, try closing all File Explorer windows and re-open File Explorer, OR try restarting your computer after adding the registry value.

Switching back to Windows 11's (new) Context Menu

Preferences can change, and you might want to experience the default, modern context menu of Windows 11 again.

The following section provides the necessary command line code to remove the registry value we added earlier, smoothly restoring the sleek and modern Windows 11 context menu.

  1. Launch Command Prompt as administrator. Click on the Start Menu, search for ‘Cmd’ or ‘Command Prompt’, and select ‘Run as Administrator’ from the right pane.
  2. Copy and Paste the below-mentioned command in the Command Prompt window and hit Enter.
reg delete "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}" /f
  1. Close all File Explorer windows (if open) and re-launch the File Explorer. You should have the original Windows 11 context menu back on your system.

Using a Third-Party app

You can also use a third-party program to bring back the old context menu on Windows 11. Winaero Tweaker is a free Windows customization and tweaker tool that enables you to modify the hidden settings that Windows does not allow you to change from the user interface. It is a custom-built utility that is safe to use, and is free of ads, scripts, and web tracking. It can also be used to bring back (revert) the old context menu in Windows 11. Here’s how you do this:

  1. Go to winaerotweaker.com and download the software. Once the download is complete, extract the downloaded ZIP file and run the EXE file to install the program.
  1. While installing the app, you can choose whether you want to install it in normal mode or portable mode (so you can take the extracted software with you when you move to another computer).
  1. After completing the installation, launch the Winaero Tweaker app.
  2. In Winaero Tweaker, head over to the ‘Windows 11’ Section in the left pane and click on the ‘Classic Full Context Menus’ option.
  1. Enable the checkbox beside ‘Enable classic full context menus’ on the right side.
  1. Once you do that, you will see a ‘Restart Explorer’ button at the bottom. Click on it to restart the File Explorer.
  1. Once the File Explorer restarts, you should have the classic full context menu back on your Windows 11 PC.

If and when you want to revert back to the default Windows 11 context menu, simply uncheck the ‘Enable classic full context menus’ option or click the ‘Reset this page to defaults’ button at the top in WinAero Tweaker and click ‘Restart Explorer’ at the bottom for changes to take effect.

Changing the right-click menu in Windows 11 is easy. You can switch between the old and new styles by following the provided steps. This allows you to customize Windows 11 according to your preference.