How to recover the old context menu in Windows 11

To be frank, I like the new context menu in Windows 11. It’s a nice mix of old and modern UI elements and it also gives you a new “Copy as path” option. Having said that, there are users who want the Windows 10 context menu in Windows 11 because of the multiple other options it has to offer. So if you are one of those users who wants to disable “Show more options” and get the old full-size context menu back on your Windows 11 PC, then follow this tutorial and restore in seconds. Besides, you can also learn how to make Windows 11 look like Windows 10.

We have added two ways to restore the old context menu in Windows 11. The first is the easiest and shortest way, while the second is a manual method and requires more knowledge of Windows. Therefore, it also takes more time. Based on your experience, you can choose any method from the table below.

The difference between the new and old context menu

With Windows 11, Microsoft added a new context menu that follows Fluent’s updated design language. It comes in a minimalist design, has rounded corners , transparent user interface, and design elements that follow the mobile interface. What’s noteworthy is that Microsoft went ahead and removed some of the traditional options from the context menu. For example, if you right-click on a file or folder, you won’t see the option to adjust the advanced sharing option or the option to create a shortcut right away.

Left: New Windows 11 context menu | Right: Context menu of old Windows 10

The problem is made worse when you want to use an action from a third-party application . For example, the new context menu does not show any action from applications such as WinZip or 7-Zip. You have to click “Show more options” to see the above context menu and then perform any custom 7-Zip action, which requires too many clicks and defeats the purpose.

Not to mention, Microsoft also removed the basic options like cut, copy, paste , etc., and moved them to the top of the context menu. So users now need to take a layout hint (basically relearn) to understand what each button means and does. While most users will get used to the new context menu, I think older users will have a difficult time performing actions with the new context menu.

So if you want to get back the old reliable Windows 10 context menu, follow our guide below.

Without getting your hands dirty, you can bring back the old context menu in Windows 11 with a third-party app called Winaero Tweaker. The popular program has added a Windows 11 tweaks section and, as always, it works like a charm. I tested this software on stable versions (22000.194) and Windows 11 Dev, and had no problem. So follow the steps below to get back to the old context menu:

1. First, go ahead and download Winaero Tweaker(Free). After that, extract the ZIP file and run the EXE file. Now, install the program like you install other applications.
2. Next, open the program and go to the “Windows 11” section in the left pane. Then go to the ” Classic Full Context Menus” in the Windows 11 section and enable the checkbox in the right pane.
3. After enabling the check box, you will see a ” Restart Explorer” option at the bottom. Click on it.
4. Now go ahead and right clickon your desktop or on any file and folder. You’ll see that the old Windows 10 context menu is back in Windows 11. That’s pretty easy, right?
5. Now if you ever want to go back to the new Windows 11 context menu, click the “Reset this page to default” option at the top and restart Explorer. You will return to the rounded corner user interface and the “Show more options” button.

If you want a simpler tool, One Click Solution to Go Back to Previous Context Menu in Windows 11, download this app called Windows 11 Classic Context Menu (Free). Remove the “Show more options” button and restore the classic full-size Windows 10-style context menu in Windows 11.

If you are someone who likes to manually modify things on your Windows computer, this method is for you. You can restore the old context menu in Windows 11 by adding some values ​​to the Registry. Here’s how to do it.

1. Press the Windows 11 keyboard shortcut “Windows + R” to open a Run window. Here, type regeditand hit Enter.
2. Then go ahead and paste the following addressinto Registry Editor. It will take you to the CLSID entry.

ComputerHKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareClassesCLSID

3. In the CLSID folder, right-click the empty space in the right pane and select New -> Key.
4. After that, copy the following string and rename the new key.

{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}

5. Next, right-click the new entryin the left pane and choose New -> Key.
6. Change the name to InprocServer32and press Enter.
7. Now, go to the “InprocServer32″ folder and double click on ” Default” in the right pane. After that, click “OK” without changing any value.
8. Now close Registry Editor and restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager. Or you can just restart your PC. Finally, you will see that the old context menu is back in Windows 11. Enjoy!
9. If you ever want to restore the new Windows 11 context menu, delete the new registry keyand restart your computer. That is all.

Get the Windows 10 context menu in Windows 11

These are the two ways you can use to get the old context menu in Windows 11. For most users, Winaero Tweaker is an excellent and sufficient tool. However, expert users can manually tweak the Registry and get the classic context menu in Windows 11. The best part is that you get the old context menu on your desktop and files and folders as well. Anyway, that’s it for us. If you want to uninstall Windows 11 for a smooth and streamlined experience, head over to our linked tutorial. And for custom widgets in Windows 11, this article will cover all your needs. Finally, if you have any questions, comment below and let us know.