How to bring old context menu back in Windows 11 (2 easy ways)

/ How To, Windows 11 / By

Microsoft introduced Windows 11 with lots of new changes and features. One of the changes you see in Windows 11 is the different look of the context (right-click) menu. Aside from its aesthetic look, you must use the options that you could use with fewer clicks in Windows 10.

In Windows 11, you can access the classic right-click menu if you click on the ‘Show more options’ or press Shift + F10 after selecting an item. Additionally, the ‘cut,’ ‘copy,’ ‘paste,’ and other options have been replaced with icons.

You should know that it is flexible if you do not like the new context menu. You can bring the old context menu back to Windows 11 using either the Registry Editor or Command Prompt.

Related: How to customize the Windows 11 taskbar?

Get the Classic Context Menu back on Windows 11 using Command Prompt.

Command Prompt is the easiest way to change the right-click menu in Windows 11 and restore it back. With a single line of code in the command prompt window, you can enable Windows 10 right-click menu in Windows 11.

  1. Search for the Command Prompt in the search box and run it as administrator.
  2. Write the following command in the CMD window and enter
reg add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" /f
Bring old context menu back using CMD
Write the Command and enter
  1. If the operation completed successfully, restart your computer, and you are done!

After some time, if you change your mind and miss the new context menu, write the below command to restore the Windows 11 new right-click menu.

reg.exe delete "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}" /f

You will see the completion message, and the modern menu is accessible.

Enable the classic context menu in Windows 11 using the registry editor

Another method to enable the Windows 10 context menu in Windows 11 is through the registry editor. Since modifying the Registry is a bit risky, you need to pay more attention. To change the context menu through the Registry, follow the following steps.

  1. Open the Run dialogue via the Start Menu or press the Windows + R button.
  2. Write Regedit and click OK.
Open the Registry using Run
Open the Run and Write Regedit
  1. Click Yes if the user account requires permission.
  2. Navigate to the following address in the Registry Editor window: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\
Navigate in Registry through the path
Registry Editor Windows
  1. Create a new key in the CLSID folder. To do that, write-click on CLSID > New > Key
Create a new key in the Registry
Create New Key
  1. Rename the new key folder with {86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}
Note: It is better to copy and paste the name to avoid an error.
Rename the new key in the Registry
Rename the new key with the given name
  1. Now create one sub-key for the key you created recently. Right-click on the key you created in steps 6 and 5. Click on New > Key
  2. Rename the sub-key with InprocServer32 and enter.
Create a sub key and name it
Create a subkey for the newly created key
  1. Click on the newly created sub-key, and double-click on the Default file in the right-hand column. A tiny window pops up; make sure the value data is empty. Click OK.
Make Sure the Value Data is Empty to change the context menu in Windows 11
Make sure the value data is empty.
  1. Close the Registry Editor and restart your laptop.

After the restart, all the options appear in the right-click menu of Windows 11.

Now to restore the new context menu, delete the key you created from the Registry editor.

Conclusions

Now you can switch between the old and new right-click menus in Windows 11. If you have any questions or recommendations, share them in the comment section. And this is all, wish you all the best.

Related: What else is new in Windows 11?

Related Posts