How to Add (Not) Contextual Menu Options in Windows 11

Adding (Not) Contextual Menu Options in Windows 11

If you've recently upgraded to Windows 11, you might have noticed that some options are missing from the context menu when you right-click an item. This change was probably made for performance reasons, keeping the menu running smoothly without cluttering it with unnecessary options. However, some users might find certain options missing and wish to add them back or even remove some of the default ones.

Understanding the Context Menu

Before proceeding, it's essential to understand the context menu's anatomy. When you right-click an item, the context menu appears, displaying a list of options relevant to the selected item. This menu can be customized based on user preferences and needs. In Windows 11, the context menu has been simplified, showing only the most frequently used options.

Examining the Simplified Context Menu

In Windows 11, when you right-click on the desktop or a file, you'll see a simplified context menu containing fewer options than previous versions. By default, the top section displays the most frequently used options, while the bottom section shows additional options in a "Show more options" sub-menu. This design aims to improve user experience and speed up navigation.

Accessing Advanced Options

To access advanced options that have been removed from the simplified context menu, you can click "Show more options" or right-click an empty area on the desktop and choose "Show more options." This action will reveal a traditional context menu, including all available options.

Adding a Missing Option: Send To

One of the options missing from the simplified context menu is the "Send To" option. This option is helpful for quickly sending a file or folder to a different location, such as a USB drive or another folder. To add the "Send To" option back to your context menu:

1. Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor (ensure you have administrative privileges).
3. Navigate to the following path:
   HKEY\_CLASSES\_ROOT\*\shell
4. Create a new key called SendTo.
5. Add a new subkey named command.
6. In the (Default) value field of the command subkey, add the following value:
   "explorer.exe" /select,
7. Close the Registry Editor.

Now, when you right-click on a file or folder, the "Send To" option will reappear in the context menu.

Removing Default Options

You can also remove default options from the context menu if desired. To remove the "New folder" option:

1. Open the Registry Editor again by following step 2 from the previous section.
2. Navigate to the following path:
   HKEY\_CLASSES\_ROOT\Directory\shell
3. Find the New key, right-click it, and choose "Delete" to remove the "New folder" option.
4. Close the Registry Editor.

The "New folder" option will no longer be shown in the context menu when you right-click on an empty space in the folder.

References

• Context Menu Handlers (Microsoft documentation)
• Customize and expand the new right-click menu in Windows 11 (How-To Geek)