How to Restore the Classic Right-Click Context Menu in Windows 11

Ah, Microsoft. Always fixing things that aren’t broken. With Windows 11, they’ve gifted us a shiny, “streamlined” right-click context menu that’s about as convenient as a pop-up blocker in the middle of an online meeting. Want to refresh your desktop? Better click "Show More Options" first. Need to quickly zip a file? Nope, that’s buried too.

If you’re as baffled by this UX downgrade as I am, don’t worry. You can reclaim the trusty, no-nonsense context menu from Windows 10 with a simple tweak. Let’s undo this unnecessary “innovation” in three steps.

Steps to Fix What Microsoft Broke

1. Open Windows Terminal
   • Right-click the Start button (oh look, something that still works!) and choose Windows Terminal.
   • Or hit Win + X and select Windows Terminal like the rebel sysadmin you are.

Run the Magic Command
Paste the following command into Terminal and press Enter:

reg.exe add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" /f /ve

(Translation: "Hey, Windows, stop being clever and just do what we want.")

1. Restart File Explorer (or the Whole System)
   • To restart File Explorer:
     • Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
     • Right-click File Explorer under Processes, then click Restart.
   • Alternatively, just reboot your PC. It’s Windows—restarts are like duct tape.

The Result

Congratulations! The old-school, fully-loaded right-click menu is back. No more clicking “Show More Options” just to copy a file or refresh the desktop. It's like Windows 10 never left… well, at least in this tiny corner of your system.

Want to Go Back to Microsoft’s Masterpiece?

If for some reason you start to miss the modern context menu (we won’t judge), you can undo this fix by running:

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

Then restart Explorer or your computer. Voilà—welcome back to the land of extra clicks.

Why, Microsoft, Why?

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has taken something functional and decided to “improve” it by making it worse. Maybe it’s for “consistency” across devices, or maybe someone just really wanted an excuse to justify their paycheck. Either way, users like us are left cleaning up the mess.

Conclusion

Look, we all know Windows 11 has its perks, but the new context menu isn’t one of them. With a single registry tweak, you can reclaim the simplicity that Microsoft thought you didn’t need.

Have other Windows 11 gripes? Share them below. I’ll be here, sipping my coffee, wondering what they’ll break next.

Until next time, stay caffeinated and keep tweaking.