Windows 11 brought a much-needed UI makeover with rounded edges. The evolution continues with the recent builds that offer the same redesign to system apps to offer a uniform look and feel across the desktop OS. One such app is the built-in File Explorer, which received a major UI overhaul across all the parts. However, some of the futuristic and minimal changes haven’t gone well with Windows users.
Many have complained about the new context menu on the desktop and the File Explorer app. While the new context menu looks neat, it’s not functional. Some of the frequently used options are hidden behind the ‘Show more options’ menu. Continue reading if you want to keep the ‘Show more options’ enabled by default on Windows.
1. Use the keyboard shortcut
If you don’t completely want to disable the new context menu, you can use the keyboard shortcut to bring back the classic menu. When you right-click on the desktop or any folder in the File Explorer app, hit the Shift + F10 keys to check the classic menu in action.
The trick doesn’t completely disable the new context menu, though. You need to check the new menu and then hit the keys to move back to the classic menu.
2. Use Registry Editor
Before you make changes to the Registry Editor, we recommend backing it up. If something goes south, you can always restore it and prevent any damage or error to the system.
It’s time to use the Registry Editor to enable the ‘Show More Options’ on your Windows PC. Follow the steps below.
Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Registry Editor. Hit enter.
Step 2: Navigate to the following location.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID
Step 3: Right-click on an empty space and expand New from the context menu.
Step 4: Select DWORD (32-bit) Value from the following menu.
Step 5: Name the value ‘UndockingDisabled’ and hit Enter.
Step 6: Double-click on it and type 1 in the Value data. Click OK.
Close the Registry Editor and restart the PC to save changes.
3. Use Command Prompt
Power users can opt for the Command Prompt menu to bypass the ‘Show more options’ menu. Here’s what you need to do.
Step 1: Hit the Windows key and search for Command Prompt. Open it as an admin.
Step 2: Click Yes from the UAC that pops up.
Step 3: Run the following command and hit Enter.
reg add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" /f /ve
Step 4: You see a ‘The operation completed successfully’ message in the Command Prompt.
You may not immediately see the classic context menu in action. You need to restart the Windows Explorer service from the Task Manager menu.
Step 1: Right-click on the Windows key and open the Task Manager menu.
Step 2: Select Windows Explorer and hit Restart task at the top.
Launch the File Explorer and right-click on a folder to see the user-friendly old context menu.
4. Use Folder Options
If you don’t want to deal with Registry Editor or the Command Prompt on Windows, use the folder options to open the ‘Show more options’ in the context menu. After all, normal consumers may not be comfortable using such apps on their PCs.
Step 1: Press the Windows + E keys to open the File Explorer menu.
Step 2: Click the three-dot menu at the top and select Options.
Step 3: Move to the View menu.
Step 4: Enable the checkmark beside ‘Launch folder windows in a separate process’.
Step 5: Click Apply and select OK.
Restart the File Explorer menu and right-click on any folder or file. You should directly see the classic context menu.
5. Use Third-Party Apps
There is no shortage of third-party apps to tweak the look and feel of the Windows system. Among them, Winaero Tweaker is one of the capable options to do the job. Let’s check it in action.
Step 1: Download the Winareo Tweaker app on your PC using the link below.
Download Winareo Tweaker on Windows
Step 2: Launch the app and select ‘Classic Full Context Menus’ from the sidebar.
Step 3: Enable the classic full-context menu option.
Step 4: Hit the ‘Restart Explorer’ button, and you are good to go.
Get Your Ideal Context Menu Back on Windows
While the new context menu on Windows packs relevant options like cut, copy, paste, Open with, and more, some of the useful add-ons like Properties are hidden behind the classic menu. The tricks above should help you enable the ‘Show more options’ menu by default on Windows.
