If you’re as frustrated with the “Show more options” behavior in the Windows 11 right-click menu and want the full, classic context menu to appear by default, you’re not alone. Microsoft introduced a simplified right-click menu in Windows 11, hiding many familiar options under a second layer. This unfortunately for me means almost every time I go to use it I have to hit the Show More Options to expand the menu, resulting in extra clicks. Thankfully, there’s a quick registry tweak to bring back the old behavior.

Here’s how to restore the classic right-click context menu:

Step-by-Step: Restore the Legacy Context Menu

1. Right-click the Start button and choose Terminal (Admin)
2. Copy and paste the following command into the terminal, then press Enter:
   • reg.exe add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" /f /ve
3. Now restart File Explorer (open Task Manager, find Windows Explorer, right-click it, and choose Restart).

That’s it! From now on, the classic Windows 10-style right-click menu will appear by default – no need to click “Show More Options.”

How It Works (For the Curious)

If you like to understand what’s happening under the hood, here’s a breakdown:

• The Windows 11 context menu behavior is controlled by a specific registry key: HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32
• By default, this key includes a reference to: C:\Windows\System32\Windows.UI.FileExplorer.dll
• This DLL powers the new Windows 11 context menu. By removing the value and replacing it with an empty string, Windows is unable to load the new menu, so it falls back to the classic menu.
• The /ve option in the reg add command means you’re setting the (Default) value of the key.
• The /f flag forces the overwrite if the value already exists.
• If you ever want to reverse this and bring the new menu back, you could re-add the value like this: bashCopyEditreg.exe add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" /f /ve /d "C:\Windows\System32\Windows.UI.FileExplorer.dll"

You can always run reg add /? in your terminal for a full list of options and explanations.

Final Thoughts

This small tweak makes Windows 11 feel more like previous versions of Windows, especially for power users who depend on the full right-click menu. It’s a safe change, easy to undo, and doesn’t require any third-party tools.

Let me know in the comments if you found this helpful or if you’ve run into any issues!