TECHNOMALIST
Microsoft is testing a redesigned right-click menu for Windows 11 in its Experimental channel preview build. The company said in a blog post that the updated File Explorer context menu is meant to feel quicker, tidier, and easier to adjust to individual workflows. Two changes stand out: the default menu shows fewer options, reducing clutter, and a new settings area lets users control exactly which items appear when they right-click files or folders.
Windows Central, which tried the build, reported that the menu is not only less crowded but also loads faster, likely because fewer entries need to be rendered. Users can also switch to a Windows 10-style layout, where the horizontal row of actions such as cut, copy, and rename is merged into the vertical list. Additionally, any entry—including those added by third-party software—can be removed, so unwanted additions no longer have to stay in the menu.
The author of the TechRadar piece notes that this level of customization should have been available from the start of Windows 11, especially the ability to remove third-party entries. The performance improvement addresses long-standing complaints that right-clicking could take several seconds to respond even on ordinary PCs, which is seen as unacceptable for basic interface behavior.
The new context menu is currently only in testing. Microsoft has not committed to a release date, and the company may modify or drop some features before the final version reaches all Windows 11 users, though the article suggests a rollout later this year is possible.
Community reaction on Reddit is mixed. Some users are pleased but critical of the delay, with one saying Microsoft had five years to make the change and that it is better late than never. Others say they have already moved away from Windows and will not return, regardless of improvements. A few speculate that the speed work is driven by necessity, pointing to Microsoft's need to run Windows 11 on devices with limited memory, such as 8GB Surface models.
The TechRadar article argues that while it is easy to be negative about Windows 11, the negative responses are largely Microsoft's own doing due to past development decisions. Still, the author feels that a "fresh leaf" has been turned and hopes Microsoft will continue to improve the desktop operating system, even if disgruntled users who switched to Linux are unlikely to come back.
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