Microsoft is rolling out a redesigned right-click context menu for File Explorer in a new preview build on the Experimental channel, responding to years of complaints about the sluggish and cluttered menu that replaced the Windows 10 version. The changes arrive alongside "performance and reliability" improvements for File Explorer in the latest Insider build, according to Microsoft's blog post.
The revamped menu is designed to feel faster, cleaner, and easier to tailor, with far fewer options appearing by default. Windows Central, which tested the update, reports the menu is not just trimmed down but also faster to load.
Microsoft says it "recognized the need to dramatically reduce the time between right-clicking and having a menu that's fully ready to use."
Users can now choose a Windows 10-style layout where the horizontal panel at the top, holding cut, copy, rename, and similar commands, is integrated into the vertical menu list. New functionality in Windows 11's settings also lets you customize what appears in the context menu, including removing entries added by third-party apps.
These changes are currently limited to Insiders testing the preview build, and the layout and options may take time to reach the standard public version of Windows 11. That rollout will likely happen later this year, though Microsoft could still scrap, change, or add choices before then.
Some observers argue the performance work is driven by necessity, pointing to the need to get Windows 11 running smoothly on systems with 8GB of RAM amid rising memory prices.
