Microsoft is Finally Letting Us Customize the Windows 11 Context Menu!
If you’ve been using Windows 11, you probably know the frustration: you right-click on a file, and the menu either takes a moment to load, feels cluttered with options you never use, or hides everyday actions behind the "Show more options" legacy menu.
Microsoft is officially addressing these daily pain points!
Through recent updates on the Windows Insider Blog, Microsoft outlined its ongoing commitment to Windows 11 quality, focusing heavily on performance, reliability, and small everyday interactions—starting with File Explorer and the Context (right-click) Menu.
1. Why the Shift? Quality Over Unwanted Features
In blog posts like "Our Commitment to Windows Quality" and "Improving File Explorer Context Menu," Microsoft acknowledged a reality every user understands: a single freeze while renaming a file, a slow right-click, or a flash of white light in Dark Mode can ruin the experience, regardless of how many flashy features are added.
Microsoft is shifting focus back to what users actually care about: stability, speed, and customization.
Key File Explorer Improvements:
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No Synchronization Delays: File renames are no longer interrupted or delayed by background file sync services like OneDrive.
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Instant Case Changes: Changing a file name's capitalization (e.g.,
document.txttoDocument.txt) updates immediately. -
Reduced Clutter: Microsoft is actively streamlining the top-level right-click menu and reducing background footprints (like unnecessary AI app extensions).
2. The Big Feature: Native Context Menu Customization
For the first time in Windows without needing third-party tweak software, Microsoft is introducing native customization settings for the right-click menu.
Here is what you can do with the new settings:
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Customize System Actions: You can toggle off default items you don't use—such as Send to, Print, Create shortcut, Copy as path, or Rotate image.
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Manage App Extensions: Keep third-party and default app shortcuts (like Notepad, Paint, Terminal, or Clipchamp) under a clean App extensions sub-folder so your main right-click menu stays short and tidy.
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Compact Row Layouts: Core actions like Cut, Copy, Rename, Share, and Delete can be grouped horizontally or vertically into a single row to save screen real estate.
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Reposition Properties: You can move essential options like Properties all the way to the bottom of the list for predictable navigation.
3. When Will This Be Available?
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Current Status: This built-in customization is currently being tested in an experimental Windows Insider build (Build 26340.9212, version 26H2).
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Public Rollout: Windows 24H2, 25H2, and 26H2 are built on the same core platform, meaning these smaller quality-of-life updates are expected to roll out smoothly around October or November with the 26H2 update.
4. How to Test It Early (For Advanced Users)
If you are running the latest Windows Insider 26H2 build on a secondary PC or a virtual machine, you can enable the hidden customization menu early using ViVeTool:
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Download ViVeTool: Download the free, open-source utility from the ViVeTool GitHub releases page.
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Extract Files: Unzip the folder to a convenient location (e.g.,
C:\vivetool). -
Open Command Prompt: Open CMD as an Administrator.
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Navigate to the Folder: Run
cd C:\vivetool(or your chosen path). -
Enable the Feature: Follow the step-by-step activation guide and run the feature command vivetool /enable /id:60813048 PureInfoTech.
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Restart: Reboot your computer to apply the changes. You will find the new Customize menu option right in your right-click context menu and under Settings > Personalization.