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How to Always Show the Old Context Menu in Windows 11

Here is a tip for everyone who now has to switch to Windows 11 because Microsoft is ending updates for Windows 10:

The context menu is the menu that appears when you right-click on a file, folder, or the desktop. It offers various options depending on the clicked object, such as Copy, Paste, Rename, and more.

This menu has been redesigned in Windows 11 and does not immediately offer all functions, which is super annoying!
If you prefer the old context menu, you can bring it back with a few simple steps:

Step 1: Open Command Prompt

Press the Windows key on your keyboard or click the Start menu.
Type cmd in the search field and select Command Prompt (make sure you run it not as an administrator).

Step 2: Enter the Command

In the Command Prompt, enter the following command and press Enter:
reg.exe add "HKCUSoftwareClassesCLSID{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}InprocServer32" /f /ve

Step 3: Restart Explorer

To restart Windows Explorer directly from the Command Prompt, enter the following command and press Enter:
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe && start explorer.exe

Optional: Restart Your System
In most cases, the previous step should be enough. If the old context menu still doesn’t appear, you can restart your system.
This can be done normally through the Start menu or with the following command in the Command Prompt:
shutdown -r -t 0

Summary
By following these simple steps, you can restore the old context menu in Windows 11 and have it appear immediately every time. This tweak can be helpful if you prefer the classic view or want to work more efficiently.

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