Windows 11 File Explorer Right-click Menu was changed to include icons

Anonymous
2021-12-06T15:53:47+00:00

Who did this and why do they do it (see picture below)? The File Explorer right-click menu has had the options: Cut, Copy, Paste, Rename, Delete listed (as words) in this menu FOREVER and now some genius decided that after all these years, Windows users are too dumb to read. The words were replaced with icons. THIS IS SO ANNOYING. THE MUSCLE MEMORY IN MY HANDS IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO RETRAIN AFTER YEARS OF THE MENU BEING THE SAME WAY. Now I have to stop and think about something that I've done instinctively for years. I can get to the ORIGINAL right-click menu by selecting "Show More Options," shown in the photo below, but WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO, THAT'S AN EXTRA STEP? If I am intelligent enough to boot up a computer, then certainly I can read the words: Cut, Copy, Paste, Rename and Delete. I don't need you to create icons to represent those functions. IF IT'S NOT BROKEN THEN DON'T TRY TO FIX IT. STOP DUMBING DOWN THE SOFTWARE AND MAKING THINGS HARDER PLEASE.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-06-27T13:51:07+00:00

    Shift + right-click. You're welcome.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-07-26T12:51:21+00:00

    It is driving me nuts! Everytime I try to do anything I have to stop and try to work out what the icon represents and which one I might need to choose - when it used to just be in text that I could read. I think the rename icon must be one of the most obscure I've seen. I was searching for how to rename and then looked at this thing which seemed to be a font symbol and aagghhh it was a flipping icon for "rename". Does anyone know if there is a way we can choose to have words instead of icons which will never mean much to me. I saw an icon today on something else (not Windows) and thought - why is there a tampon icon on this flow chart - it turned out to be a writing symbol with a quill pen with a squiggle for writing ink - but as a tiny icon it looked like a piece of string. A quill pen - give me strength!

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-07-17T05:16:21+00:00

    lol - you appear to be under the mistaken impression that Microsoft has ever listened to their customer base.

    Stephen

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-07-05T19:45:08+00:00

    "something like "Compress to zip" or "Copy path" in the primary options!?"

    Times I've used compress to zip, copy path: zero, never, nada

    Times I've used print: countless.

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-02-03T20:55:20+00:00

    Tee.1 wrote: "If we had the icons from the get-go then you would be making the opposite argument of 'why did they remove the buttons and add a long menu.'" No, I wouldn't have. Hieroglyphics went out with the ancient Egyptians and were forgotten for almost two millennia for good reason. Re-introducing them in place of alphabetic writing is a Bad Idea.

    Besides, icons change, seemingly with every new version of Windows. But the spelling of "cut", "copy" and "paste" hasn't changed in centuries. I understand those words, and so do my children. And my grandchildren (yet to be born) will probably understand them as well.

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