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
    2023-05-22T19:39:48+00:00

    Ron, Thank you Soooo much for this tip. I've been using Win 11 (arm) (inside parallels on a M.1 MacBook) for maybe a year. Silicon Mac introduces un-expected problems of its own, then all of a sudden Win 11 started this screwed-up right click stuff (except at the time I had no idea what caused it.) It stopped my productivity DEAD because I have several productivity items there from over several years and Win versions.

    So, where did it start?? Could have been the PITA Silicon Mac... or something to do with Parallels... I was Soo relieved when I found your tip. I followed it and it worked perfectly. Got lost a couple of times, but figured it out and succeeded.

    Thanks again.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-05-23T13:35:10+00:00

    Thank you! I very much appreciate being able to restore the pre-Windows 11 functions of a right mouse-click in Windows Explorer; and the way of doing this is so easy to implement.

    Very much appreciated.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-05-23T13:52:06+00:00

    I entirely agree but now that a very simple solution has been provided this issue is now (in my opinion) "water under the bridge"

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-05-27T19:17:57+00:00

    Unnamed cut copy and paste icons in the context menu is another egregious example of pointless tampering with basic functionality that no-one wants that they force upon us. Luckily you change it back by inputting this command in the command prompt (source):

    REG.EXE add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" /f /ve

    Worked for me, but use at your own risk - I don't know how to undo it short of a reinstall or repair... I'm sure there's a way, I just don't know it... I don't care, either, because the new menu is garbage.

    This is just what Microsoft does; they have a process: Make software -> get everyone used to it -> change key features for no reason -> force everyone to re-learn it -> don't listen to feedback -> repeat.

    They've been doing this since Windows XP. They take the things they do well and bastardized them until they're unrecognizable. Word, Excel, Outlook they've convoluted them to a point they're difficult to use and filled with broken features. Rather than making the features they have work and easy to use, they just pile on more features no-one wants, or change the name and/or location of features you do use and bury them is some hidden menu so you'll never find them.

    The Start Menu annoys me the most. I DON'T NEED ADVERTIZING IN MY START MENU - Windows is PAID SOFTWARE! I don't need tiles, I don't need headers that tell me what letter I'm on - I CAN READ... STOP IT! The classic Start Menu was infinitely better... but I digress.

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-06-07T16:18:56+00:00

    I think its the 'Development Dept' justifying their salaries by appearing to improve stuff.
    I saw it a lot in the military where especially junior officers thought changing 'something' was a better career move than 'thinking'.

    Of course us enlisted loved them more than time itself.

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