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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments No comments

166 answers

Sort by: Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2023-08-22T20:25:28+00:00

    I didn't say I was confused, I said I was annoyed. There's a difference. Please try to keep up. Thanks.

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2023-09-03T11:29:30+00:00

    Several have said it--UNNAMED icons. Scissors are ok, but copy and paste are not well differentiated. Then there is the context aspect wherein if you cut or copy something then right click you only get the paste icon. This is "logical", but it requires one to pause and process to complete the task. Had they put the words at the base of the icon, it would be a non-issue.

    Additionally, my work computer is and will be Windows 10 based for the foreseeable future, when I use my new personal laptop, it's a completely different experience. Tasks that I have been doing for decades now require a pause and assess step. The menu may not be slower, but it is infinitely slower for me.

    My point is that even if the menu needed to be updated, they failed to bridge between the old and the new, which defeats the "fix" they attempted.

    Was this answer helpful?

    3 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2023-09-04T12:31:21+00:00

    I suspect it is about moving away from different languages altogether so they dont need words and therefore don't need different lots of software. I

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  4. Anonymous
    2023-09-11T01:19:34+00:00

    I wish there is a way to convert these icons back to words as in the past version of Windows.

    I found these icons not helpful and I have had to guess what each of these new icons mean.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  5. Anonymous
    2023-09-13T00:49:50+00:00

    I recently "upgraded" to W11 a month ago. My brain still cannot even see the icons when I go to right click to copy paste. I literally can't see them until I think where the hell is copy paste. Then the icons magically fade into view through my eyes to my brain. I hate it.

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments