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
    2023-11-06T12:05:33+00:00

    I guess I am this "dumb to read" too because I never noticed the icons. Microsoft needs to do a better job pointing out major changes like this!!!

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-11-16T17:56:50+00:00

    I'm assuming Windows 11 is louder than Windows 10. But is there any way to re-enable the words instead of the bizarre icons? I've been using right-click since OS/2 days and my brain is trained to look for "cut", "copy", "paste" and not some illegible icons.

    Thank you!

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-11-17T12:17:26+00:00

    Well, I have "ducked" this problem and changed my computer's registry so that Windows 11 uses the pre-Windows 11 response to a right-mouse click on Windows Explorer.

    Microsoft have very helpfully told us how to do this on the web page

    Restore old Right-click Context menu in Windows 11 - Microsoft Community

    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/restore-old-right-click-context-menu-in-windows-11/a62e797c-eaf3-411b-aeec-e460e6e5a82a

    Good luck!

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-11-17T17:22:25+00:00

    Thank you!!!

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-11-25T14:18:58+00:00

    OH Thank God. For a while I was thinking maybe it's just me. This is so aggravating, It's stead of cut/paste I'm deleting or share. WHy do I want to share? On the other hand the cut/paste is there when right clicking on a web page.

    Is there a way to change this?

    Anyone?

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