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
    2023-11-25T14:23:21+00:00

    The more these software engineers earn their pay, the more suffering they create. It's like those masochists from Hunger Games.

    Only those who are worthy shall have the fruit basket.

    Well fruiit basssket this.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-11-26T12:34:44+00:00

    Yes, you can change it. Miscrosoft have provided a registry fix which I posted in this discussion group about 7 to 10 days ago.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-11-26T13:04:15+00:00

    Thank you.

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-01-04T00:26:57+00:00

    Totally agree. It is much more efficient to for your eyes to scan in only one direction (downward) to look for what you want. Having first to look vertically then horizontally (or vice-versa) as well as changing between text and icons, I find to being very inefficient. Consistently takes more time.

    That's one thing to make changes to try to appeal to new users. But for existing users, it's a sense of loss when things are made less efficient for them!

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  5. Anonymous
    2024-01-09T20:34:10+00:00

    For designers out there reading this: when making major UI changes to popular tools, or those used by users for decades, always include an option to retain the traditional tools or actually require an opt-in to the new at first open. "Hey, we're trying something new, looks like this, if you want to stick with what ya know CLICK HERE. You can always change your choice later in: settings - look & feel."

    UI is not rocket science. I do not understand how so many developers can screw it up so badly, so often.

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