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Why Is My Windows 11 Right-Click Menu Taking Over My Screen?
Windows 11 users can now enjoy a less crowded right-click menu. Microsoft rolled out this change in Insider Preview Build 26220.7271, cutting down the menu size from 75% to about 50% of your screen.
What Changed
Microsoft grouped similar actions together. Things like “Compress to ZIP,” “Copy as Path,” and “Set as Desktop Background” now hide under a new section called “Manage file”. This simple move freed up four lines of space.
For files saved in OneDrive or other cloud storage, options like “Always Keep on this Device” now sit under the cloud provider’s own menu. The “Open Folder Location” button moved next to “Open with” and “Open,” which makes more sense.
Real-World Testing Results
- The menu now looks cleaner and takes up less room
- PDF files show an even smaller menu since they don’t need photo editing options
- Image files still have the longest menu because they include “Edit with Paint” and Photos actions
- The “Compress to” option now shows ZIP, 7z, and TAR formats in a third-level submenu
Remaining Issues
The menu still loads slowly when you right-click images. Options like “Ask Copilot,” “Edit with Clipchamp,” and “Edit in Paint” take extra milliseconds to appear, making the experience feel sluggish. Windows 10’s context menu opens instantly, even on older computers with less memory.
Some odd choices remain. The “Edit in Notepad” option appears for all file types, not just text files. While some tech users prefer this for viewing files in binary format, it adds confusion for most people.
Looking Ahead
Microsoft plans to continue improving context menus across Windows 11. The company is working on new menu designs that will let app developers nest functions into submenus, which should reduce clutter even more. These improvements will become available in the next Windows App SDK 2.0 exp3 release.