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When I open the context menu within a folder (in the background area of the folder), most of the entries are not shown. This only happens when I navigate to this folder via a File Explorer library.

When I copy the absolute folder path to a new File Explorer window, everything works as expected. When I open the context menu by right-clicking a folder name, all entries are shown, regardless of how I navigated to the folder.

I have checked the registry entries in Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell and Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell. They seem to be similar for the tools I expect to see in the context menu.

I have Windows 11 22H2 installed. The new Windows 11 context menu is disabled on my system.

To illustrate the behavior I have included two screenshots. In both cases the context menu is open in the background area of the same folder.

When I navigate to the folder using a File Explorer library, the context menu looks like the following (a lot of entries are missing): Navigate via File Explorer library

When I entered the path of the folder in the address bar, the context menu contains all entries: Navigate via address bar

What could be the reason for this behavior and how can it be fixed?

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  • Windows 11 Contexts are very restricted. It is not clear that anything is wrong. Commented Apr 11, 2023 at 12:33
  • This information is not to fix this but you should know that in addition to Directory , you also have Folder keys (as in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder) .. Commented Apr 11, 2023 at 14:54
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    Does this answer your question? How can I revert to the old context menu in Windows 11? Commented Apr 11, 2023 at 15:12

2 Answers 2

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I think what you see is normal.

The first is Windows contexts and that looks correct to me.

The second is contexts from another program. I see this with xPlorer2 (different contexts from different apps).

So what you are seeing is entirely normal and Windows 11 is not adding contexts like 3rd party apps. At least not now and not in advanced Windows 11 Insider.

Microsoft has considerably restricted what changes you can make to contexts and the task bar. I have had to adapt myself.

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  • Or simply remove this behavior with a simple registry key change. Commented Apr 11, 2023 at 14:52
  • Be careful with registry changes as long term that may harm your OS> Commented Apr 11, 2023 at 14:53
  • @SeñorCMasMas - The author suggesting that solution is not Microsoft. They are simply a Volunteer Moderator. Commented Apr 11, 2023 at 15:00
  • Fair enough @Ramhound but I am telling you that many of us use it internally. I wouldn't consider it "dangerous". It is probably available as a GPEdit option but I am too lazy to look at the moment. Commented Apr 11, 2023 at 15:02
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    @SeñorCMasMas - I didn't say it was dangerous. I just said the individual that suggested it wasn't a Microsoft employee. Commented Apr 11, 2023 at 15:09
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What could be the reason for this behavior and how can it be fixed?

The differences are intential.

You can change the following by running the following command in an elevated command prompt:

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

You will have to either restart File Explorer or log out of the user and log back into the user for the changes to take effect.

You can revert the change by running the following command

reg delete HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a50950c905bae2a2} /f

Source:

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  • I already had disabled the new Windows 11 context menu before. I suppose this is what your registry hack does. My point is not that the context menu is restricted, but that it behaves differently depending on how I navigate to a folder. Commented Apr 11, 2023 at 16:18
  • @JohannHeinzelreiter - You make no mention of that fact in your question body. Commented Apr 11, 2023 at 17:14

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