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How to Change Right-Click Options in Windows 11

Windows 11 keeps some File Explorer commands under Show more options. Learn how to find them, create desktop shortcuts, adjust icon display, and right-click without a mouse.

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To find more commands for a file or folder in Windows 11, right-click it in File Explorer and choose Show more options. If you mean changing what appears in a menu, the steps depend on where you right-click: Windows provides some built-in desktop options, but the instructions below do not provide a verified, safe method for adding or removing arbitrary menu entries.

Show more options in File Explorer

  1. Open File Explorer and locate the file or folder.
  2. Right-click the item, or select and hold it on a touchscreen.
  3. Select Show more options.
  4. Choose the command you need from the expanded menu.

Windows 11 uses a streamlined context menu, and some app commands may appear only in the expanded menu while developers update their support for the newer one. Whether a command is available depends on the item and the installed app. For a particular app’s support, Microsoft recommends checking with its developer. Microsoft’s Windows 11 context-menu guidance

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For example, to create a ZIP archive, right-click a file or folder, then choose Show more options > Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder. The command may not be present in every installation. Microsoft’s instructions for zipping and unzipping files

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Add a shortcut from the desktop menu

Create a shortcut to a file, folder, or web page

  1. Right-click an empty area of the desktop.
  2. Select New > Shortcut.
  3. Follow the prompts to enter the target file, folder, or web page.

Put an existing file or folder shortcut on the desktop

  1. Right-click the file or folder.
  2. Select Show more options > Send to > Desktop (create shortcut).

On some installations, all options appear in the first menu, so you can choose Send to without first selecting Show more options. Microsoft’s desktop customization guidance

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Change desktop icon display options

These choices affect desktop icons, not the commands available for files and folders in File Explorer.

  • Right-click an empty area of the desktop and open View to choose Large icons, Medium icons, or Small icons.
  • Use the same View menu to toggle Show desktop icons.
  • Alternatively, hold Ctrl while scrolling the mouse wheel on the desktop to resize icons.

Microsoft documents these desktop options here.

Right-click without a mouse

  • Touchpad: Tap with two fingers or press the lower-right area. Some gestures require a precision touchpad.
  • Touchscreen: Press and hold an item to open its context menu and show more commands.

Microsoft’s Windows touch-gesture guidance

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Can you add or remove arbitrary right-click commands?

Windows does not provide a universal context-menu editor in the steps covered here. Registry Editor can modify some settings that are not exposed in Windows’ interface, but a wrong change can cause application errors, system instability, or prevent Windows from starting. Microsoft advises backing up the registry and changing values only when you understand their effects. Microsoft’s Registry Editor guidance

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No specific Registry Editor steps are provided here for restoring the classic File Explorer menu or adding or removing third-party entries: the exact paths, values, reversibility, and Windows-build compatibility have not been established for those changes. Avoid applying a registry recipe unless it is verified for your Windows version and the exact change you intend to make.

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