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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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2022-02-09T17:15:00+00:00

    Yup. This is SO ANNOYING. I'll never understand Microsoft. Do they think that by moving something around to a new location and giving it a different name, that somehow they've upgraded the software? It's almost like they're trying to handicap those who already know how to use a computer so those just learning don't feel so left behind. This is a really bad idea. I found this post because I'm looking for a way to CHANGE this back to words... THIS IS SO LAME. I'll probably just move back to Linux for my main systems, but I have to work on this stupid OS all day long.

    449 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2022-02-09T17:22:26+00:00

    I think they are trying so hard to emulate the Mac®. If I wanted a MAC, I would buy one. Thanks for responding so I know I'm not the only "annoyed user."

    286 people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2022-02-09T17:35:12+00:00

    I did find a fix for this - I tested and it works:

    https://www.pcgamer.com/windows-11-context-menu-fix-right-click/

    158 people found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2022-03-18T19:28:19+00:00

    I could not more agree with you. "Show more options". Seriously?!?!

    Off to the kiddy table you go, "Cut", "Copy", "Delete", and "Rename".

    98 people found this answer helpful.
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  5. Anonymous
    2022-05-06T01:29:38+00:00

    Thank you so much for this Fix you linked to for the Windows 11 Dumb Menus problem.

    Those dumbed down context menus were driving me CRAZY!

    Specifically I want to to be able to COPY files & Folders to OneDrive this way, but the dumb menu only allows you to MOVE files!

    Even the extended "Show more options" menu does not allow OneDrive Copy only Move! How annoying, even more so that to change this we have to crawl through regedit and make changes!

    (Yes you can copy then paste using the Dumb Icons at the top, but that requires more steps)

    36 people found this answer helpful.
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