Microsoft admits Windows 11 context menus are sluggish, announces major improvements

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Microsoft has right this moment announced a set of main enhancements coming to the context menus that seem in File Explorer and the desktop on Home windows 11 which are designed to make the right-click expertise sooner, much less cluttered, and extra customizable.

I first revealed Microsoft’s plans to overhaul the context-menu system on Windows 11 final month, and now the corporate has confirmed these plans. In truth, it is already rolling out preview builds with the brand new context menu system in place, prepared for Home windows Insiders to start testing and supply suggestions on.

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Microsoft says that it is aware of the context menu system on Home windows 11 right this moment just isn’t in a great place. “The menu grew to become cluttered and sluggish, and we acknowledged the necessity to dramatically scale back the time between right-clicking and having a menu that is absolutely prepared to make use of,” says Microsoft engineer Michael Novak in a weblog submit printed right this moment.

“Immediately, we’re excited to announce an up to date context menu that delivers a sooner, less complicated, and extra customizable expertise. The brand new design reduces top-level litter, retains generally used actions straightforward to entry, and introduces a brand new Settings expertise that provides you extra management over what seems within the menu.”

I went hands-on with the new context menu system over the weekend, and I can affirm that the brand new right-click expertise is a serious enchancment over what’s transport on Home windows 11 presently. The brand new default structure is way much less cluttered, with much less actions instantly introduced to the person in change for a a lot sooner response time.

Microsoft is lastly letting customers customise the context menus too. Now you can allow and disable whichever actions you need, in addition to present or cover app extensions from third-party apps. That is nice for when an app installs itself into your context menus with out permission, as now you can cover them from view.

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It is even going as far as to permit customers to revive the Home windows 10 context menu structure throughout the fashionable Home windows 11 context menu system. Till now, Home windows 11’s context menu has positioned “main actions” corresponding to minimize, copy, and paste right into a horizontal view alongside the highest of the menu. Home windows 10’s context menu positioned these actions vertically alongside all the things else, and now Home windows 11 is letting customers restore that structure for customers that need it.

“We all know many individuals have years of muscle reminiscence from the Home windows 10 menu, so we have added choices to convey that really feel again. You may record the principle instructions (Minimize, Copy, Paste, Rename, Delete, and Share) inline straight within the menu as a substitute of as a row of icons, and you may transfer Properties right down to the very backside.”

These are genuinely good high quality of life enhancements coming to Home windows 11, and Home windows Insiders can obtain the newest Home windows 11 preview builds to start testing them right this moment. On condition that they solely simply entered preview, I count on we cannot see them start transport to everybody till later within the fall.