This tutorial will show you how to add or remove "Customize menu" on the modern context menu for your account in Windows 11.
A context menu is a graphical user interface (GUI) that appears when you right click or press and hold on an item (ex: desktop, file, folder, drive, etc...) in Windows. A context menu can have menu items and sub-menus with a list of options or actions available for the item you right clicked on.
Starting with Windows 11 build 26340.9212 (Experimental 26H2) for Insiders, Microsoft is beginning to roll out an updated context menu experience in File Explorer, designed to feel faster, cleaner, and easier to tailor to the way you work. The new design reduces top-level clutter, keeps commonly used actions easy to access, and adds a new Settings experience that gives you more control over what appears in the menu. As Microsoft continues refining this experience with Insider feedback, their goal is to make right-click feel more responsive, predictable, and personal.
At the bottom of the new context menu, you’ll now find Customize menu, as a shortcut to its Settings page, where you can shape the menu around your preferences, your habits, or the years of muscle memory you’ve built with a specific configuration.
Starting with Windows 11 build 26340.9482 (Experimental 26H2) for Insiders, you can now turn off the customize context menu entry in the new context menu settings.
This does not affect the Shift + Right Click classic context menu.
Contents
- Option One: Add or Remove "Customize menu" on Context Menu in Settings
- Option Two: Add or Remove "Customize menu" on Context Menu using REG file
EXAMPLE: "Customize menu" on modern context menu
1 Open Settings (Win+I).
2 Click/tap on Personalization in the left pane, and click/tap on Context menu. (see screenshot below)
3 Under Additional options, turn On (add - default) or Off (remove) Show "Customize menu" on the context menu for what you want. (see screenshot below)
4 You can now close Settings if you like.
1 Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you would like to do.
2 Add "Customize menu" to Context Menu
This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the REG file below, and go to step 4 below.
Add_Customize_menu_from_context_menu.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ContextMenu\Preferences\ShowCustomizeMenu]
"Enabled"=dword:000000013 Remove "Customize menu" from Context Menu
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the REG file below, and go to step 4 below.
Remove_Customize_menu_from_context_menu.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ContextMenu\Preferences\ShowCustomizeMenu]
"Enabled"=dword:000000004 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
5 If you have Smart App Control turned on, you will need to unblock the downloaded REG file.
6 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
7 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
8 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
Last edited:
