Personalization Add or Remove "Explore background" Desktop Context Menu in Windows 11

garlin · Oct 8, 2025

Here's a batch file to remove the new context menu, if you're lazy about following directions.

Skeptic Mike · Apr 1, 2026

garlin said:
Here's a batch file to remove the new context menu, if you're lazy about following directions.

I don't think that this will work unless you've already taken ownership of the key. However, this should work

Powershell:

Set-ItemProperty -Path HKCU:\Software\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\.SpotlightLearnMore  -Name ProgrammaticAccessOnly -Value "" -Force

garlin · Apr 1, 2026

The batch file embeds a PS script which self-elevates, and grants full control. Does it not work for you?

Code:

<# : batch script
@echo off
powershell -nop "if (-not ([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal][Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole] 'Administrator')) { Start-Process -Verb RunAs 'cmd.exe' -ArgumentList '/c %~dpnx0' } else { Invoke-Expression ([System.IO.File]::ReadAllText('%~f0')) }"
goto :eof
#>

$null = New-PSDrive -Name 'HKCR' -PSProvider Registry -Root 'HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT'
$RegPath = 'HKCR:\DesktopBackground\Shell\.SpotlightLearnMore'

$NewACL = Get-Acl -Path $RegPath
$Rule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.RegistryAccessRule('BUILTIN\Administrators','FullControl','Allow')
$NewACL.SetAccessRule($Rule)

Set-Acl -Path $RegPath -AclObject $NewACL
$null = Remove-Item -Path $RegPath -Recurse -Force

Skeptic Mike · Apr 1, 2026

I tested it from an elevated powershell:

Code:

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> $null = New-PSDrive -Name 'HKCR' -PSProvider Registry -Root 'HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT'
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> $RegPath = 'HKCR:\DesktopBackground\Shell\.SpotlightLearnMore'
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> $NewACL = Get-Acl -Path $RegPath
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> $Rule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.RegistryAccessRule('BUILTIN\Administrators','FullControl','Allow')
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> $NewACL.SetAccessRule($Rule)
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Set-Acl -Path $RegPath -AclObject $NewACL
Set-Acl : Requested registry access is not allowed.
At line:1 char:1
+ Set-Acl -Path $RegPath -AclObject $NewACL
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : PermissionDenied: (HKEY_CLASSES_RO...tlightLearnMore:String) [Set-Acl], SecurityException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.Security.SecurityException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.SetAclCommand

Which is what I'd expect because the output from Get-Acl -Path $RegPath | fl looks like this:

Code:

Path   : Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\Registry::HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\.SpotlightLearnMore
Owner  : NT SERVICE\TrustedInstaller
Group  : NT SERVICE\TrustedInstaller
Access : NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM Allow  -2147483648
         NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM Allow  ReadKey
         BUILTIN\Administrators Allow  ReadKey
         BUILTIN\Administrators Allow  -2147483648
         BUILTIN\Users Allow  -2147483648
         BUILTIN\Users Allow  ReadKey
         NT SERVICE\TrustedInstaller Allow  268435456
         NT SERVICE\TrustedInstaller Allow  FullControl
         APPLICATION PACKAGE AUTHORITY\ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES Allow  ReadKey
         APPLICATION PACKAGE AUTHORITY\ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES Allow  -2147483648
         S-1-15-3-1024-1065365936-1281604716-3511738428-1654721687-432734479-3232135806-4053264122-3456934681 Allow  ReadKey
         S-1-15-3-1024-1065365936-1281604716-3511738428-1654721687-432734479-3232135806-4053264122-3456934681 Allow  -2147483648

Only TrustedInstaller has FullControl, which is why it's tiresome following the instructions that @Brink gives.

garlin · Apr 1, 2026

ahhhh..... Sneaky MS changed it to TI after I wrote the script. But the parent key DesktopBackground\Shell is still owned by Admin.

Skeptic Mike · Apr 1, 2026

garlin said:
ahhhh..... Sneaky MS changed it to TI after I wrote the script. But the parent key DesktopBackground\Shell is still owned by Admin.

If Shell keys weren’t writeable by Admins, then third party software couldn't add new context menu items.

Tasmania Green · Apr 5, 2026

The system won't let me change anything, even though I run Regedit with Administrator Privileges. I keep getting the error message "Unable to save permission changes on .SpotlightLearnMore. Access is Denied."

I just ran the Windows 11 System Maintenance batch file that Antspants wrote and that didn't display any error messages had been corrected.

garlin · Apr 5, 2026

Tasmania Green said:
The system won't let me change anything, even though I run Regedit with Administrator Privileges. I keep getting the error message "Unable to save permission changes on .SpotlightLearnMore. Access is Denied."

MS has changed the reg key's owner to TrustedInstaller.

1. Download PowerRun or @LesFerch's RightClickTools.
2. Open a CMD or PowerShell window with Trusted Installer rights.
3. Run the command:

Code:

reg import Remove_Learn_more_about_this_background_context-menu.reg

Tasmania Green · Apr 5, 2026

garlin said:
MS has changed the reg key's owner to TrustedInstaller.

1. Download PowerRun or @LesFerch's RightClickTools.
2. Open a CMD or PowerShell window with Trusted Installer rights.
3. Run the command:

Code:

reg import Remove_Learn_more_about_this_background_context-menu.reg

Got it.

I'm going to reinstall Windows. Little things are glitching since I reinstalled it last week and I think that, somehow, I selected the wrong option somewhere. I'm going to run Windows 11 Installation Media and save it to a usb.

Tasmania Green · Apr 5, 2026

garlin said:
MS has changed the reg key's owner to TrustedInstaller.

1. Download PowerRun or @LesFerch's RightClickTools.
2. Open a CMD or PowerShell window with Trusted Installer rights.
3. Run the command:

Code:

reg import Remove_Learn_more_about_this_background_context-menu.reg

I'm sorry, Garlin. But even after following your directions, I still can't remove the file. Not sure what I'm doing wrong.

Skeptic Mike · Apr 5, 2026

There are two basic methods for removing a Shell based context menu item. Delete the entire verb, as this tutorial suggests or add a qualifying value to the verb's key. The straightforward and reasonably documented way is to add a ProgrammaticAccessOnly value. e.g.

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\.SpotlightLearnMore]
"ProgrammaticAccessOnly"=""

If you simply try this, you'll hit exactly the same problem with (lack of) permissions. However, the way that HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT works is that it's made up from a part in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes overlaid by a part in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes, and the user part takes precedence. So, if you add the following:

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\.SpotlightLearnMore]
"ProgrammaticAccessOnly"=""

which you can do without admin rights, then you will have succeeded in doing what you couldn't do with the script pointing directly at HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.
To undo the change you could delete the ProgrammaticAccessOnly value from HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\.SpotlightLearnMore. Or you could delete it like this:

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\.SpotlightLearnMore]
"ProgrammaticAccessOnly"=-

Tasmania Green · Apr 5, 2026

Skeptic Mike said:
There are two basic methods for removing a Shell based context menu item. Delete the entire verb, as this tutorial suggests or add a qualifying value to the verb's key. The straightforward and reasonably documented way is to add a ProgrammaticAccessOnly value. e.g.

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\.SpotlightLearnMore] "ProgrammaticAccessOnly"=""

If you simply try this, you'll hit exactly the same problem with (lack of) permissions. However, the way that HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT works is that it's made up from a part in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes overlaid by a part in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes, and the user part takes precedence. So, if you add the following:

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\.SpotlightLearnMore] "ProgrammaticAccessOnly"=""

which you can do without admin rights, then you will have succeeded in doing what you couldn't do with the script pointing directly at HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.
To undo the change you could delete the ProgrammaticAccessOnly value from HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\.SpotlightLearnMore. Or you could delete it like this:

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\.SpotlightLearnMore] "ProgrammaticAccessOnly"=-

When you say “To undo the change you could delete the ProgrammaticAccessOnly value from HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\.SpotlightLearnMore. Or you could delete it like this:…..”, are you saying that if you want to delete the change you just made to remove the SpotlightLearnMore?

Pardon my questions, but I consider myself still new to using RegEdit.

Brink · Apr 5, 2026

Tasmania Green said:
When you say “To undo the change you could delete the ProgrammaticAccessOnly value from HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\.SpotlightLearnMore. Or you could delete it like this:…..”, are you saying that if you want to delete the change you just made to remove the SpotlightLearnMore?

Pardon my questions, but I consider myself still new to using RegEdit.

If you like, option one in this tutorial has this now to help.

Tasmania Green · Apr 5, 2026

Brink said:
If you like, option one in this tutorial has this now to help.

Thanks

Skeptic Mike · Apr 6, 2026

Tasmania Green said:
When you say “To undo the change you could delete the ProgrammaticAccessOnly value from HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\DesktopBackground\Shell\.SpotlightLearnMore. Or you could delete it like this:…..”, are you saying that if you want to delete the change you just made to remove the SpotlightLearnMore?

Pardon my questions, but I consider myself still new to using RegEdit.

Yes, I'm saying either action would undo the removal of SpotlightLearnMore.

My post was trying to explain how and why my suggestion would work. This is a specific example of a general solution to hiding a common type of context menu item. If you open regedit and move to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ , you'll see other verbs such as .SpotlightNextImage or EditStickers which you could hide using the same technique.

I also wanted to emphasise that what Explorer does when it constructs the context menu is to consult HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ , and doesn't know where the ProgrammaticAccessOnly value is stored. A further consequence is that you can delete ProgrammaticAccessOnly directly from HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\.SpotlightLearnMore.

However, I can see that it could be confusing trying to put it this way. @Brink is very careful to make sure that his tutorials follow a standard pattern, which tells you exactly what to do without adding excursions.

Tasmania Green · Apr 7, 2026

Skeptic Mike said:
Yes, I'm saying either action would undo the removal of SpotlightLearnMore.

My post was trying to explain how and why my suggestion would work. This is a specific example of a general solution to hiding a common type of context menu item. If you open regedit and move to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ , you'll see other verbs such as .SpotlightNextImage or EditStickers which you could hide using the same technique.

I also wanted to emphasise that what Explorer does when it constructs the context menu is to consult HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\ , and doesn't know where the ProgrammaticAccessOnly value is stored. A further consequence is that you can delete ProgrammaticAccessOnly directly from HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\.SpotlightLearnMore.

However, I can see that it could be confusing trying to put it this way. @Brink is very careful to make sure that his tutorials follow a standard pattern, which tells you exactly what to do without adding excursions.

No worries Mike. I appreciate the effort you put into writing those instructions! I consider what you wrote a form of “stretching” exercise for me as I work to learn more about Windows. I’ll re-read what you’ve written. It will make sense as I check resources and fill in the gaps in subjects that you’ve already learned. It’s all good.

Tasmania Green · Apr 7, 2026

Well, I've run through option 1 in this tutorial and even ran the batch file the Garlin wrote. Unfortunately, the "Learn about this picture" and all are still on my desktop.

I went into Regedit (Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\shell\.SpotlightLearnMore and right-clicked on Permissions. I went to Administrators (DESKTOP-H0NTQF5\Administrators) and saw that under "the Permissions for Administrators", only the Read option was selected. I clicked on Full Control and clicked on the Apply button only to get the message "Unable to save permission changes on .SpotlightLearnMore. Access is denied."

I wonder if, during the install, I did something wrong (although I cannot guess what) and don’t have administrative access to everything on my computer?

garlin · Apr 7, 2026

Try this updated batch file, which uses @Skeptic Mike 's new method.

Tasmania Green · Apr 7, 2026

It looks like it hasn't changed.

Personalization Add or Remove "Explore background" Desktop Context Menu in Windows 11

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