If you're not fond of the updated File Explorer in Windows 11, you can modify the Windows settings to revert back to the Windows 10 File Explorer on Windows 11. MiniTool Software explains how to bring back the classic context menu in this article, along with the methods.

Curiosity drives exploration. Microsoft's latest operating system—Windows 11—has been around for a while now. Although its official release isn't yet complete, many users are eager to test this new OS by performing compatibility checks and installing Windows 11 on their machines. You might be one of those users.

Once you start using the new OS, you'll notice significant changes in the Start Menu, Taskbar, Settings, and File Explorer (including the Context Menu). If certain modifications don't suit your preferences, you can adjust them to revert to the classic settings. Our earlier post covered customizing Windows 11 (specifically regarding the Start Menu and Taskbar).

Today, we'll concentrate on the Windows 11 File Explorer. In File Explorer, you'll observe that the interface has been streamlined, and some features have been removed. The Ribbon and traditional context menu are no longer present. To access the older right-click menu in File Explorer, you must right-click somewhere and select Show more options. Additionally, only a few icons such as Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete, Share, etc., are visible.

The good news is that you can switch back to the Windows 10 File Explorer on Windows 11 if you dislike the new changes. Below are two straightforward methods to achieve this.

How to Use/Restore Windows 10 File Explorer in Windows 11

Restore Windows 10 File Explorer in Windows 11 Using Folder Options

This is the easiest method to restore the classic File Explorer. Follow these steps:

1. Click the three-dot menu in File Explorer and select Options.
2. In the Folder Options window, navigate to the View tab.
3. Scroll down in the Advanced settings section until you find Launch folder windows in a separate process, and then check the box for this option.
4. Click Apply and then OK to save the changes.

File Explorer will automatically restart, and you’ll notice the classic File Explorer has returned.

Restore Windows 10 File Explorer in Windows 11 via Registry

1. Press Win R to open the Run dialog, type regedit, and click OK.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
3. Right-click the Advanced key and go to New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it SeparateProcess.
4. Double-click this new entry and set its value data to 1 to enable the old Windows 10 Explorer in Windows 11.
5. Click OK and restart your computer. When opening File Explorer, you will notice it has reverted to the classic interface of Windows 10.

Tip: To enable the new Windows 11 File Explorer, change the value data to 0.

These two methods restore not only the File Explorer interface but also the context menu within File Explorer. This means the old Ribbon interface at the top of the Explorer window reappears, and the Windows 10 classic context menu becomes available in Windows 11.

Further Tip: Restore Classic Context Menu of Both File Explorer and Desktop

Neither of the two methods above enables the classic context menu for the Desktop. When right-clicking the Desktop, you’ll still encounter the simplified menu.

To restore the classic context menu for both File Explorer and Desktop, follow these instructions:

1. Create a new text document on the Desktop and name it Classic.
2. Open this document and copy & paste the following text into it and then save the file.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FeatureManagement\Overrides\4\586118283]

“EnabledState”=dword:00000001

“EnabledStateOptions”=dword:00000001

“Variant”=dword:00000000

“VariantPayload”=dword:00000000

“VariantPayloadKind”=dword:00000000

3. Change the file extension to .reg to create a registry file.

Tip: If you cannot change the extension, go to Options > View and uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types option.

4. Double-click this file, click Yes to grant administrative permissions, then click Yes and OK.

5. Restart your computer and you’ll have the old classic context menu on both File Explorer and Desktop.

Final Words

How do you use Windows 10 File Explorer in Windows 11? After trying the methods above, you can easily revert to Windows 10 File Explorer on Windows 11. Additionally, a further tip to restore the classic context menu for both File Explorer and Desktop is provided. Give it a try if needed.

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