I ditched the Windows 11 context menu for this open-source tool, and here's why

Right-clicking on Windows had been a predictable menu for years. But Windows 11 broke that. Now you get a stripped-down menu that hides half of what you need behind "Show more options," and a classic menu that looks like it wandered in from 2009. Neither one lets you change a thing. So I stopped waiting for Microsoft to fix it and handed the job to Nilesoft Shell.

Windows 11 split the right-click menu in two, and neither half wins

Let me be clear about what bothers me here. The compact Windows 11 menu isn't offensive on its own, and it handles copy, paste, and rename without complaint. The trouble starts the second I need anything past the basics. Whether I'm after a shell extension I installed myself, a specific "Open with" target, or an option some app tucked away, Windows makes me click "Show more options" before it shows me the full list.

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That extra click drops me into the old menu, the one every right-click has relied on since Windows 7. It still works but also looks completely out of place next to the rest of Windows 11, so bouncing between the two feels like running two operating systems on one PC.

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My real objection runs deeper, though. Windows gives me no say over any of it. I can't reorder entries, hide the ones I never use, or lift the ones I reach for daily. Microsoft has poked at the menu in Insider builds for a couple of years, yet it still hasn't shipped a proper way to edit it. It's also a promise rather than a feature, and until it lands in a build I can install, I'd rather fix the menu myself than wait another year for Microsoft to do it for me.

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Nilesoft Shell replaces the whole menu, and installing it takes one command

Nilesoft Shell fixes the split by throwing out the whole arrangement. It's a free, open-source tool that hooks into File Explorer and draws its own menu the instant you right-click a file, a folder, or the desktop. You don't get the usual "Show more options" step, because everything already sits in one list.

Getting it running is easy, and you have two routes. If you like the command line, open Windows Terminal as administrator and run winget install nilesoft.shell. That's the same one-line habit I rely on when I install and update most of my apps with a single Windows command, and it registers Shell for you in seconds.

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If you'd rather click through an installer instead, head to Nilesoft Shell, download the setup file, and run it. Either way, the new menu takes over right away, and you won't need to reboot.

The difference is obvious once you right-click. Shell drops in a clean, unified menu, then piles on a few extras worth keeping. A "Go To" submenu jumps straight to folders like Downloads and Documents, or to Control Panel and the Run box. A "Terminal" submenu opens PowerShell or Command Prompt right where you're standing, and right-clicking the taskbar surfaces quick window and app shortcuts too.

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How do I restore the default Windows 11 context menu if I want to disable Nilesoft Shell?

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Will my shell.nss customizations persist across Windows feature updates or reinstalls, and how should I back them up?

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One plain text file controls the entire menu

This is the part that won me over. Every change you make lives in a plain-text file called "shell.nss" and not in a fragile registry key you have to re-paste by hand. To open it, hold Shift and right-click the taskbar, then choose Shell > directory. However, it's worth knowing before you start that the file sits inside Program Files, so an editor you opened normally cannot write to it. Launch Notepad as administrator and open "shell.nss" from there; otherwise, your first edit dies at the save step.

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Cleaning up the menu takes one line. Say you never use the "Cast to Device" entry; drop remove(find='Cast to Device') into the file, save, and it's gone. Add as many of these rules as you like, and the menu shrinks to only the items you care about.

Adding your own commands works the same way. A line like item(title='Notepad' image=cmd cmd='notepad.exe') puts Notepad one right-click away, and the same trick pins folders, scripts, or any app you open often. Shell also ships with an empty More options menu already defined in the file, and anything you drop between its braces lands in there instead of crowding the top level.

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Looks are configurable too. With a few more lines, you can switch the menu to dark mode, adjust the font and spacing, add a subtle blur, or apply a whole theme. Most people won't bother, and that's fine, but the option is there if a matching menu matters to you.

It survives most updates, and backing out is easy

No customization tool is worth much if a Windows update wipes it, so I paid attention here. For the most part, Shell holds its ground, and the menu keeps working release after release. A major feature update can occasionally knock it loose and ask you to register it again, but that's a quick fix, and your "shell.nss" file stays intact, so none of your rules disappear.

Because that file holds everything, I keep a copy of it somewhere safe. If I ever reinstall Windows or set up another PC, dropping the file back in restores my exact menu.

Reversing course is just as easy, which matters if you're cautious about system tweaks. To switch Shell off and fall back to the default, hold Ctrl + Win and right-click on the desktop, or uninstall the app to return everything to stock. And if you want it again, hold Ctrl while you right-click, and it reappears.

However, before you install, if you already run other Explorer-mod tools, expect the occasional grayed-out entry or visual glitch, and turn off whatever conflicts.

The menu finally works the way I want it to

Editing a config file won't appeal to everyone, and I understand why plenty of people would rather leave the default menu alone and get on with their day. But if you spend your working hours in File Explorer, a few minutes with "shell.nss" buys you a right-click menu shaped around your habits instead of the defaults. Mine has looked the same for a while now, and I've stopped thinking about it.