Windows 11’s Context Menu: Streamlining or Clogging Up?

When Microsoft unveiled Windows 11 three years ago, the promised redesigned context menu aimed to enhance user experience by simplifying interactions. By positioning frequently used file actions closer to the cursor, users were expected to perform tasks more swiftly. Despite this initial intent, the reality is that the simplification process is faltering significantly.

Context Menu Overload

As it stands, Windows 11’s context menus have become cluttered with unnecessary options. Instead of enhancing the “Open with”submenu as anticipated, Microsoft has been introducing additional “Edit with”choices into the primary menu. Currently, in addition to the standard choices, there are now multiple entries for various applications like Notepad, Photos, and Clipchamp, alongside the recent addition of Paint.

New “Edit with Paint”Feature

In a recent development for Windows Insiders, Microsoft incorporated a new feature titled “Edit with Paint,”as part of the Paint update rolled out on November 7. Though this addition was not highlighted in the official announcement, enthusiastic users quickly unearthed that right-clicking on an image file after upgrading to Paint version 11.2410.28.0 now reveals this new editing option. Thankfully, this entry only appears when accessing context menus for image files, contrasting sharply with Notepad’s indiscriminate suggestions for unrelated file types such as executables and PDFs.

Temporary Availability and Workaround

At this time, the updated Paint with its new menu entry is exclusively available to Windows Insiders. However, similar to earlier cases involving Notepad, Clipchamp, and Photos, users have the option to eliminate the “Edit with Paint”item from Windows 11’s context menus. This can be achieved by modifying Windows Registry settings to exclude Paint’s CLSID.

Additional Features in Recent Update

Beyond the contentious context menu addition, the latest Paint update introduces exciting features such as generative fill, allowing users to incorporate AI-generated elements into images, along with a generative erase function, updates to the Cocreator tool, and various other improvements aimed at enhancing the overall user experience.

As these updates roll out, users will be keen to see if Microsoft can truly refine their approach to context menus in Windows 11, ensuring a balance between functionality and simplicity.

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