右键单击菜单是一种工具，可提供方便的操作列表，具体取决于您使用它的项目。在Windows 11中，微软(Microsoft)试图更新旧设计并改善用户体验。本文将介绍从Windows 10的演变以及右键菜单的新功能。我们先回答几个关于右键菜单的简单问题：
什么是右键菜单？Windows 11中的右键单击有什么作用？
右键单击菜单是一个弹出菜单，为用户可能希望采取的操作提供快捷方式。如果您使用的是触摸屏，您可以通过按一次鼠标右键或按住您想要菜单的项目来访问它。因为操作列表会根据您右键单击的项目而变化，所以它也称为上下文（或上下文）菜单。与打开单独的应用程序相比，上下文菜单本质上减少了完成文件操作的步骤数。例如，如果您右键单击文件，如果您的设备运行的是Windows 11 ，则菜单可能如下所示：
在Windows 11(Windows 11)中右键单击文档时的上下文菜单
另一方面，如果您右键单击桌面，菜单可能如下所示：
右键单击桌面上的空白处时的上下文菜单
您可以看到菜单包含从一个用例到另一个用例完全不同的操作，这就是右键单击菜单如此有用的原因：它的灵活性。
Windows中右键菜单的简史
但是，多大的灵活性才算太大的灵活性？基本上下文菜单首先与Windows 98(Windows 98)一起出现在Windows环境中：
那边的上下文菜单（Windows 98）
然而，自从它被引入以来，右键菜单变得越来越难以管理和导航，尤其是在安装了很多应用程序的系统上。这是因为许多应用程序将各自的操作快捷方式添加到此菜单。下面，您可以看到Windows 10(Windows 10)中的（非常短的）右键菜单示例。红色箭头显示已安装应用程序创建的列表中的每个条目。当然，根据实际的系统配置，某些条目可能不存在，或者您可以拥有更长的列表。
传统的右键菜单会变得非常混乱
这就是问题所在。对于Windows 11(Windows 11)中右键菜单的设计和功能发生巨大变化，微软(Microsoft)官方给出了一整套原因(list of reasons)：
- 最常见的命令（剪切、复制、粘贴(cut, copy, paste)、删除和重命名）远离鼠标指针。
- 菜单是，这是微软(Microsoft)官方的准确引用，“特别长”，包括很少使用的命令。
- 应该分组的命令（例如Open和Open with）相距甚远。
- 应用程序开发人员可以在菜单的任何位置添加上下文菜单命令，这会对用户体验产生负面影响。
- 应用程序添加的命令不属于应用程序本身。
- 许多命令在Explorer(Explorer)中运行在进程中，这可能会导致性能和可靠性问题。
那么，微软(Microsoft)是如何解决这些问题的呢？要回答这个问题，我们必须先解释一下新菜单的结构。
Windows 11中右键菜单的结构
让我们看一下全新安装的Windows 11(Windows 11)与 Windows 10中相同项目类型（在此示例中为文件夹）的上下文菜单：
Windows 10右键菜单（左）与Windows 11中的新菜单（右）
新的上下文菜单看起来不那么杂乱，而且似乎更易于使用。对于初学者，我们有一个很酷的带有图标的新功能区，靠近鼠标光标（或手指）所在的位置。第一部分包含链接到操作系统的最简单和最常见的操作 -复制、重命名、共享、删除(Copy, Rename, Share, Delete)等项目。
右键菜单的第一部分包含最简单和最常用的操作
无论菜单如何显示，此部分都出现在最靠近单击点的位置：
无论菜单如何显示，操作功能区都最接近右键单击点
在它旁边，有一个上下文动作列表（或外壳动词(shell verbs)）。尽管它根据单击的项目而有所不同，但此部分是一致且连续的，这与Windows 10不同，其中操作有时会分开或拆分。
右键菜单的第二部分提供了更复杂的操作快捷方式
在本节下方，操作项会有所不同。在以下示例（文档）中，下一部分与OneDrive云共享相关：
下一节中的操作侧重于OneDrive云共享
Windows 11中对已安装应用程序右键单击操作的规则更加严格：
- 应用程序(Apps)使用后跟应用程序标识的命令扩展菜单（例如，“ Edit with Paint ”）
- 应用程序扩展在(App)Shell动词下方组合在一起
- 云文件提供程序应用程序放置在(Cloud)Shell命令旁边
- 具有多个动词的应用程序被分组到一个弹出菜单中
随着越来越多的应用程序将更新它们的集成，Windows 11右键菜单可能会变得更加“拥挤”，但它的组织方式将保持不变。如果您在列表中找不到操作，右键单击菜单中的一项是Show More options，也可以通过按键盘上的Shift + F10Shift + Fn + F10，如果您的设备有激活的 Fn 键）。此操作会打开“旧”右键单击菜单，提供熟悉的界面并确保尚未更新其集成的应用程序仍可正常运行。
Windows 10（左）和 Windows 11（右）中的传统菜单
新的Windows 11(Windows 11)右键菜单的好、坏和丑
您可以使用Windows 11(Windows 11)中的右键菜单做什么？好吧，从理论上讲，一旦应用程序将它们的操作集成到菜单中，就可以在Windows 10中实现几乎相同的功能。(Windows 10)但是，这个新的上下文菜单有什么优势呢？我们喜欢列表，所以让我们做一些：
- 新设计的第一个好处是它修复了旧菜单中混乱的排序。无需再在长长的列表中搜索难以捉摸的“发送到”(Send to)或您最喜欢的PDF查看器中的一组操作。
- 最重要的操作接近您单击的点，使基本和重复的活动更快。只需查看您的光标（或手指）必须移动的距离，以便在Windows 10（左）与 Windows 11（右）中重命名文件夹：
新的右键菜单的可用性更适合简单的操作
- 然后，很明显：菜单中的操作项越少，越容易浏览这些项。
- 此外，行距更宽，字体更大更好看，为用户提供了更好的整体体验。
虽然有很多我们喜欢的设计选择，但右键菜单存在一些问题，使其使用起来不太理想。这是一个简短的列表：
- 第一个是，在这个阶段和这种形式中，右键单击菜单比Windows 10中的右键菜单对于更复杂的任务的用处要小得多。要执行相同的操作，您需要使用更多的点击和光标移动。大多数应用程序都没有集成到新的右键菜单中，因此要从例如开源文件存档器7-Zip中执行操作，您需要右键单击，然后转到显示更多选项(Show more options)以找到行动。
- 然后，Windows 10的右键菜单在一定程度上是用户可配置的。没错(True)，您必须编辑一些注册表设置或使用第三方程序(third-party program)，但您可以自己编辑右键菜单。虽然这些调整仍然适用于Windows 11(Windows 11)中的旧显示更多选项(Show more options)菜单，但它们（目前）对主右键单击菜单没有影响。
您可以使用第三方工具编辑右键菜单
- 新的间距和更大的字体看起来更好，但也有一个缺点：在菜单变得太大之前，现在可以容纳更少的项目。
- 一些用户还抱怨从您右键单击的那一刻起就出现了非常轻微的延迟。此延迟在Windows 10中不存在，因此问题非常明显。我们通过在具有相似规格的系统上右键单击文件来测试它，使用两个操作系统，虽然延迟很小，但确实很明显。
正如我们从之前的经验中知道的那样，Microsoft操作系统一直在进行中（委婉地说），我们预计Windows 11也不例外。因此，上述某些问题仍有可能在以下Windows 11版本中得到修复。随着越来越多的应用程序更新它们在界面中的集成，其他人有望及时减少烦人。
您如何看待新的Windows 11右键菜单？
既然您对Windows 11(Windows 11)中的新右键单击菜单有了更多了解，我们很想知道您对此有何看法。你用过它的功能吗？你习惯了，还是删掉了？此外，如果您希望我们在本文中添加任何其他内容，请在下面的评论中告诉我们。
The right-click menu in Windows 11: All you need to know! -
The right-click menu is a tool that provides a handy list of actіons, depending on the item that you use it on. With Windows 11, Microsoft tried to refrеѕh the old design and improve the user experience. This article will cover thе evolution from Windows 10 and the new features of the right-click menu. Let’s start by answering a few simрle questions about the rіght-click menu:
What is the right-click menu? What does right-clicking do in Windows 11?
The right-click menu is a pop-up menu that provides shortcuts for actions the user might wish to take. You access it by pressing the right button on your mouse once or by pressing and holding on the item you want the menu for, if you’re using a touch screen. Because the action list changes depending on the item that you right-click, it’s also called context (or contextual) menu. The context menu essentially reduces the number of steps to complete a file operation compared to opening a separate app. For example, if you right-click on a file, the menu might look like this if your device is running Windows 11:
The context menu when right-clicking a document in Windows 11
If you right-click the desktop, on the other hand, the menu might look something like this:
The context menu when right-clicking an empty spot on the desktop
You can see the menu contains completely different actions from one use case to the other, and this is what makes the right-click menu so useful: its flexibility.
A short history of the right-click menu in Windows
But how much flexibility is too much flexibility? The basic context menu first appeared in the Windows environment together with Windows 98:
The context menu of yonder (Windows 98)
However, ever since it was introduced, the right-click menu has become increasingly difficult to manage and navigate, especially on systems with lots of installed applications. This is because many apps add their respective action shortcuts to this menu. Below, you can see an example of a (quite short) right-click menu in Windows 10. The red arrows show every entry in the list that an installed app has created. Of course, depending on the actual system configuration, some entries might not be present, or you can have an even longer list.
The traditional right-click menu can get very cluttered
And herein lies the problem. Microsoft officials have a whole list of reasons for the dramatic change in design and functionality of the right-click menu in Windows 11:
- The most common commands (cut, copy, paste, delete, and rename) are far from the mouse pointer.
- The menu is, and this is an exact quote from the Microsoft official, “exceptionally long” and includes commands which are rarely used.
- Commands that should be grouped – such as Open and Open with – are far apart.
- App developers can add context menu commands anywhere in the menu, and that negatively affects the user experience.
- Commands added by apps are not attributable to the app itself.
- Many commands run in-process in Explorer, which can cause performance and reliability issues.
So, how did Microsoft address this host of issues? To answer this question, we must explain the structure of the new menu first.
The structure of the right-click menu in Windows 11
Let’s take a look at a context menu for the same item type (in this example, a folder) in a fresh install of Windows 11 versus Windows 10:
The Windows 10 right-click menu (left) versus the new one in Windows 11 (right)
The new context menu looks less cluttered and seems easier to use. For starters, we have a cool new ribbon with icons, close to the point where your mouse cursor (or finger) is. This first section contains the simplest and most common actions that are linked to the operating system – items like Copy, Rename, Share, Delete.
The first section of the right-click menu contains the simplest and most common actions
This section appears closest to the click point, no matter how the menu is displayed:
The action ribbon is closest to the point of right-click, no matter how the menu is displayed
Next to it, there is a list of contextual actions (or shell verbs). Although it varies based on the clicked item, this section is consistent and contiguous, as opposed to Windows 10, where the actions would sometimes be separated or split up.
The second section of the right-click menu provides more complex action shortcuts
Below this section, the action items will vary. In the following example (a document), the next section relates to OneDrive cloud sharing:
The actions in the next section are focused on OneDrive cloud sharing
The rules imposed in Windows 11 for installed apps right-click actions are more strict:
- Apps extend the menu with the command followed by the app identity (for example, “Edit with Paint”)
- App extensions are grouped together below Shell verbs
- Cloud files provider apps are placed next to the Shell commands
- Apps with more than one verb are grouped into a flyout menu
As more and more applications will update their integration, the Windows 11 right-click menu might get more “crowded,” but the way it’s organized will stay the same. If you can’t find an action in the list, one of the items in the right-click menu is Show More options, an action that can also be invoked by pressing Shift + F10 on your keyboard (or Shift + Fn + F10, if your device has an active Fn key). This action opens the “old” right-click menu, providing a familiar interface and making sure that apps that have not yet updated their integration remain functional.
The traditional menu in Windows 10 (left) and Windows 11 (right)
The good, the bad, and the ugly with the new Windows 11 right-click menu
What can you do with the right-click menu in Windows 11? Well, theoretically, just about the same things you could in Windows 10, once apps integrate their actions in the menu. But what are the advantages of this new context menu, then? We like lists, so let’s make some:
- The first good thing about the new design is that it fixes the messy sorting from the old menu. No more searching through a long list for that elusive Send to or for the set of actions from your favorite PDF viewer.
- The most important actions are close to the point you click on, making basic and repetitive activities much faster. Just look at the distance your cursor (or your finger) has to move in order to rename a folder in Windows 10 (left) versus Windows 11 (right):
The usability of the new right-click menu is better for simple actions
- Then, there’s the obvious: with fewer action items in the menu, it’s easier to navigate through the items.
- Additionally, the line spacing is wider and the font is larger and better looking, giving the user an overall better experience.
While there are many design choices that we like, there are several issues with the right-click menu that make using it less than ideal. Here is a short list:
- The first is that, at this stage and in this form, the right-click menu is a lot less useful than the one in Windows 10 for more complex tasks. To get to the same action, you need to use more clicks and cursor movements. Most of the apps are not integrated into the new right-click menu, so to get to an action from, for example, the open-source file archiver 7-Zip, you need to right-click, then go to Show more options to find the action.
- Then, there is the fact that the Windows 10 right-click menu was, to a certain extent, user-configurable. True, you had to edit some registry settings or use a third-party program, but you could edit the right-click menu yourself. While these tweaks still work for the old Show more options menu in Windows 11, they have no effect (for now) on the main right-click menu.
You can edit the right-click menu using a third-party tool
- The new spacing and bigger font look better but also have a downside: fewer items now fit in the menu before it gets too large.
- Some users have also complained about an ever-so-slight delay from the moment you right-click. This delay was not present in Windows 10, so the issue is quite visible. We tested it by right-clicking a file on systems with similar specs, with the two operating systems, and while the delay is small, it is indeed noticeable.
As we know from previous experience, the Microsoft operating systems are a constant work-in-progress (to put it mildly), and we expect Windows 11 to be no different. So there’s still a possibility that some of the issues above will be fixed in the following Windows 11 releases. Others will hopefully get less annoying in time, as more apps update their integration in the interface.
What do you think about the new Windows 11 right-click menu?
Now that you know more about the new right-click menu in Windows 11, we’d love to find out what you think about it. Have you used its features? Have you gotten used to it, or did you remove it? Also, let us know in the comments below if there’s anything else you’d like us to add to this article.
