Aiming for faster performance and a cleaner right-click menu, Windows 11 File Explorer is being tested with changes that give users greater control over its increasingly crowded context menu.
Microsoft is reportedly testing a new round of Windows 11 File Explorer improvements with a particular focus on speed, reliability, and the experience users get when right-clicking files and folders. The changes are currently being introduced to Windows Insiders rather than released broadly to all Windows 11 users.
The move is part of Microsoft’s wider effort to improve the underlying performance of Windows 11. File Explorer is one of the operating system’s most frequently used tools, making even small delays noticeable during routine tasks such as opening folders, moving files or navigating between locations.
Faster navigation and fewer interruptions.
Microsoft has been working on the architecture behind File Explorer to reduce delays and improve responsiveness. The company has previously said that these changes are intended to address issues such as hangs, unstable transitions and sluggish navigation.
The latest work also targets the Windows 11 context menu, which can slow down or become difficult to navigate when third-party applications add their own extensions. Microsoft is testing a more streamlined design intended to reduce clutter and make right-click actions respond more quickly.
More control over the right-click menu.
One notable change is the ability to manage certain built-in commands and third-party application extensions that appear in the context menu. This is significant because Windows users often accumulate software that integrates directly with File Explorer. Cloud-storage tools, compression utilities, security software and other applications can add options to the right-click menu, making it longer and potentially slower to load.
The proposed controls could give users more flexibility over what appears there, while retaining access to functions they regularly use. The File Explorer work follows Microsoft’s broader Windows quality initiative, which places greater emphasis on performance, reliability and usability. The company has said that several File Explorer improvements are being previewed before wider availability later in 2026.
For now, these changes remain part of the Windows Insider testing programme. Their final design and availability could therefore change before reaching the wider Windows 11 user base.The latest development nevertheless signals a shift towards improving the fundamentals of Windows 11. Rather than focusing only on new features, Microsoft is paying more attention to making everyday tools such as File Explorer faster, more stable, and less cumbersome to use.
