How to Turn On or Off Right-Click Context Menus in Windows 11 or 10?

Windows 11/10 users always depend on the right-click context menu to perform certain actions on a specific app. This small window pop-ups when you right-click within an app. After that, you can select a specific action according to the app.

By default, right-click context menu remains enabled in Windows 11 and 10. Sometimes, you might want to disable or enable the context menu. For example, if you share your device with others. You might want to disable this context menu so other users can’t tweak your PC’s settings. Or, you may want to turn on the context menus because your device doesn’t show it anymore.

The reasons may be many. If you want to enable or disable right-click Context Menus in various places (including Taskbar, Start Menu, and File Explorer) in Windows 11 or 10, this gearupwindows article will guide you. You can perform this operation on your Windows 11 or 10 machine using two methods: Registry Editor or Group Policy Editor.

How to Enable or Disable the Taskbar Context Menu using Group Policy Editor?

To turn on or off Taskbar Context Menu using Group Policy Editor in Windows 11 or 10, use these steps:-

Step 1. Open Local Group Policy Editor.

Step 2. In the Local Group Policy Editor window, navigate to the following path in the left sidebar:-

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

Step 3. On the right-sidebar of the “Start Menu and Taskbar” folder, double-click on the “Remove access to the context menus for the taskbar.”

Step 4. Select the Enabled option.

Step 5. Click Apply.

Step 6. Click OK.

Step 7. Reboot your computer.

Once you complete the above steps, the Taskbar Context Menu will be disabled on your Windows 11 or 10 machine.

If you want to enable the taskbar context menu, repeat the above steps and in step 4, select the Not configured or Disabled option.

How to Enable or Disable the Taskbar Context Menu through Registry Editor?

To turn on or off the Taskbar Context Menu through Registry Editor, use these steps:-

Step 1. Open Registry Editor.

Step 2. Then, browse to the following key in the left sidebar of the Registry Editor window:-

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Step 3. Right-click on the Explorer folder in the left sidebar and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Step 4. Name the newly created REG_DWORD as NoTrayContextMenu.

Step 5. Now, double-click on the NoTrayContextMenu REG_DWORD and set its “Value data” to the following:-

  • 0: Enable the Taskbar Context Menu.
  • 1: Disable the Taskbar Context Menu.

Step 6. Click OK.

Step 7. Reboot your computer to apply the changes.

How to Turn On or Off the File Explorer Context Menus Using Group Policy Editor?

To enable or disable the File Explorer Context Menus using Group Policy Editor, use these steps:-

Step 1. Open Local Group Policy Editor.

Step 2. In the Local Group Policy Editor window, browse to the following path in the left sidebar:-

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer

Step 3. On the right side of the “File Explorer” folder, double-click on the “Remove File Explorer’s default context menu” policy.

Step 4. Select the Enabled option.

Step 5. Click Apply.

Step 6. Click OK.

Step 7. Restart your computer.

Once you complete the above steps, the File Explorer context menu will be disabled on your Windows 11 or 10 machine.

If you want to enable the File Explorer context menu, repeat the above steps, and in step 4, select the Not Configured or Disabled option.

How to Turn On or Off the File Explorer Context Menus through Registry Editor?

To enable or disable the File Explorer Context Menus through Registry Editor in Windows 11 or 10, use these steps:-

Step 1. Open Registry Editor.

Step 2. Then, navigate to the following folder in the left sidebar of the Registry Editor window:-

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Step 3. Right-click on the Explorer key in the left sidebar and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Step 4. Name the newly created REG_DWORD as NoViewContextMenu.

Step 5. Then, enter the following number in the “Value data” field:-

  • 0: Enable File Explorer Context Menu.
  • 1: Disable File Explorer Context Menu.

Step 6. Click OK.

Step 7. Reboot your computer to apply the changes.

How to Enable or Disable the Context Menus in the Start Menu using Group Policy Editor?

To turn on or off the Context Menus in the Start Menu using Group Policy Editor, do these steps:-

Step 1. Open Local Group Policy Editor.

Step 2. In the Local Group Policy Editor window, browse to the following path in the left sidebar:-

User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

Step 3. On the right side of the “Start Menu and Taskbar” folder, double-click on the “Disable context menus in the Start Menu” policy.

Step 4. Select the Enabled option.

Step 5. Click Apply.

Step 6. Click OK.

Step 7. Reboot your computer.

Once you complete the above steps, the Context Menus in the Start Menu will be disabled.

If you want to enable the Context Menus in the Start Menu, repeat the above steps, and in step 4, select the Not Configured or Disabled option.

How to Enable or Disable the Context Menus in the Start Menu through Registry Editor?

To turn on or off the Context Menus in the Start Menu through Registry Editor, use these steps:-

Step 1. Open Registry Editor.

Step 2. Then, navigate to the following folder in the left sidebar of the Registry Editor window:-

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Step 3. Right-click on the Explorer key in the left sidebar and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Step 4. Name the newly created REG_DWORD as DisableContextMenusInStart.

Step 5. Then, enter the following number in the “Value data” field:-

  • 0: Enable the Context Menus in the Start Menu.
  • 1: Disable the Context Menus in the Start Menu.

Step 6. Click OK.

Step 7. At last, restart your computer to apply the changes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the right-click context menu is an essential feature in Windows 11 and 10, allowing users to perform specific actions on an app. However, there are times when you may want to enable or disable the context menu for security or other reasons. This article has shown two methods, using the Group Policy Editor and Registry Editor, to turn on or off the context menus in various places like Taskbar, Start Menu, and File Explorer. By following the steps mentioned in this article, users can easily enable or disable context menus on their Windows 11 or 10 machines as per their preference.

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