The changes will not appear immediately because the Windows graphical interface ( explorer.exe ) caches the menu layout. You must restart the File Explorer process to see the effects. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the . Look for Windows Explorer under the Processes tab. Right-click on it and select Restart .

This adds a 32-bit integer value named Enabled under HKLM\Software\MyApp with a decimal value of 1 :

reg query "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\86CA1AA0-34AA-4e8B-A509-50C905BAE2A2"

The command reg add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2\InprocServer32" /f /ve is a widely known registry "hack" used to restore the in Windows 11. The Evolution of the Context Menu

Double-click the string inside InprocServer32 , make sure the "Value data" box is completely blank , and click OK . How to Apply the Changes Without Rebooting

Older apps may hardcode a CLSID; you can redirect to a shim DLL.

Your provided string is:

This is the #1 reason people use it. It saves you from having to click twice just to find basic options like 7-Zip, Notepad++, or older print drivers. Restores Muscle Memory:

reg add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\86CA1AA0-34AA-4E8B-A509-50C905BAE2A2\InprocServer32" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "C:\Path\to\my.dll" /f

If you've spent a decade knowing exactly where "Open with..." is, this puts it back where it belongs. No Third-Party Bloat:

Windows 11 introduced a redesigned right-click context menu. It features rounded corners, simplified options, and increased spacing. While visually modern, it hides many traditional options behind a "Show more options" layer. This extra step requires an additional click or a keyboard shortcut (Shift + F10).

By adding this specific key, you bypass the simplified Windows 11 right-click menu and restore the full, legacy menu by default. This removes the need to click "Show more options" to access third-party app shortcuts or advanced system settings. Hacker News Key Details

The InprocServer32 subkey is where Windows COM (Component Object Model) looks for the for an in-process server.

Click.