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Windows 11 preview adds a customizable right-click menu

productsThe Glonce editorsArs Technica🔥50Glonce rating50Impact40Novelty45Relevance70Surprise25Players60Credibility90

Microsoft has begun rolling out a Windows 11 preview update, KB5127936, that goes after a long-running complaint from power users: the right-click menu. Ars Technica says the redesigned menu wiped out years of muscle memory about where commands sit and buried others behind an extra click. Familiar commands were hidden behind a top row of icons, while others were moved under a "Show more options" submenu.

The fix is a "customize menu" button that controls which commands appear on right-click. Users can switch built-in commands such as Send To or Create Shortcut on or off, rearrange what appears on the main menu, and decide which third-party extensions show up in the main menu or in submenus. Ars Technica frames this as something that should calm users who have spent years on custom scripts and services to bend Windows to their habits.

The preview update is cumulative for Windows 11 versions 26H2 and 25H2. It will roll out gradually first, then move to a normal rollout for all Windows 11 devices once it reaches general availability.

The preview also highlights a new feature called Cloud Rebuild. It is a recovery option that can reinstall Windows 11 directly from the cloud, even when the existing Windows 11 install fails to boot. It pulls the Windows 11 image and the needed system drivers straight from Windows Update, so no custom recovery image or external media is required. Ars Technica adds a distinction: Microsoft classes Cloud Rebuild as recovery, but it behaves more like a fresh install than a repair, because existing applications and files are not included. People worried about data security can sanitize entire system drives before reinstalling.

Ars Technica calls the timing notable. The announcement arrived alongside Microsoft's quarterly financial report, which showed a continued decline in the business of selling Windows licenses for new PCs. The full list of improvements, including changes to Xbox mode and settings, is in Microsoft's official release announcement.

Key facts

  • Windows 11 preview update KB5127936 adds a "customize menu" button for the right-click menu.
  • Users can toggle built-in commands like Send To and Create Shortcut, rearrange the main menu, and control which third-party extensions appear in the main menu or submenus.
  • Cloud Rebuild reinstalls Windows 11 from the cloud, pulling the image and system drivers from Windows Update, even if the current install will not boot.
  • Cloud Rebuild acts like a fresh install: existing applications and files are not included, though users can sanitize system drives first.
  • The update is cumulative for Windows 11 versions 26H2 and 25H2, with a gradual rollout before general availability.

Why it matters

The right-click menu change reverses one of the most persistent power-user grievances about Windows 11. Instead of fixed placement of commands, users get control over what appears and where, which is what people had been trying to get with custom scripts and services. Cloud Rebuild adds a way to get a machine that will not boot back to a clean Windows 11 without building recovery media. Ars Technica also points out that the news arrived alongside a quarterly report showing a continued decline in Windows license sales for new PCs.

Who it affects

Anyone on Windows 11 versions 26H2 or 25H2, since the preview update is cumulative for both and is meant to reach all Windows 11 devices after general availability. Power users who rely on specific right-click commands and third-party extensions gain the most. Cloud Rebuild is relevant to anyone whose Windows 11 install no longer boots.

How to use it

The update is a preview, rolling out gradually before a normal rollout once it reaches general availability. Once it is installed, a "customize menu" button controls the right-click menu: switch built-in commands on or off, reorder the main menu, and choose which third-party extensions sit in the main menu or in submenus. For Cloud Rebuild, no custom recovery image or external media is needed, because the Windows 11 image and drivers come from Windows Update. Those concerned about data security can sanitize entire system drives before reinstalling. Microsoft's official release announcement lists the other improvements, including changes to Xbox mode and settings.

How solid is it

This is a report by Ars Technica on a first-party Microsoft preview update, identified as KB5127936. The article contains no direct quotes from anyone at Microsoft. No date or timescale is given for general availability of the update. No figures are given for the Windows licensing revenue decline: no percentage, dollar amount or quarter-over-quarter comparison.

Risks and caveats

Cloud Rebuild is classified by Microsoft as a recovery option, yet it behaves like a fresh install: existing applications and files will not be included, so anything not backed up elsewhere is a concern. The right-click changes are in a preview and will reach all devices only after general availability. The source does not say the right-click change or Cloud Rebuild is a response to the revenue decline; it only notes the timing coincides. No hardware requirements or regional availability are stated for Cloud Rebuild.