How to Turn On or off Arrange Primary Actions Inline on Context Menu in Windows 11

What You Need to Know Before Changing Your Settings

Arranging primary actions inline on the Windows 11 context menu 🖱️ only works on the modern right-click layout that appears with small icons instead of the classic expanded menu. Microsoft rolls out these layout updates gradually through system patches, so some computers might not show the visual toggle right away and require a manual registry adjustment instead.

Microsoft releases new features slowly. If you do not see the option in your settings, you can use the manual registry method below to force the change.

Method 1Change Your Right-Click Layout Using Windows Settings

Changing your Windows 11 context menu 🖱️ layout through the main configuration app takes just a few clicks using built-in personalization options. You can open your system settings with a quick keyboard shortcut, navigate to the correct display menu, and turn the inline primary actions switch on or off without touching any advanced system files.

1. Open the main configuration menu by pressing the Win+I on your keyboard at the same time. You can also click the Start button ⊞ and select the gear-shaped icon.

   

2. Click on Personalization in the menu on the left side of your screen. Then, click on Context menu 🖱️ in the middle area.

   

3. Find the section named Additional options. Look for the toggle switch for arranging primary actions inline. Turn this switch On to make your copy and paste buttons sit side-by-side, or turn it Off to use the standard rows. Note: Administrator privileges are required to change system settings. If you do not see this option, your Windows version might be older than what is required. Use the next method instead.

   

4. Click the “X” in the top right corner to close the settings ⚙️ window. Right-click any file on your desktop to test the new layout.

Method 2Update Your System Database Manually

Updating your system database manually lets you force the Windows 11 context menu 🖱️ layout change when the visual settings panel does not show the option yet. By opening the Registry Editor (a database for deep system settings), you can create or modify specific keys to turn the inline action arrangement on or off directly.

1. Open the Registry Editor (a database for deep system settings) by pressing the Win+R on your keyboard. Type regedit into the empty text field and press Enter. Warning: Administrator privileges are required to edit the registry. Follow these steps carefully because changing the wrong setting can cause system issues.
2. Navigate to the correct folder location by copying this path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ContextMenu\Preferences\DemoteTopBar Paste or type that address into the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor window, then press Enter. Note: if the final subfolders are missing, right-click the folder just above the missing one, select New › Key, and name it accordingly.
3. Look at the right side of the screen and double-click the value named Enabled. A small box will pop up.
4. Type 1 into the Value data box to turn the inline arrangement on, or type 0 to turn it off. Make sure the Base option is set to Hexadecimal, and click the OK button.
5. Close the Registry Editor window. Restart your 🔄 computer or restart Windows Explorer 📁 through the Task Manager 📊 to make your changes take effect.

Summary

Managing the Windows 11 context menu 🖱️ to arrange primary actions inline gives you two main ways to control your right-click layout. You can use the standard personalization settings for a quick fix or update the system registry manually if the visual toggle is missing from your computer.