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

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 right-click layout using Windows settings ⚙️ is done directly through the main configuration panel by opening your system options with a keyboard shortcut. You just need to open the main settings app, go to the personalization section, and select the context menu 🖱️ settings to adjust your layout.

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

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

Summarizing how to turn the inline arrange primary actions feature on or off for the Windows 11 context menu 🖱️ shows you can use either the main settings app ⚙️ or the registry editor. Both methods let you control how your right-click menu looks and acts so you can set up your computer just the way you like it.