Three years ago, Microsoft unveiled Windows 11, introducing a redesigned context menu that promised to enhance user experience through a streamlined approach. The intention was clear: to bring commonly used file actions closer to the cursor, enabling quicker access. While this goal has been partially achieved, the reality of the context menu has diverged from its original promise.
Redundancy in the Context Menu
The context menu in Windows 11 has become increasingly cluttered, with redundant options proliferating. Instead of expanding the “Open with” submenu to accommodate new applications, Microsoft has opted to integrate additional “Edit with” choices directly into the main menu. This shift has resulted in users encountering not just the standard “Open with” submenu, but also an influx of four extra options for applications such as Notepad, Photos, Clipchamp, and the newly added Paint.
The latest update for Paint, announced on November 7 for Windows Insiders, introduced a new “Edit with Paint” option. Although this addition was not highlighted in the official announcement, users quickly identified its presence after installing Paint version 11.2410.28.0. This option appears when right-clicking on image files, providing a targeted editing solution, unlike Notepad, which is suggested for editing a variety of unrelated file types, including exe, PDF, and video files.
Currently, the new Paint version, along with its somewhat superfluous context menu entry, is exclusive to Windows Insiders. However, similar to previous applications like Notepad and Clipchamp, users can remove the “Edit with Paint” option from the context menu by modifying the Windows Registry.
In addition to the context menu changes, the latest Paint update brings several exciting features, including generative fill, which allows users to incorporate AI-generated elements into their images, and generative erase, along with enhancements to the Cocreator tool. For those interested in exploring these new capabilities, further details are available through Microsoft’s official channels.
