If you need to get caught up quickly on all the announcements made at Microsoft Ignite 2025 for a particular technology area, check out the Microsoft Ignite “Book of News”.
INSTANT SUMMARIES: There are summaries that can be generated with the help of AI called “Instant Summaries”. Select “TDM” or “Builder” Please refer to the original BoN item for full details.
Microsoft Ignite “Book of News” (The index of the book is in the image to the right.)
The Context Menu in File Explorer has received a well-deserved update with the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7271. Microsoft has finally made the context menu compact, which previously took almost 75% of the vertical screen.
Microsoft did this by rearranging and grouping similar actions, making the experience more coherent. A new “Manage file” flyout holds lesser-used actions like “Compress file” and “Copy as path”.
Windows Latest tested the new File Explorer Context Menu and found that it now takes around 50% of the vertical screen space, which is better than before, but could be better.
New File Explorer Context menu in Windows 11
Over the years, the right-click menu in Windows 11 has been getting taller and taller to the point that it almost covers the entire screen, especially if you set the scale to 125% or above, and if you have an aspect ratio of 16:9.
My PC has an aspect ratio of 16:10, which means it has more vertical screen real estate, and even then, the context menu fills about 75% of the vertical screen.
File Explorer right-click Context Menu taking up almost the entire vertical screen (before update)
The right-click menu (context menu) is the longest for images, since it has the additional “Edit with Clipchamp”, “Edit with Paint”, and the “Photos” option.
Well, Microsoft isn’t making any changes to these, but the company told in their Windows Insider Blog that they are “making a few refinements to the context menu aimed at reducing the space taken by less commonly used actions, while keeping them easy to access.”
The main step taken to reduce clutter was, as we do in the regular world, to just group similar stuff.
Compress to ZIP file, Copy as Path, Set as Desktop Background, Rotate Right, and Rotate Left are all now under a nested menu called Manage file. But, just so you know, you don’t have to remember this name now, since Microsoft hasn’t finalized the name “Manage file”, and it may change in a future Insider update.
Either way, Manage file alone was responsible for reducing the length by four lines, as each of these five had its separate spaces in the right-click menu.
Interestingly, this nested menu approach is similar to the Split Context Menu idea, which Windows Latest reported that Microsoft is working on with WinUI apps.
Screenshot courtesy: WindowsLatest.com | Image source: Microsoft
But Microsoft didn’t stop here. For files that are also backed up in OneDrive or any other cloud service, the options “Always Keep on this Device” and “Free Up Space” will now be under the OneDrive or the relevant cloud provider’s nested menu.
Next to this will be the “Send to My Phone” option, which was earlier below the Open with option. Speaking of which, the “Open Folder Location” option will also be next to “Open with” and “Open”.
Testing the new right-click menu in Windows 11 Preview Build
Windows Latest installed the new Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7271 (KB5070307) for the Dev channel on our virtual machine.
The new context menu was not hidden after the update, which is quite unusual for Microsoft, and most new features are generally hidden. I opened the File Explorer, clicked on a random image, and saw that the context menu looked cleaner and more compact.
New Windows 11 right-click context menu in File Explorer takes just half the vertical screen space (after the update)
Microsoft kept their promise of “reducing the space taken”, as the right-click menu is now noticeably shorter than it used to be. On first glance, it looks more aesthetic as well, especially since the different options and actions now have a better order.
The context menu for PDFs is even smaller, especially since it doesn’t have the default actions for Photos. The right-click menu is almost similar for all file types, just like it was before. Images, on the other hand, have the most detailed context menu, with additional options like “Edit with Paint” and Photos.
The highlight here, at least for me, is definitely the new “Manage file” option, which has submenus that supposedly change based on the file type you right-clicked.
However, for all file types except for Photos, the only options in “Manage file” are Compress to… and Copy as path. I hope Microsoft will add more useful options here, as taking just two actions to put under one submenu doesn’t seem efficient, except for Photos, which has additional actions like Rotate right, Rotate left, and Set as desktop background.
Interestingly, the “Compress to” sub menu, under Manage file, shows ZIP File, 7z File, TAR File, all in a tertiary submenu, which is a first for the File Explorer.
The other change I noticed is with the context menu for files that I have synced with OneDrive. Previously, we had the actions “Always Keep on this Device” and “Free Up Space” show up when we right-click on a file that is synced with OneDrive. After the update, both these actions are secondary items under OneDrive.
Finally, things like Shortcut had the option “Open Folder Location” in the context menu below the Share button. But now it has changed to under the “Open with” button, which makes more sense.
Here’s a full first look at the new right-click context menu in the File Explorer:
The File Explorer can be a lot better…
We really appreciate Microsoft fixing things in Windows 11, and the new Context Menu in File Explorer is another step in the right direction. But the company’s solution to preload the File Explorer to make it open faster is probably a step backward.
Speaking of performance issues in the File Explorer, in the video above, you might have noticed that while right-clicking on an image, the actions Ask Copilot, Edit with Clipchamp, Edit in Notepad, Edit in Paint, and Photos, load a bit slowly.
First of all, the Context Menu can be a lot faster if these actions are completely removed from the menu. If Microsoft feels that these are necessary, then they should be under “Manage File”.
However, there are some specialists who prefer to have the “Edit in Notepad” option in the Context Menu to view the file in binary (.dll). If that’s the case, then there might be people who like to have Edit with Clipchamp, and Edit in Paint as well…
The issue here is that these options take some milliseconds to show up, and that makes the whole experience sluggish.
Windows 10 context menu also has Edit with Photos, Ask Copilot, and Edit in Paint 3D, but the entire context menu shows up instantly, unlike Windows 11.
In the video, File Explorer in Windows 10 opens almost instantly, and that too with my Windows 10 VM having less than 2GB of storage space. Also, it has just 2GB of RAM.
How is it possible for the same Microsoft that built such a robust File Explorer in Windows 10 for lower-powered hardware, make it worse in their newer OS with better hardware?
While I like how snappy Windows 10 File Explorer and Context menu are, I can’t help but root for the new context menu in Windows 11 that looks much better.
Yes, Microsoft has a lot of work to do, especially at the basic levels like File Explorer. But the company seems to be focused on Copilot masquerading as the best thing to ever happen to Windows, only to get bashed by real developers.
Porsche’s new Cayenne EV sets a fresh benchmark for luxury electric SUVs with blistering acceleration, remarkable range, and ultra-fast charging technology, but faces slow adoption due to it's price
We also break down Jeep’s upcoming Recon EV—a rugged, trail-rated electric SUV debuting in 2026—highlighting its impressive off-road features but questioning its charging limitations and lack of a Tesla NACS plug. Plus: the latest on KGM’s affordable Aussie ute, Hyundai’s wild Crater concept, industry awards for the best home EV chargers, and a discussion on the future balance between BEVs and plug-in hybrids.
In this episode, I sit down with developer and speaker Sagi Carmel to dive deep into Astro, why it’s gaining so much traction, and how it compares to frameworks like Next.js, Nuxt, Remix, and SvelteKit. We explore what makes Astro uniquely powerful — from its server-first approach and island architecture to its simplicity, speed, and ability to integrate with any front-end framework you want.
Sagi also walks me through real-world use cases, including how he built Israel’s official Census website with Astro, why scoped CSS and server components simplify the development experience, and how tools like HTMX and view transitions make web UX buttery smooth. If you’ve been curious about Astro, this conversation is a terrific deep dive into both its fundamentals and its advanced capabilities.
Gobble, gobble. The holiday season is officially here, and this week’s list of things to do in Philadelphia shines brighter than ever.
Expect floats, giant balloons and celebrities galore when the 6abc Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade soars down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway (Thursday).
Lace up those skates and prepare to get cozy: Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest is back at Penn’s Landing (opens Friday).
New restaurants join Philly’s Michelin-minted food scene, like Huda Burger in Fishtown (now open) and WineDive in Rittenhouse (now open).
And beloved holiday light shows return, including the Comcast Holiday Spectacular (begins Thursday) and your last chance to see the Wanamaker Light Show and Dickens Village before a two-year hiatus (begins Friday).
Plus, more holiday pop-up bars are opening around the city, like Tinsel (opens Saturday), Ever Eve in the Back Bar at High Street (opens Saturday), and the Wine Garden Holiday Pop-Up: Diamonds and Pearls at Suburban Station (opens Wednesday).
Also happening this week: Small Business Saturday, Museum Store Sunday, Thanksgiving Day meal deals and holiday tree lightings all across the region.
With so much happening this week, you’ll wanna stay over — so why pay more? Book the Visit Philly Overnight Package for free hotel parking and priceless peace of mind.
Below, find the best things to do in Philadelphia this week and weekend, November 24 to 30, 2025.
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Microsoft Ignite “Book of News”
