Feature request: add "Print" to the modern Windows 11 context menu

[maciaccio]

I have been using StartAllBack with the classic context menu option, but that context menu is seriously cluttered which is why it was redesigned. I don't mind the new Windows 11 context menu, or even hitting "more options" for obscure tasks. However, 'print' is one of the most common tasks in any production environment. To reach it, you have to select "more options" then find it in the cluttered list. Or use the StartAllBAck classic menu option, as noted. It seems like a really really dumb design decision by Microsoft....because who would want to PRINT anything with just two clicks (right-click>print)?! No, let's get cute and nest it in a cluttered secondary menu.

Please consider adding 'Print' command to the modern context menu (ribbon or list) as an option in StartAllBack. You can even scrap the often useless 'Share' command which ironically shows up twice, in both the menu ribbon and the menu list. Or consider expanding the customization options for modern and classic context menus... which would surely be more complicated, and there may be 3rd party apps for this already. I don't really want to add a second shell tweaker app. Especially if it can be done natively in Windows 11 as a built-in OS option, or via regedit, or with the OS tweaker I already use...StartAllBack

I have exhausted all efforts using regedit with the help of ChatGPT and WIndows forum posts on this topic. Some things may have changed very recently, perhaps with the 01/2025 cumulative or feature updates. Recent windows updates broke my network shares, causing the host PC to be locked repeatedly until I deleted all net shares, reset windows credentials in Credential Manager, and recreated the network shares. Also Start menu and Explorer Quick List pinned items were gone and had to be re-created. I have been unable to add Print function to the modern context menu using several methods--regedit, GPE, command line--so far it's a no go for a very basic Windows function to be easily accessible.

I read somewhere that PowerToys may be adding a feature for customizing context menus... but not sure if that will ever happen.

Alternatively, if you have read this far and you have a working solution, please share.

Thank you!

 

[inginsi]

On 1/17/2025 at 7:53 AM, maciaccio said:

I have been using StartAllBack with the classic context menu option, but that context menu is seriously cluttered which is why it was redesigned. I don't mind the new Windows 11 context menu, or even hitting "more options" for obscure tasks. However, 'print' is one of the most common tasks in any production environment. To reach it, you have to select "more options" then find it in the cluttered list. Or use the StartAllBAck classic menu option, as noted. It seems like a really really dumb design decision by Microsoft....because who would want to PRINT anything with just two clicks (right-click>print)?! No, let's get cute and nest it in a cluttered secondary menu.

Please consider adding 'Print' command to the modern context menu (ribbon or list) as an option in StartAllBack escape road. You can even scrap the often useless 'Share' command which ironically shows up twice, in both the menu ribbon and the menu list. Or consider expanding the customization options for modern and classic context menus... which would surely be more complicated, and there may be 3rd party apps for this already. I don't really want to add a second shell tweaker app. Especially if it can be done natively in Windows 11 as a built-in OS option, or via regedit, or with the OS tweaker I already use...StartAllBack

I have exhausted all efforts using regedit with the help of ChatGPT and WIndows forum posts on this topic. Some things may have changed very recently, perhaps with the 01/2025 cumulative or feature updates. Recent windows updates broke my network shares, causing the host PC to be locked repeatedly until I deleted all net shares, reset windows credentials in Credential Manager, and recreated the network shares. Also Start menu and Explorer Quick List pinned items were gone and had to be re-created. I have been unable to add Print function to the modern context menu using several methods--regedit, GPE, command line--so far it's a no go for a very basic Windows function to be easily accessible.

I read somewhere that PowerToys may be adding a feature for customizing context menus... but not sure if that will ever happen.

Alternatively, if you have read this far and you have a working solution, please share.

Thank you!

 

I totally get your frustration—having to dig through 'More options' just to print is incredibly inefficient, especially in a production environment. StartAllBack’s classic menu definitely helps, but it’s not ideal if you want a streamlined workflow. You might want to keep an eye on PowerToys; they’ve been slowly adding features that improve context menu customization, and it may eventually let you add ‘Print’ directly.