In this tutorial, we will show you how to add Open in new process option to the context menu in Windows 11. The Open in new process command helps to launch a folder or drive in a separate explorer.exe process. So, if an explorer.exe process hangs or crashes, it won’t affect the folder(s) opened in the separate explorer.exe process.
By default, this command option appears in the right-click menu when we press and hold the Shift key and right-click on a folder/drive or use the Shift+F10 hotkey for a selected folder or drive. But, if you use this command more often and want to keep the Open in new process option in the right-click menu, then you do this with a simple Registry trick covered in this post.
Once it is done, you can open a folder in a new process without using the Shift key. The Shift key can also be used though. Later, you can also remove the Open in new process option from the right-click context menu of Windows 11 any time you need. Before moving further and using this Registry trick, it is advised to back up the Registry (just in case).
Add Open in new process option to Context Menu in Windows 11
The steps to add the Open in new process option to the context in Windows 11 using Registry Editor are as follows:
- Type regedit in the Windows 11 Search box
- Hit the Enter key to open Windows Registry (or Registry Editor)
- Jump to the opennewprocess Registry key. This Registry key and all its values (DWORD value and String values) and sub-key remain present by default for the Open in new process option. We just need to do a minor change there. So, access that Registry key first. The path is:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\opennewprocess
- On the right-hand section, right-click on the Extended String value
- Use the Delete option and a box will open
- Hit the Yes button in that Confirm Value Delete box. You might also need to restart File Explorer.
That’s it! Now right-click on a folder or multiple folders present on the desktop or some other location, and click on Show more options. You will see that the Open in new process option is visible in the context menu. And, clicking on that option will simply launch the selected folder(s) in a new explorer.exe process.
Related: How to add Select Context Menu in Windows 11/10
Remove Open in new process option from Windows 11 context menu
In case you don’t need Open in new process option in the context menu anymore, you can remove it using the following steps:
- Open the Registry Editor
- Access the opennewprocess key using the following path:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\opennewprocess
- On the right section, right-click on an empty area, open the New menu and use the String Value option
- Rename the new String value to Extended.
Restart the File Explorer if you don’t see any change and it will apply changes. Now the Open in new process option won’t be there in the context menu. But, you can always access it when you press and hold the Shift key and right-click on any folder or drive.
hope this helps.
How do I add programs to the context menu in Windows 11?
If you want to add an application or a program to the context menu in Windows 11/10, then you can do it using the Registry Editor. First, you need to locate the Shell key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT Registry. After this, create a new Registry key with a program name and create a sub-key (with command name) that will include the path of that program. In addition to that, if you want to add new items or edit/delete items in the context menu, then you can use some free context menu editors available for Windows 11/10.
How do I get the old right-click context menu back in Windows 11?
If you want to open the old right-click context menu in Windows 11, then click on Show more options which comes when you right-click on a file or folder. On the other hand, if you want to disable the new context menu in Windows 11 to always open the old right-click context menu, then it can be done using Windows Registry.
Read next: Add Permanently Delete to Context Menu to Windows .
