Enabling the Right-Click Context Menu in Windows 11 Terminal

The Windows 11 Terminal allows you to use both the features of the Command Prompt and the PowerShell run dialog in one package. This can be further improved if you enable the Windows 11 Terminal right-click menu. It allows you to seamlessly copy and paste content (since the default right-click can lead to accidental duplications and incorrect commands). Here’s how.

Enable Windows 11 Terminal Right-Click Menu Step-by-Step

Unlike with the old Command Prompt, which only accepted textual input and the shortcut commands, you can use the built-in Settings option to enable right-click menu in Terminal.

Step 1. Open the Terminal as an admin (recommended, but not strictly necessary if you’re already working on an account with administrator privileges).

Step 2. Click on the small down arrow next to the “plus” icon in the tab section on the top toolbar.

Step 3. Select “Settings.” This opens a new tab inside the app.

Step 4. Go to the “Defaults” tab on the right (in the “Profile” subsection).

Step 5. Scroll down and select “Advanced.”

Step 6. Scroll down and toggle on the option named “Display a menu on right-click.”

Step 7. Click on “Save” to apply the changes.

After you set this globally, the setting should automatically propagate to any profile and app that the Terminal uses from then on. When you create a new profile, you can recheck for it specifically in a similar process.

Enabling the Terminal (Admin) as an Option in Windows 11 Right-Click Context Menu

In recent versions of Windows, you can also open folders directly in the Terminal (which simply moves the context window to that folder so you can perform file-based operations on it directly). However, if you want to use commands that require administrator access, this might not work.

In that case, you’ll need to get an additional Windows 11 Terminal right-click menu option that allows you to choose profiles. This is done by modifying the registry with a few settings. Note that you have to be on an administrator account to change the settings, but after you do, any account can access it.

If you want to make sure you can undo the changes, create a backup copy of the registry via the Registry Editor.

Step 1. Download the file listed here (from Elevenforum.com). This will open a browser tab and automatically start a download. If it doesn’t, wait and click for manual download.

Step 2. Since it’s a registry file, most browsers will block it. You may need to manually allow the file to be saved through the Downloads pop-up on the sidebar (or top or down, depending on the browser and version). For Edge, open the Downloads tab and click on “Keep.”

Step 3. Run the .REG file you’ve downloaded, which will prompt you to incorporate it into the registry. Click on “Run” to continue.

Step 4. Click on “Yes” for user account control, then “Yes” on the dialog, and “OK” to finalize the merge.

After the registry changes are made, you’ll get more options via the right-click context menu, but only if you expand it to show more options.