Windows 11 - Why are there two right-click menus?

[JGreg7]

In Windows 11 there seems to be two of the right-click menus: The standard one, and the 64-bit version.

The problem is that when I install programs/apps, some apps put their shortcuts into one menu, or the other, but not both. Having to hunt for the correct menu item each time makes the right-click menu very inconvenient.

Is there any way to somehow combine these into one, single right-click menu?

Or alternatively force app installations to use one or the other?

[highend]

Uninstall your x86 apps, install their x64 counterparts, use the 64-bit context menu in XY...

[phred]

Wouldn't using the 64bit version of XY take care of this issue?

[JGreg7]

Wouldn't using the 64bit version of XY take care of this issue?

I would, however, the XYPlorer context menu items do not appear on the 64-bit menu. There does not seem to be a way to add these to a particular menu.

[JGreg7]

Uninstall your x86 apps, install their x64 counterparts, use the 64-bit context menu in XY...

Some of the apps I use do not have a 64-bit version, so they only interface with the default menu.

[highend]

You could use the x64 version of XY to get the internal menu items but regardless what you do, you have to mess with the registry to copy from / to the Wow64 part of what the apps provide as their menu entry stuff

[RalphM]

Sorry if I'm being naive here but I really thought moving to the 64-bit version of XY would solve all the issues with separate context menus.
You're saying that in order to get all entries there would still need some tinkering with the registry?

[Moonlight]

[...] I really thought moving to the 64-bit version of XY would solve all the issues with separate context menus.

This was my impression too. I think it was my conclusion from this posting by Don in another topic:

In the 64-bit version you don't have to do anything, it just works.

But maybe he referred only to the specific issue which had to do with a certain software discussed there ("Powertoys Image Resizer"). (?)

[highend]

?

If an application is only available as 32-bit it writes its registry settings (on a 64-bit OS) into the 32-bit part of the registry (Wow6432Node) which the 64-bit context menu doesn't use.
Good 64-bit apps install their registry stuff in both parts so that old 32-bit and new 64-bit context menus see the same entries
Normal 64-bit apps do it only for the 64-bit context menu

[admin]

The XY64 context menu is identical to those of File Explorer and other 64-bit apps. Software that only installs 32-bit shell extensions is not ready for 64-bit Windows. But, of course, you can use 32-bit XYplorer for those cases (which I think must be quite rare).