Microsoft is removing eight Copilot actions from the File Explorer right-click menu in Windows 11, starting in mid-November.
Microsoft calls it "simplifying", and the change should be finished by December, as Windows Latest spotted in a Microsoft admin document.
If you never clicked them, you won't miss them. If you used Extract text to grab words from a picture, there are free tools that do it better.
The 8 Actions Going Away
These only appeared if you use OneDrive, or right-clicked files synced to it.
- For documents: Summarize, Create FAQ, Compare Files and Ask a question.
- For pictures: Explain image, Explain images, Compare images and Extract text.
The Ask Copilot option stays in the right-click menu, and the same features still live inside the Copilot and OneDrive apps. Nothing is lost - it is just one less shortcut.
Free Tools That Do the Same Job
| You used to click | Use this instead |
|---|---|
| Extract text | PowerToys Text Extractor, ShareX OCR, Snipping Tool's Text actions, or an online Image to Text tool for batches |
| Compare images | nomacs, which shows two pictures side by side |
| Explain image(s) | Drop the picture into the Copilot app |
| Summarize, Create FAQ, Ask a question, Compare Files | Right-click and choose Ask Copilot, or open the file in the Copilot app |
The Best Replacement for Extract Text
PowerToys is Microsoft's own free toolbox, and its Text Extractor reads text from anything on your screen - a photo, a scanned page, a paused video.
- Install PowerToys and make sure Text Extractor is switched on in its settings.
- Open the picture and press Win + Shift + T.
- Drag a box around the text. It lands on your clipboard, ready to paste.
It works offline.
Text Extractor doesn't need OneDrive or a Microsoft account, and your pictures never leave your PC. If you also take a lot of screenshots, ShareX has OCR built into its capture tools.
Prefer nothing extra? Windows 11's Snipping Tool has a Text actions button that copies text from a screenshot.
Need to turn a whole stack of photos or scans into text? ConvertICO's free Image to Text converter works in your browser with no install or sign-up. It handles up to 20 images at once in 48 languages, and can save the result as a Word file or a searchable PDF.
For Pictures: View and Compare Without the Cloud
nomacs can open two pictures side by side and zoom them together, which is handy for spotting the better shot.
For plain fast viewing, IrfanView opens almost any image format in a blink.
Why Microsoft Is Doing This
It's part of a wider pullback. Earlier this year Microsoft promised fewer "unnecessary Copilot entry points", and it has already taken Copilot buttons out of Photos and toned them down in Notepad and Snipping Tool.
Lots of users had complained about AI shortcuts crowding the menus, so a shorter right-click menu may be welcome news.
Quick questions
When will the Copilot actions disappear?
Removal starts around mid-November 2026 and rolls out in stages. They should be gone for everyone by December.
Do I need to do anything?
No. The change happens on its own. Just install a replacement if you used Extract text or the image tools.
Can I remove Ask Copilot from the right-click menu too?
Yes. Uninstalling the Copilot app removes the Ask Copilot option as well.
How do I copy text from a picture in Windows 11?
Press Win + Shift + T with PowerToys installed, or use the Text actions button in Snipping Tool. Both copy the text so you can paste it anywhere.
Is Windows 10 affected?
Microsoft's note is about Windows 11. The same PowerToys and ShareX tools work on Windows 10 too.
The right-click menu is getting shorter, and the most useful thing it loses - copying text from pictures - is free and offline with PowerToys.
Grab PowerToys before the shortcut disappears, or tell us whether you'll miss Copilot in the menu.
Latest news comments
AllThe Vega OS shift is the biggest Firestick story of 2026. Anyone buying now needs to know: 4K Max = sideloading works, plain 4K = ...
News: The New Fire TV Stick 4K Can't Run Kodi - Here's Which Fire Stick Still Can 3 commentsBrave just enabled it by default for stable users yesterday (1.97). Not specified is chromeOS will be passively gaining decode capability too, and ...
News: JPEG XL Is Back in Chrome: What It Means and How to Open JXL Files 2 commentsI didn't know it was EU, AND france. That doesn't sound like a good idea. Related to coding or privacy.
News: Meet Qwant: The Private, EU-Built Alternative to Google 1 comment