How to Fix Create New Folder is Missing on Windows 11

Problem: Many users are unable to create new folders in Windows 11; this issue can take two different forms:

• You can access the context menu but cannot create a new folder using New > Folder or a keyboard shortcut (most common.)
• You can’t access the context menu when you right-click, making it impossible to create new folders.

Cause: Both of these situations happen due to errors in the Windows Registry, so it is likely that a program or malware caused them in the first place.

Solution: If you cannot create a new folder via the Context Menu: Open the Registry Editor, navigate to \HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder, then change the Value of the Default entry to Folder, and reboot your PC.

If you can’t access the Context Menu:

Navigate to \HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\ and create a new key under Context Menu Handlers, naming it New. On the New key, double-click on the Default Entry and change its value to {D969A300-E7FF-11d0-A93B-00A0C90F2719}.

If you are not an advanced user, keep reading, and I will show you how to do each of these step-by-step.

(If you want to bring your productivity back to Windows 11, read my article on how to bring Windows 10 Start Menu back on Windows 11.)

How to Fix Create New Folder Missing from the Context Menu

As mentioned above, you will need to make changes to the Registry Editor to create new folders in Windows 11. Before making any changes, make sure to back up your Registry.

Here is how to do it:

1. Type Registry Editor on Windows Search and click on Open:
   
2. On the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path:
   Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder
   
3. Right-click on the Default entry and click on Modify:
   
4. Then change its Value to Folder:
   
5. Reboot your PC.

(If your folders and files are not refreshing automatically on File Explorer, check the article I‘ve written on it.)

How to Fix Can’t Create New Folder If You Can’t Open the Context Menu

This method also involves making changes to the Registry Editor, but the procedure will be different from the one above.

1. Type Registry Editor on Windows Search and click on Open.
2. On the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path:
   Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\
   
3. Right-click on the ContextMenuHandlers key(folder) and then select New > Key:
   
4. Name the key as New.
5. Then select the New key, right-click on the Default entry and click on Modify:
   
6. Change its value to {D969A300-E7FF-11d0-A93B-00A0C90F2719}, then click OK:
   
7. Reboot your PC.

Conclusion

The reason you are unable to create new folders in Windows 11 is likely due to Registry errors. These errors can be caused by malware or other programs.

To fix it, you will need to open the Registry Editor and change the value of the Default entry to Folder on the path Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder.

Another solution is to create a new key named New and change the value of the Default entry to {D969A300-E7FF-11d0-A93B-00A0C90F2719} on the path Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\.

If the App & browser control is missing in Windows Security on your PC, I’ve written an article on how to fix that.