Microsoft’s overhaul of the right-click context menu in Windows 11 stirred plenty of controversy, but one of the most frequent complaints—that the “Send To” submenu had been removed entirely—is simply not true. The Send To menu lives on in Windows 11, but it now resides in the legacy context menu, accessible only after an extra click on “Show more options” or by using the Shift+right-click shortcut. For power users who rely on the Send To menu to rapidly move files to custom folders, launch scripts, or pass items to specific applications, this extra friction is a daily productivity drain. The good news: with a little customization, you can bend the Send To menu to your will, creating a lightning-fast file‑routing system that works across your entire PC.

Where Did the Send To Menu Go?

In Windows 10 and earlier, right-clicking any file or folder would reveal a “Send To” option directly in the main context menu. Windows 11 designed a new, streamlined context menu that puts the most common actions (Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete, Rename) at the top and tucks everything else under a “Show more options” entry at the bottom. The Send To menu is now part of that secondary legacy menu.

So, you can still reach it in three ways:

  • Shift + Right‑click on a file or folder. This instantly opens the full classic context menu without having to click “Show more options.”
  • Click “Show more options” at the bottom of the modern context menu.
  • Select the file and press the Menu key (Application key) on your keyboard, then look for the Send To submenu.

The menu itself works exactly as it always has: it lists shortcuts to folders, drives, programs, and even printers, allowing you to send the selected item(s) directly to that destination. The difference is purely one of accessibility.

What Exactly Is the Send To Menu?

The Send To menu is populated by shortcuts stored in a special folder on your system. Any shortcut you place in that folder appears as an option when you right‑click a file. Open File Explorer and type shell:sendto into the address bar, or navigate directly to:

%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo

This folder typically contains shortcuts like “Bluetooth device,” “Compressed (zipped) folder,” “Desktop (create shortcut),” “Document,” “Fax recipient,” and “Mail recipient.” Each time you use the Send To menu, Windows executes whatever action the shortcut represents—copying the file to a folder, opening it with a specific app, or even running a script with the file as its argument.

The beauty of the system is that it’s entirely user‑extensible. You can delete the defaults you never use, add shortcuts to your own favourite destinations, and even chain together complex workflows with batch scripts or PowerShell.

Customizing the Send To Menu

Step 1: Open the SendTo Folder

Press Win + R, type shell:sendto, and press Enter. A File Explorer window opens to your personal SendTo folder. Anything you add here immediately appears under the Send To submenu.

Step 2: Add a Shortcut to a Frequently Used Folder

The simplest customization is to add a folder you frequently move files to—for example, a “Projects” folder or a network share. Right‑click inside the SendTo folder, choose New → Shortcut, and browse to the target folder. Name the shortcut something descriptive (e.g., “Current Client Docs”) and click Finish. Now, when you Send To that shortcut, the file is copied to that folder. To move the file instead of copying it, press the Shift key while selecting the Send To option.

Step 3: Add Programs and Apps

You can add shortcuts to any executable. For instance, if you often need to open text files in Notepad++, create a shortcut to notepad++.exe and drop it in the SendTo folder. When you right‑click a .txt file and choose Send To → Notepad++, the application launches and opens the file. Note that this only works if the program accepts a file path as a command‑line argument—most do.

Advanced Customizations: Scripts, Printers, and More

Run a Batch Script on Selected Files

Batch scripts (.bat) and PowerShell scripts (.ps1) placed in the SendTo folder can perform intricate operations on the selected files. For example, a script that automatically appends today’s date to a filename and moves it to an archive location can save dozens of manual steps.

  1. Create a new text file, rename it to something like DateStampAndArchive.bat, and edit it with Notepad.
  2. Write a simple batch script, for example:
    @echo off for %%f in (%*) do ( move "%%f" "D:\Archive\%%~nf_%date:~-4,4%%date:~-10,2%%date:~-7,2%%%~xf" )
  3. Save and move the .bat file into your SendTo folder.
  4. Right‑click one or more files, choose Show more options → Send To → DateStampAndArchive, and the script executes.

Because the Send To menu passes the full file path(s) to the shortcut target, any script that can handle command‑line arguments works perfectly.

Add a Special Printer

If you frequently “print” to a PDF converter or a specific physical printer, you can drop a shortcut to that printer into SendTo. Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners, right‑click the desired printer, and choose “Create shortcut.” Move that shortcut into shell:sendto. Now you can send a document directly to that printer without opening it first.

Cloud Storage and Remote Destinations

For workflows that involve cloud storage, you can add OneDrive sub‑folders, Dropbox, or Google Drive locations. A Send To shortcut pointing to your shared cloud folder lets you copy a file there in a single motion, sidestepping the need to open the browser or mount the drive manually.

Hiding the Extra Click: Bring Send To to the Modern Context Menu

The persistent extra step is the biggest friction point. While Windows 11 does not provide a built‑in toggle, you can add the Send To menu back to the primary context menu with a quick registry edit.

Method 1: Add Send To to the New Context Menu via Registry

Warning: editing the registry can cause system instability. Back up the registry or create a restore point before proceeding.

  1. Open Notepad and paste the following:
    ```
    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT*\shell\SendTo]
"MUIVerb"="Send To"
"SubCommands"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT*\shell\SendTo\command]
"DelegateExecute"=""
`` 2. Save the file asAddSendTo.reg(make sure the extension is.reg, not.txt). 3. Double‑click the.regfile and accept the prompts to merge it into the registry. 4. After a restart or a File Explorer restart (taskkill /f /im explorer.exe && start explorer.exe`), you should see a new “Send To” entry directly in the modern context menu (look for it just below the icons row).

This adds an entry that opens the classic Send To submenu. It works because it tells Windows to display a shell command with a sub‑menu, piggybacking on the existing SendTo folder structure.

Method 2: Use a Third‑Party Tool

If you’d rather not touch the registry, utilities like Easy Context Menu, Nilesoft Shell, or Ultimate Windows Tweaker can restore the Send To menu with one click. These tools often provide additional customization options, such as adding “Copy to” and “Move to” buttons directly to the modern menu.

Power User Shortcuts: Organizing Your Send To Menu

A cluttered Send To menu slows you down as much as the extra clicks. Adopt these tricks to keep it fast:

  • Group items with numbers or underscores. Shortcuts are listed alphabetically. Prefix them with 1_, 2_, or _ to pin frequently used items at the top. For example, rename “Current Client Docs” to “1_Current Client Docs” so it’s always first.
  • Hide default items. Move shortcuts you never use (like “Fax recipient”) into a sub‑folder within the SendTo folder. Windows won’t show items that are inside a folder, effectively hiding them without permanent deletion.
  • Use a “SendTo Manager” script. Power‑users can write a quick PowerShell script that auto‑generates shortcuts based on a JSON config file, making it easy to sync the menu across multiple PCs or quickly rebuild it after a Windows reinstall.

Real‑World Workflow Recipes

Designer’s workflow: Add shortcuts to PNG, JPG, and SVG export folders. When you finish a design, right‑click the source file, Shift‑send it to each format folder, and your conversion scripts process the file automatically.

Developer’s snippet repository: Create a script that copies the selected code file to a shared repository folder and then commits it via a Git command. Drop the script into SendTo, and you can push code snippets with two right‑clicks.

Data entry hub: For jobs that involve downloading reports from a web portal and distributing them to various department folders, add each department’s folder as a Send To target. No more dragging across multiple Explorer windows—just download, right‑click, Send To, and you’re done.

Troubleshooting Common Send To Issues

  • Menu doesn’t appear even in “Show more options.” Verify that the SendTo folder exists at %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo. If not, create it and restart File Explorer. The menu won’t show if the folder is empty, so add at least one shortcut.
  • Shortcut doesn’t work. Right‑click the shortcut in the SendTo folder, select Properties, and check the “Target” field. It must point to a valid file or folder. For programs, the target must be an .exe that accepts a file path argument.
  • Administrator restrictions on corporate PCs. Some IT policies disable the SendTo folder or restrict registry edits. In this case, create a portable AutoHotkey script that simulates Shift+right‑click on a selected file, or use PowerShell’s “Send to” cmdlets in a terminal.

Faster Than Drag‑and‑Drop

While Windows 11’s modern context menu was designed to be cleaner, it inadvertently buried one of the most efficient file‑management tools ever built into Windows. Restoring and customising the Send To menu isn’t just about reclaiming an old friend; it’s about tailoring your PC to work the way you do. Whether you copy the registry tweak into every Windows 11 machine you touch or build a library of task‑specific batch scripts, a well‑tuned Send To menu can reduce multi‑step operations to a single flick of the wrist.