Right Clicking error in windows 7 windows explorer

Question

Possible Duplicate:
Windows Explorer Hangs on Right-Click

Whenever I right-click something in windows explorer other than favorites, libraries, computer, or network (the main headings in the left pane), the drop-down menu does not appear and an error pops up "windows explorer has stopped working" - "windows explorer is restarting". Once those both close the icons on the desktop and taskbar itself blink off and back on again.

Is there any way of finding out what is going on when I right click and this problem ensues?

Solution 1

If this happened recently, it's probably a new extension, so try disabling any new shell extensions that have changed recently. Download ShellMenuView and sort by "modifiedTime", then disable any items that were modified after the problem started. When it starts working, try enabling the extensions one at a time until you find the one that is breaking things. .

Solution 2

Get Autoruns utility from Microsoft Systeminternals.

After you start this utility, it'll show you plenty of interesting programs and registry entries that are set in Windows.

You're interested in Explorer tab and in there in registry keys with ContextMenuHandlers in name. There might be some broken (missing file), these'll be shown with red background. Also look for suspicious paths (outside c:\windows.., or c:\program..) and those with yellow background.

You might post here those you're not sure about or you might save a listing and post it here.

Comments

[Frank Thomas]

have you tried closing all your programs and running 'sfc.exe /SCANNOW' from a command prompt? it will check the integrity of all your system files and attempt to repair them from backup if possible. Also have you installed any extensions to context menus? removing them may be a good first step.

[Domenik VanBuskirk]

It wasn't a recent one but it did help solve the problem. An un-named program with no developer listed was running. It doesn't list a created time (It's N/A) but the modified time was 11/21/10. I'm not sure how this got here but that's what caused my problem.

[week]

Thanks for this one, I new another utils from nirsoft, not yet this one. Nir Sofer creates great system tools.

[David]

@week NirSoft's Tools are really excellent, If you want them all, put NirLauncher on a flash drive. I take it with me whenever I go to fix a computer.