Re: Windows XP hangs when I right click
From: T. B. W. (thomasbwilson_at_synythesis.com)
Date: 02/28/05
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Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 05:09:39 GMT
>> I don't know what changes I let it make weeks ago caused this.
>> Windows XP freezes for minutes when I right click.
>> Any idea which "service" affects WinXP right clicks?
>> Could be something related to shell extensions?
>> Can we list or selectively disable shell extensions?
>> You have a damaged shell extension.
>> ShellExView is a freeware utility to selectively disable them.
>> http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html
> I had 217 shell extensions, 21 of which were not from Microsoft.
> I then disabled those shell extensions using Nirsoft ShellExiew.
> My Win XP right click does nothing slowness hang dissappeared!
See http://windowsxp.mvps.org/slowrightclick.htm
TITLE
Right-click is slow or weird behavior caused by context menu handlers
SYMPTOMS
* When you right-click a file/folder, there may be a huge delay before
Windows displays the context menu.
* When you try to empty Recycle Bin (from Common Tasks), it opens Quick
Finder instead.
* When you click "Play All" in the Music or Videos folder Common Tasks,
nothing may happen.
* When you select multiple files and right click and open / print nothing
happens. (Selecting a single file in explorer and right click and open /
print it works fine).
* When you right-click a folder in the Start Menu and choose Open or
Explore, nothing may happen. (Whereas, it works fine in Windows Explorer)
* Error message "Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to
close. We are sorry for the inconvenience" when you right-click a folder.
* Right-click is extremely slow when Network is enabled, and normal with
NIC disabled.
* When you right-click on a folder and choose Properties, nothing may
happen.
CAUSE
These problems are caused by a poorly coded context menu handler.
A context menu handler is a shell extension handler that adds commands to
an existing context menu (Example: cut, copy, paste, print, Scan with
Norton etc). A poorly coded context menu handler may be causing any of
the above symptoms. As context menu handlers can be implemented at
different areas (file class, folder, allfilesystemobjects, HKCR\*
registry keys), it's a difficult task for an end-user to pinpoint which
shell-extension / context menu handler is causing the problem.
SOLUTION
If you are not confident about dealing with registry, proceed to method
2.
METHOD 1:
First, isolate the problem.
Observe when the problem occurs.
Ask these questions to yourself:
DOES THE PROBLEM OCCUR
* While right-clicking a particular file type?
* While right-clicking Folders?
* While right-clicking all file types?
As said earlier, context menu handlers can load from any of these areas:
Registry Key
Description
HKCR\*\shellex\contextmenuhandlers
All files
HKCR\AllFileSystemObjects\shellex\contextmenuhandlers
All files and file folders
HKCR\Folder\shellex\contextmenuhandlers
All Folders
HKCR\Directory\shellex\contextmenuhandlers
File Folders
HKCR\<ProgID>\shellex\contextmenuhandlers
File class
Example: If any of the symptoms occur when you deal with a folder, then
you may need to inspect the context menu handlers loaded in these areas
(AllFileSystemObjects, Folder, Directory). If it's only for a .txt file,
inspect the file class of .txt file (HKCR\txtfile). Open Registry Editor
and backup the selected branch, delete the context menu handlers one-by-
one.
Related Information : Manage the context-menu entries for folders, drives
and Namespace objects
METHOD 2 (safer):
Using ShellExView to determine the Context-menu handler causing the
problem.
ShellExView lets you view all installed shell extensions.
If available, it displays the description, as well as version details,
company information, location, file name and more. You can optionally
disable/enable any item, which can be very useful to disable an
extension, that you don t need or that has been left behind in your right
click menu from a previous software install.
Using ShellExView
shellexview.JPG (54542 bytes) www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html
Download ShellExView and run it.
It will scan the registry for all the shell extensions.
Once the scan is over and the list is displayed, you need to spot the
context menu handlers. Sort the results using "Type", so that the context
menu handlers are displayed together.
General rule here is to disable non-Microsoft context menu handlers *one-
by-one* and verify if the problem is solved. If disabling one does not
solve the problem, undo the disabled item and disable the next non-
Microsoft handler. Do the same until the problem is solved and finally
identify the culprit. Scroll right to see the Company Name column in
ShellExView. You do not need to reboot the computer to run this test.
The latest version of ShellExView (v1.10) marks all the non-Microsoft
extensions in very light Pink for easier identification. All other types
of shell extensions that ShellExView utility cannot recognize are
categorized as "System" type.
NOTE
It may not be caused by a context-menu handler always, but a
PropertySheet handler or an Icon Handler can also be causing the right-
click issues. There are a few reported instances where the Property Sheet
handler "Property Sheet - IIS W3ext Module" (XP Professional) was
responsible for the folder properties issue (See Case:8 in the Symptoms
section above), and that reinstalling IIS from Add/Remove Windows
Components fixed the problem.
In one peculiar case, it was the shimgvw.dll module Shell Image Verbs -
{e84fda7c-1d6a-45f6-b725-cb260c236066} itself causing the problem. In
case of system files, try running SFC /Scannow to fix the problem.
Right-click is extremely slow only when Network is enabled
Another situation is that the right-click may be extremely slow when a
system is connected to a Network. Disabling the network interface card
restores the normal right-click functionality. This is usually caused by
adding a context-menu option referring to an application placed in
another networked computer. One example is WinZip. Assuming that WinZip
is placed in a shared location / File Server, and when a user launches
WinZip from the network share and enables WinZip Shell integration to
their system, the registry entry will point to a file in the network
share / file server, such as:
\\192.168.0.3\sharedprogs\WinZip\winzip32.exe "%1"
With the above setting, if the file server or the networked computer
which hosts the Program, is turned off, and when you right-click on an
icon in your computer, you'll see the huge delay.
* Sometimes, you'll experience slow right-click only for the first time
after a fresh restart.
* You'll see some Packets being transferred via the Network Interface
Card (Taskbar notification icon)
To resolve the problem, use ShellExView as described above.
You may use the Folder Options, File Types dialog to manage the right-
click command entries for various file types. If that does not help,
inspect the Shell and ShellEx entries as stated in the document Manage
the context-menu entries for folders, drives and Namespace objects.
Important: Be sure to check this path as well.
[HKCR\*\shellex\contextmenuhandlers]
- Next message: rainbow rose: "My hotmail won't open"
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