Re: Cannot right-click files or shortcuts in Windows Explorer or d

Thanks. Problem solved.

I actually did it the other way around, I first turned off all the non-MS
extensions (the pink/red ones) and re-booted to see if problem went away. It
did! Yay!

I then re-enabled all the extensions I thought were 'safe', those to do with
IE, Winzip, Nvidia, Adobe, etc., leaving about 4 or 5. Re-boot, still OK.
Problem was in the 3rd last one:

Extension Name: EncodeDivXContextMenuClass
Type: Context Menu
Version:
Product Name: EncodeDivXExt Module
Company:
My Computer: No
Desktop: No
Control Panel: No
FileName: C:\Program Files\DivX\Dr.DivX\EncodeDivXExt.dll
CLSID: {E9F5B111-CACC-4FD4-81FD-4EB4FD6765A3}
File Created Time: 14/08/2004 8:24:40 AM
CLSID Modified Time 12/08/2005 9:53:14 PM
Microsoft: No
File Extensions: *
File Attributes: A
File Size: 105,472

Pretty sure this is part of an installed codec package d/l-ed from the DivX
site, but was ages ago.

One last question: the last two extensions I hadn't enabled in ShellEx View
were pointing to programs that didn't exist. They were:

Disk Tools Extension (Type Property ***), doesn't exist at
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\disktool.dll
and
Display Panning CPL Extension (Type System), doesn't exist at
C:\WINDOWS\system32\deskpan.dll

I've enabled them and doesn't seem to hurt. Should I disable them?


Thanks for your help and I've learned a bit more :) Can use ShellExView to
turn off some unwanted IE toolbars :)

Seasons cheers,
Ant.



--
Ant. Thompson
Darwin, Australia


"Wesley Vogel" wrote:

Ant.

I CAN double-left-click on an item to 'Open' it... that will open the file
by the applictaion related to it by the filetype.

Double clicking in this case performs the Open command.

But using right-click on a non-folder object in Windows Explorer (file or
shortcut, in other words) or using File menu with a non-folder object
selected, results in Windows Explorer failing and desktop re-initializing.
Same on desktop, right-clicking on any object there (there can only be
shortcuts) causes desktop to re-initialize.

Is there a particular context handler I should be looking for in
ShellExView in these circumstances?

You have to use the process of elemination to find out what non-Microsoft
handler is causing the problem. Sort of a detective deal. ;-)

From Method 2 @ http://windowsxp.mvps.org/slowrightclick.htm

Run ShellExView...
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.

Click on the Type column header to sort by Type. You can also click the
Product Name header to sort by Product Name. I happen to have 12
non-Microsoft items. I have five Nvidia items and I have all of those
Disabled.

The rule 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.

The latest version of ShellExView marks all the non-Microsoft extensions in
Pink for easy identification. All other types of shell extensions that
ShellExView utility cannot recognize are categorized as "System" type.

The tip deal is quicker to try to eleminate half of the non-Microsoft items.

TIP
Even more quicker method is to bisect the list of context menu handlers into
two groups, disabling half of the entries at a stretch, rebooting and
testing the behavior again. JClarke commented on this article:

You can disable them ...they say "one at a time" and see what effect it has
on the problem. I did it a lot quicker by bisecting the list, disabling half
of the entries in one fell swoop, rebooting and trying the right click.

It worked, so I knew I just had to narrow it down, just as we used to do
with msconfig. Then I kept bisecting the list until it was just a few and
did those one at a time. The problem is that you have to reboot between
tries to get accurate testing of the results of your disabling. I didn't
find logging off to be consistent.

Also if you have any of these...
Intel®Graphics Controllers
Symptom(s):
Desktop right click menu is too slow for some customers.
Removing the custom desktop right click context menu
http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/sb/cs-003927.htm

This applies to:
Intel® 82810 Graphics Controller
Intel® 82815 Graphics Controller
Intel® 82830M Graphics Controller
Intel® 82845G Graphics Controller
Intel® 82852/82855 Graphics Controller Family
---
Intel® 82865G Graphics Controller
Intel® 82915G/82910GL Express Chipset Family
Intel® 82945G Express Chipset
Mobile Intel® 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express Chipset Family
Mobile Intel® 945GM Express Chipset Family

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In news:44137948-CAF0-4869-BF4A-B397B2E70A67@xxxxxxxxxxxxx,
Ant. <wyvern_ant@xxxxxxxxxxxx(donotspam)> hunted and pecked:
To be a bit more specific...

I CAN double-left-click on an item to 'Open' it... that will open the file
by the applictaion related to it by the filetype.

For example, if I double-left-click on a .pdf file Adobe Acrobat Reader
will happily open that file. Same for every other extention you would
care to mention. If I right-click onthat very same .pdf file... boom!
There goes Windows Explorer and desktop.

Is there a particular context handler I should be looking for in
ShellExView in these circumstances?


Thanks, ant.

---
Ant. Thompson
Darwin, Australia


"Ant." wrote:

I downloaded and ran the ShellExView program, and while I don't pretend
to understand the output, I see nothing to alarm me.

None of the symptoms reported in the link you provided apply to me.

In fact, right-clicking on a folder (or using File menu on a folder)
works perfectly for me, and always has.

But using right-click on a non-folder object in Windows Explorer (file or
shortcut, in other words) or using File menu with a non-folder object
selected, results in Windows Explorer failing and desktop
re-initializing. Same on desktop, right-clicking on any object there
(there can only be shortcuts) causes desktop to re-initialize.

I'm guessing any of the following three actions call the same program
which is failing:

1) Right click on a non-folder object in Window Explorer

2) Select a non-folder object in Windows Explorer and click on File menu

3) Right-click on an item (shortcut) on desktop.

This has happened since I installed WinXP, it's not a recent event.

Right-clcking on a folder in Windows Explorer works great, I'm guessing
that calls a different program (through some sort of context handler
whizz-bang I don't understand? lol).


Cheers and thanks and Merry Xmas, Ant.


--
Ant. Thompson
Darwin, Australia


"Wesley Vogel" wrote:

That's exactly my problem: if I select a file, and click on the File
menu... bang, Windows Explorer stops and some time later expires and
the desktop re-initializes.

I think you should get ShellExView and see this again.

Right-click is slow or weird behavior caused by context menu handlers
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/slowrightclick.htm

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In news:B834C2DF-C037-4457-B69D-7117889C4936@xxxxxxxxxxxxx,
Ant. <wyvern_ant@xxxxxxxxxxxx(donotspam)> hunted and pecked:
Select file, File menu, Properties. Same thing for a PIF. It's the
same menu whether right clicking or going to the File menu, but you
have to select a file first.
-----

That's exactly my problem: if I select a file, and click on the File
menu... bang, Windows Explorer stops and some time later expires and
the desktop re-initializes. Same if I right-click a file to try to
bring up the pop-up with the same sort of options File menu does. It's
really only the properties function I haven't found another way to get
to... and my Steam SDK fails major functions (like create a mod),
perhaps because of this...

I'm under the impression either action (right-click on a file or use
File menu when a file selected) is calling a core function that fails
or is missing. Anyway...

The Windows Registery item you mentioned:



HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explore
r

Object NoViewContextMenu does not exist.



HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\Explor
er

Explorer directory does not exist.

Thanks, Ant.


--
Ant. Thompson
Darwin, Australia


"Wesley Vogel" wrote:

Ant.,

except I haven't found a way to access file properties (to
modify command parms on games to enable the dev console to debug, for
example).

Select file, File menu, Properties. Same thing for a PIF. It's the
same menu whether right clicking or going to the File menu, but you
have to select a file first.
-----

Check both of these keys for a NoViewContextMenu Value name.

If NoViewContextMenu is set to 1 shortcut menus do not appear when you
right-click the desktop or when you right-click the items in Windows
Explorer.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\policies\Explorer

Data type Range Default value
------------------------------------------------
REG_DWORD 0 | 1 0

Description
Removes shortcut menus from the desktop and from Windows Explorer.
Shortcut menus appear when you right-click an item.

This entry stores the setting of the Disable Windows Explorer's
default context menu Group Policy. Group Policy adds this entry to
the registry with a value of 1 when you enable the policy. If you
disable the policy or set it to Not configured, Group Policy deletes
this entry from the registry, and the system behaves as though the
value is 0.

Value Meaning
----------------------------------------------------------
0 (or not in the registry) The policy is disabled or not configured.
Shortcut menus appear.

1 The policy is enabled. Shortcut
menus do not appear.

When the value of this entry is 1, shortcut menus do not appear when
you right-click the desktop or when you right-click the items in
Windows Explorer. This value does not prevent users from using other
methods to issue commands available on the shortcut menus.

Change method
To change the value of this entry, use Group Policy. This entry
corresponds to the Disable Windows Explorer's default context menu
Group Policy (User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows
Components\Windows Explorer).


http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/reskit/regentry/93790.mspx?mfr=true
--------

I think you should get ShellExView and see this again.

Right-click is slow or weird behavior caused by context menu handlers
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/slowrightclick.htm

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In news:BBF02EF7-B176-4F24-A351-19F9904DBF40@xxxxxxxxxxxxx,
Ant. <wyvern_ant@xxxxxxxxxxxx(donotspam)> hunted and pecked:
Unfortunately not, but thanks for the effort.

Right-click simply does not work on desktop or on non-folder
entities in Windows Explorer. Right-click DOES work in Window
Explorerif the item is another folder, up comes the pop-up with
move, rename, delete, properties, etc. Otherwise all instances of
Window Explorer stop responding, die after 3o secs or so and the
desktop re-initializes. Same happens with a non-folder entity
selected and clicking on the Window Explorer file menu

This has happened without fail since I installed XP Home Ugrade.
Happens with network or without. It hasn't bothered me to date
because there are other ways to manipulate folder contents without
right-clicking or using file menu.... except I haven't found a way
to access file properties (to modify command parms on games to
enable the dev console to debug, for example).
.