Cannot right click on file since Windows 10 update

[Linda1952]

Since Windows 10 automatically updated last weekend I have been unable to right click on any files. The little blue circle just keeps spinning round. As my computer is only 6 weeks old I have contacted the support line twice, each time resulting in an hour and a half phone call. They don't seem to know what it is, they have gone back to a date before 'the event' but it happened again. I only have very basic knowledge of computers and am not getting anywhere. I cannot believe that this has not happened to anyone else so how did you sort it out? Any help please.

 

[Regedit32]

Hi Linda,

The issue you are describing can be (but is not exclusively) caused by Context-menu extensions; and in most cases is caused by the corruption of a Third Party Context-menu extension (i.e. Not a Microsoft extension).


It would certainly be worthwhile attempting to verify whether this is the problem in your case.

To achieve this you will need to first download a file that will allow you to view your Context-menu extensions and manipulate their usage.

• For a 32-bit Windows 10 OS click the following: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.zip
• For a 64-bit Windows 10 OS click the following: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview-x64.zip

Once downloaded you need to extract the zipped folder. You do that by:

• Click once with left mouse on the zipped download
• In the top bar of window click on Extract, then select Extract all

The zipped folder will now extract and create an unzipped folder with the same name as the zipped folder (minus the .zip extension. Open this folder.

Now do the following:

• Click once with left mouse on the last file inside this folder: shexview
• On the top bar of window click Manage then select Run as administrator and when the drop arrow activates click on Run as administrator
• A new window will now pop up. Click Yes to allow ShellExView to open.
• With ShellExView now open, on its tool bar click options and place a checkmark next to "Hide all Microsoft Extensions"
• Next click Options and and select Filter by Extension Type
• A new window will pop up. In that window select: Context Menu then click OK

OK now you will see a list of Third Party Context-menu extensions that are running on your computer. It is possibly one of these extensions is causing your symptoms. A quick test at this point is to do the following:

• Press and hold down your Ctrl key
• With the Ctrl key held down click with your left mouse button on each of the files in the open window
• Now release your Ctrl key and click the red radio button
• When prompted "Do you want to disable the selected items" click Yes

This will disable all the third party Context-menu extensions. Next do the following:

• Now press these two keys together: Ctrl + E
• When the prompt "Do you want to restart Windows Explorer?" pops up click Yes

There will be a brief pause and a flash as the Explorer shell restarts ( 4 to 5 seconds). At this point return to your Desktop and attempt to do the following:

• Right click on Desktop or:
  • Left click with mouse on empty spot of desktop then press Shift + F10 keys together
• Select Refresh
• Now right click on a file or folder to see whether your symptoms are now resolved.

If all is now working you can return to your ShellExView window and:

• Left click on one Third Party Context-menu extension to select it
• Next click the Green radio button
• When prompted "Do you want to enable selected items?" click Yes
• Press Ctrl + E then when prompted Yes
• Refresh Desktop and try right clicking a file or folder
• If all is well then you know this extension is not causing the trouble and you can leave it enabled. Otherwise you can disable it again.
• Repeat steps for each item. Process of elimination.

Let us know how you go. Whether the issue becomes resolved or not.

Happy Computing.

Regedit32

 

[HelenSaffa]

Hi Regedit32.

Thank you so much for the step by step instructions which I followed easily and which fixed my issue of not being able to open files in Windows Explorer (Windows 10) using right click. Every time I tried right clicking the file Explorer crashed on me and like Linda1952 I had the blue circle spinning.

The culprit was the 'Convert to PDF Class' extension name. Version 7.2.0.424. I have left this extension disabled.

Would you recommend I do anything else with this file?

I am no computer buff at all so really appreciated your step by step instructions. I'm a little too out of my depth to go much further than that!

Thanks again!

 

[icda]

regedit32 you're amazing

 

[.mike.b]

Thanks for the help

 

[Regedit32]

Hi HelenSaffa,

Is that PDF extension a part of the Foxit Software suite?

If it is, it may be worth checking whether there is a more recent edition of it, as theoretically it ought to work fine in Windows 10.

Alternatively, you might consider uninstalling it, then downloading and installing it again to see whether that resolves any corruption to the extension.

Regards,

Regedit32

 

[Bluesky]

This is a great find! I was able to work around my issue using this technique. I had two shell extensions regarding Intel Proset Bluetooth shell extensions CSendToContextMenu and CContextMenuHandler. I uninstalled the Intel Proset software yet these extensions remained in place for whatever reason.

I am assuming it's ok to keep these shell extensions disabled but if you have any other thoughts I appreciate hearing them.

Thanks again!

 

[Jhood]

Hi Linda,

The issue you are describing can be (but is not exclusively) caused by Context-menu extensions; and in most cases is caused by the corruption of a Third Party Context-menu extension (i.e. Not a Microsoft extension).


It would certainly be worthwhile attempting to verify whether this is the problem in your case.

To achieve this you will need to first download a file that will allow you to view your Context-menu extensions and manipulate their usage.

• For a 32-bit Windows 10 OS click the following: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.zip
• For a 64-bit Windows 10 OS click the following: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview-x64.zip

Once downloaded you need to extract the zipped folder. You do that by:

• Click once with left mouse on the zipped download
• In the top bar of window click on Extract, then select Extract all

The zipped folder will now extract and create an unzipped folder with the same name as the zipped folder (minus the .zip extension. Open this folder.

Now do the following:

• Click once with left mouse on the last file inside this folder: shexview
• On the top bar of window click Manage then select Run as administrator and when the drop arrow activates click on Run as administrator
• A new window will now pop up. Click Yes to allow ShellExView to open.
• With ShellExView now open, on its tool bar click options and place a checkmark next to "Hide all Microsoft Extensions"
• Next click Options and and select Filter by Extension Type
• A new window will pop up. In that window select: Context Menu then click OK

OK now you will see a list of Third Party Context-menu extensions that are running on your computer. It is possibly one of these extensions is causing your symptoms. A quick test at this point is to do the following:

• Press and hold down your Ctrl key
• With the Ctrl key held down click with your left mouse button on each of the files in the open window
• Now release your Ctrl key and click the red radio button
• When prompted "Do you want to disable the selected items" click Yes

This will disable all the third party Context-menu extensions. Next do the following:

• Now press these two keys together: Ctrl + E
• When the prompt "Do you want to restart Windows Explorer?" pops up click Yes

There will be a brief pause and a flash as the Explorer shell restarts ( 4 to 5 seconds). At this point return to your Desktop and attempt to do the following:

• Right click on Desktop or:
  • Left click with mouse on empty spot of desktop then press Shift + F10 keys together
• Select Refresh
• Now right click on a file or folder to see whether your symptoms are now resolved.

If all is now working you can return to your ShellExView window and:

• Left click on one Third Party Context-menu extension to select it
• Next click the Green radio button
• When prompted "Do you want to enable selected items?" click Yes
• Press Ctrl + E then when prompted Yes
• Refresh Desktop and try right clicking a file or folder
• If all is well then you know this extension is not causing the trouble and you can leave it enabled. Otherwise you can disable it again.
• Repeat steps for each item. Process of elimination.

Let us know how you go. Whether the issue becomes resolved or not.

Happy Computing.

Regedit32

I'm coming here 4 yours late to say that my issue hasn't been resolved, I did each and single thing told step by step, even read a 2nd time to be sure and it didn't fix a thing, if I'm experiencing the same issue, i right-click anything on desktop, it starts loading my screen has a second transparent white flash then all my desktop items are a white sheet

 

[Bighorn]

Suggestion: as a diagnostic right-click the Taskbar, move up the list to Toolbars, click Desktop. It will put an entry on the Taskbar at the left end of the Notification Area with a little double arrow that contains a list of all the icons/shortcuts on the Desktop. Click that arrow and choose one of the icons that are on the desktop, see if it opens properly.

Another diagnostic thing to check, in the right-click of the Taskbar is to find and turn Peek off, see if that makes a difference when clicking an item on the Desktop.

 

[samok]

I have the same issue recently. After I opened File Explorer and right clicked the drive letter, normally it should show a context menu. But at last, no context menu displayed and the whole screen refreshed.

I have searched and browsed a lot of information on web for this issue. The information provides several ways to solve the issue, e.g. edit the registry to delete useless entries over the context menu control, use tools like 'ShellExView' to enable/disable or edit the context menu. They are all useless.

Yesterday, I reinstalled the whole win10 on my notebook to solve the issue. After updating all win10 patches and updates, context menu was normal except after I installed Microsoft Office 2010. There are installation options on MS Office 2010. If I selected to install the SharePoint options, the issue came back!

Now I know the root cause! If I disselected the SharePoint option before MS Office 2010 installation, no context menu disappearing and screen refresh problem.

Hope the above information may help those facing the same issue.