Right click causes explorer crash fix

[CupofDice]

A lot of people I have discovered within the last few days have had a problem with right clicking in explorer, causing it to crash. This occurs of Vista, and 7 (7100 atleast) when you install an app, and it installs a context menu shortcut or whatever.

The simple way to get rid of the crashing is by going to "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ ContextMenuHandlers" in regedit.exe, backing up the whole ConxtentMenuHandlers folder, and then start deleting all of them one by one (you can start with the ones you've been meaning to get rid of anyway ) and continuously testing the right click. Be careful not to click on an actual folder when opening of explorer after the crash because for me that seemed to solve the problem temporarily. Instead just open up your username folder and right click on a file until it stops. Of course import the Context folder after you find it, test explorer once again by right clicking to make sure you found the problem, and delete the file that caused the problem.

Hopefully this helps someone.

 

[LaBe1]

I had the same issue with my windows 7. Everything I right clicked would crash the explorer.exe.

Thanks for this thread, it helped me solve my problem.

my issue was fixed by erasing this registry entry from the folder you said.

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\BriefcaseMenu]
@="{85BBD920-42A0-1069-A2E4-08002B30309D}"

 

[Barman58]

To add to this post If you would prefer a GUI method to utilize this fix
Autoruns part of the Sysinternals suite from Microsoft is available. The additional advantage of the autoruns application is that it allows you to disable the context handlers one at a time without the need to remove them.


Autoruns for Windows

 

[RudeBoySes]

A lot of people I have discovered within the last few days have had a problem with right clicking in explorer, causing it to crash. This occurs of Vista, and 7 (7100 atleast) when you install an app, and it installs a context menu shortcut or whatever.

The simple way to get rid of the crashing is by going to "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ ContextMenuHandlers" in regedit.exe, backing up the whole ConxtentMenuHandlers folder, and then start deleting all of them one by one (you can start with the ones you've been meaning to get rid of anyway ) and continuously testing the right click. Be careful not to click on an actual folder when opening of explorer after the crash because for me that seemed to solve the problem temporarily. Instead just open up your username folder and right click on a file until it stops. Of course import the Context folder after you find it, test explorer once again by right clicking to make sure you found the problem, and delete the file that caused the problem.

Hopefully this helps someone.

i was having this problem when Right-clicking a file on the Desktop and selecting "Scan with Kaspersky" .. my explorer would crash..

your tutorial did the trick ..
took me a few times of trial and error ..
Windows 7 had a few unnecessary, blank, registry keys ..
there were a few doubles
now my WinZip actually shows up in explorer context menu and works .. before i had to launch WinZip and extract or archive within WinZip

long story short..
i deleted everything not needed..
and now no more "Explorer has crashed" error..

Also would like to mention that this problem is also persistent for people with Intel Chipsets which i have.. that would cause "Explorer has Crashed" to appear randomly..

to fix that . . download the new Intel Chipset Drivers just released specifically for Windows 7 ..

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Sea...Mobile+Intel®+4+Series+Express+Chipset+Family

Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator Driver for Windows 7 x86 x64 v15.15.4.64.1872


Hope my experience with this issue will help others ...

P.S.
- a big thanks to "CupofDice" for this wonderful post !!!



======================================================================


EDIT:
I just did a clean install as the problem came back and even more frequently..
Now i have no problems !!!

I have realized it's not Windows that is causing these errors ...

In my case.. i had "Windows 7 Manager" and did a Registry Scan .. it found over 600 so-called "errors" .. and i went ahead and had "Windows 7 Manager" "fix" them .. LoL

Well that's when i started to have these "explorer has crashed" issues..

I just did a clean install last night..
and did tests after tests by right-clicking everything and everywhere possible..

Everything working perfect for me now. ..

 

[jkm]

I had to disable every shred of context menu handlers using regedit, autoruns, and shellexview. I can only hope that this will help. Everything else didn't.

!!!UPDATE!!!

Nothing has changed. Even after disabling everything in the context menu, every couple of days, it goes back to crashing. Restarting takes care of the problem temporarily. I can't wait for the actual version of 7 to come out. Hopefully, these problems will be addressed.

 

[jci34]

Excellent!! Once I deleted the entries with empty values... no more crashes!! Thanks!

 

[davemuk]

For me it was Kaspersky 2010 (folder and file level). I would get crashes if I right clicked/properties on a folder/folder twice, but now it's solved

* Thanks Barman58, that tool was perfect!

Cheers,
Dave

 

[silentpaul]

Not solved!!!!!!!!!!!!

done every thing posted still crashes reinstalled no updates no crash!!!! right clicked everything then updated windows 7 crashes with right click even to right click in my computer on cd to explore crashes i even did a support with Microsoft they closed the ticket on me as well???



12/7/2009 11:13 PM Windows Error Reporting

Fault bucket 678249203, type 5
Event Name: AppHangB1
Response: Not available
Cab Id: 0

Problem signature:
P1: explorer.exe

 

[grungero]

Thanks! I only deleted one context menu and everything is working fine now!

 

[ratznumb]

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASHApplication
Name: explorer.exe
Application Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Application Timestamp: 4a5bc60d
Fault Module Name: KERNELBASE.dll
Fault Module Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Fault Module Timestamp: 4a5bdaae
Exception Code: 0eedfade
Exception Offset: 00009617OS
Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1033Additional Information 1: 1d32
Additional Information 2: 1d32409995138d855a2b9bb446ccc159
Additional Information 3: bd92
Additional Information 4: bd92becdde1f92cda004092bfde37325



now.. there are a lot of shellex...
it will take me ages to delete and check them..!

Could my error report help you to find the solution for this?
Sorry for the inconvenience

 

[ratznumb]

oops.. m back.. i found the solution..

there's a freeware available called shellexview ... its some 200kb program i guess.. just download and run..!
it'll show you all the shellex files..

you dont have to delete the entry..

just disable all the context menu type.. or if you want it.. you can disable one by one... but do not disable any that helps the windows to run..! it will give a warning ...

It worked for me..

 

[guitartist]

This was plaguing me as well, both with Files AND Folders! Just randomly at first, and then everything I right-clicked until I was forced to deal with it. I followed the guide here: Right-click is slow or weird behavior caused by context menu handlers

In my case, I had to delete the following entries. Note they are the same, just in two different places in the registry...the first being a context handler area for files, the second for folders as depicted in the chart found at the above link:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers\{C539A15A-3AF9-4c92-B771-50CB78F5C751}]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers\{C539A15A-3AF9-4c92-B771-50CB78F5C751}]

 

[guitartist]

It should also be noted that if you use Shellexview, you have to reboot to apply the changes, and also to reverse them. This can be quite laborious. Backing up and then deleting registry keys produces instantly perceivable results.

 

[tsymyn]

There's actually a solution for this from MS now...

I had this problem for months and whatever I would disable it would come back after running a few days. I also had problems with the desktop not refreshing when renaming or deleting files. Nothing worked, so I eventually turned all the shell extensions back on.

One day, lo and behold, the Action Center told me there was a beta fix for it. No idea what I had to do to get it, I guess restart explorer 1000 times was the easter egg...

Anyway, the page for the fix is here, and it solved both issues for me:

FIX: The Explorer.exe process stops responding (hangs) when you use Windows Explorer that hosts a shell extension that was created by using MFC

 

[GerryW]

Partial Solution - A Suggestion - Help?

Thanks for the guidance. In my case it did not totally solve my problem (more on this in a moment) but to save time looking for a Context Menu handler problem child I recommend that you:

(1) backup (Export) the complete Context Menu Handlers entry,
(2) Delete all of the Context Menu Handlers entries that you can (some are protected)
3) Test to see if the problem is solved.
4) Restore (Import) the Context Menu Handlers entry,
(5) and then, if the total deletion solved the problem .... go through the one-by-one delete process as described to find the miscreant

There were two registry entries that I could not delete:
a. Symantec.Norton.Antivirus.IEContextMenu
b. BUContextMenu


As for my problem, removing my 'Power Desk' Context Menu entry allows me to right-click on files it is only when I right-click on directories that the Win-Explorer continues to crash. I have done a complete Win-7 reinstall (accepting only required updates {security}) without any remedy. It is possible that one of the two entries I could not delete is causing the remaining problem but I am not sure how to test this - any ideas out there?

Kudos & and many thanks for the partial solution.

Thanks - Gerry

 

[GerryW]

Update from GerryW

Using the application "Autoruns" as suggested above is by far the best solution in investigating (and in my case) working around the problem. Autoruns for Windows.

By removing my W-Explorer shell's ContextMenu entry Win-7 Explorer now functions properly. I have sent in a trouble note to Avanquest (PowerDesk) PowerDesk Pro 8 | File Management Software to see if they have a fix. PowerDesk is my Must-Have shell.

Regards,
Gerry

 

[tsymyn]

this fix worked for me

I turned everything off and still had the problem, until I found the fix I posted above (and copied below). That worked for me, and now I have all extensions on and no problems. Did you try this?

I had this problem for months and whatever I would disable it would come back after running a few days. I also had problems with the desktop not refreshing when renaming or deleting files. Nothing worked, so I eventually turned all the shell extensions back on.

One day, lo and behold, the Action Center told me there was a beta fix for it. No idea what I had to do to get it, I guess restart explorer 1000 times was the easter egg...

Anyway, the page for the fix is here, and it solved both issues for me:

FIX: The Explorer.exe process stops responding (hangs) when you use Windows Explorer that hosts a shell extension that was created by using MFC

 

[Ulterior]

thanks

Deleting
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\BriefcaseMenu]
@="{85BBD920-42A0-1069-A2E4-08002B30309D}"

SOLVED MY PROBLEM

 

[barny61]

Do people still have this problem

If anyone still has this problem, which has been bugging me for the last 9 months or so, try this >
In windows explorer go to .
Tools >
Folder Options >
View >
Scroll down to "Launch Folder Windows in a Seperate Process" and put a tick in the box.
This is the only thing that has stopped windows explorer crashing (for me)
Tried all the ContextMenuHandlers & shellex viewer etc and none of it worked.
Barny.

 

[ChochoYubi]

Thanks!

Two years have passed since the original complaint and this same problem is still happening. Luckily, the same fix still does the trick - many thanks for the tip about Autoruns!

For me the conflict was Memopal, my online backup software.

I have Windows 7 on two computers and they've both had major problems. I was so frustrated that I actually figured out how to use Linux and installed it on one computer. Microsoft, please get your act together!