Solved Runtime Error - Right Click on Drives

[ben946210]

Ever since early yesterday, I have been having an issue of right click Runtime errors that show up and end up closing the window. It only happens in the Computer window and only when right clicking on a hard drive, not any disc drives or anything else. I am not sure what caused the issue but have already tried System Restore with no avail . I can left click or press enter without any issues and can still click on the drive and then go to the menu bar to get what I need.

Any ideas what could be causing the error in such a particular spot?

 

[ben946210]

I just noticed that the "Program:" area is blank. Don't know if that means anything but I assume it should list something.

 

[Ztruker]

How does it behave if you boot to Safe Mode with Networking? If better then something is starting at boot that is causing the problem.

Advanced startup options - XP
Advanced startup options - Vista
Advanced startup options - Windows 7

Use msconfig to determine what is causing the problem

These are good tutorials on using msconfig in XP, Vista or Windows 7:
How to use msconfig in Windows XP
How to use msconfig in Windows Vista
How to use msconfig in Windows 7 and Windows 8

Click on Start then Run, type msconfig and press Enter.
Click on the Startup tab (for Windows 8, the Startup tab has a link to open Task Manager/Startup tab. Use that.), record what is currently starting then click the Disable All button.
Reboot and see if it runs better.
If yes then use msconfig to enable several items at a time till you find the culprit.

If no, start msconfig and click on the Services tab.
Check the Hide All Microsoft Services box, record what is currently starting then click the Disable All button.
Again, do a regular boot, see if it runs normal.
If yes then use msconfig to enable services till you find the culprit.

Once you've found the culprit, uninstall it or find out how to eliminate it from your system. Simply disabling it in msconfig is a temporary fix at best.
Enable everything else you disabled.

 

[ben946210]

Went ahead and tried it and it still did the same thing. Maybe its explorer?

 

[Ztruker]

So doing it in Safe Mode with Networking made no difference? You had the same error?

Something is being launched/started when you right click on a hard drive in Windows Explorer, that's where the Visual C++ error window is coming from.

What does the right click Context menu look like when you click on a program icon on your Desktop? Is the default action set to Open? Mine looks like this in Windows 7:

 

[ben946210]

Mine looks the same as far as having Open as the first option. I opened process explorer in safe mode to see if I could see if something I could see what is opening. I noticed the whole time that dllhost.exe kept opening and closing. I am not sure if that is normal or if something is simply not opening.

 

[Ztruker]

Did you install any Windows Updates around the time this started happening? If so, try uninstalling them, see if that makes a difference.

 

[ben946210]

I checked and didn't see anything installed since the 11th. Any other ideas? I hope I can find something. I don't like putting off problems with Windows as they add up quickly, it seems.

 

[Ztruker]

Sure sounds like an extension handler problem. Give ShellExView a try. Look at the entries in pink, see if disabling then a few at a time resolves the problen.

 

[ben946210]

Hi Ztruker,

Sorry I didn't ever respond back to you, its been a busy few weeks.

I did figure out the issue; it was an extension causing it like you thought. Apparently Acronis was still on the list and it was trying to launch it even though it has been uninstalled for quite some time. I guess that is also why the "Program:" area would be blank in the error since it does not know what is trying to be launched.


Thanks for the help!

 

[Ztruker]

Your welcome, and thanks for letting me know.