Right Click Freezes Explorer

[Guest]

The problem is whenever I right click on an icon to bring up the context menu
explorer hangs. The system still responds and windows will let me open task
manager close explorer and then open it again but still no context menus.
This only happens with icons too. I can right click both the tast bar and
the desktop just fine but so far nothing else.

I think it was because of the software bundled with my new hp network
printer because it happened about the same time I installed the updates. I
installed the updates and the system starts throwing memory errors at me
every 5 minutes or so. I look in the log and the only error that repeats is
with windows image acquisition which I have disabled. I uninstalled the hp
software and then I used a program to clean the registry (this program has
never caused a problem for me before) and now I have the icon problem.

I have already tried sfc /scannow and it didnt help so then I tried
repairing the install with the xp pro cd and then I tried sfc again and now
when I boot up after login I get a svchost error which I think I tracked back
to windows image acquisition and I still cant right click on any files.

I think the problem is somehow the context menus registry entries got
deleted but even then I would expect it to pup up an empty box or the
standard menu not hang explorer.

Is there a way to cause windows to rebuild the registry or should I just go
ahead backup and format?

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

A problematic context menu entry will cause this irritating behavior. See
this on how to troubleshoot it:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/context_folders.htm

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the tip. Just saved me a few hours searching too...

 

[Guest]

The problem is whenever I right click on an icon to bring up the context menu
explorer hangs. The system still responds and windows will let me open task
manager close explorer and then open it again but still no context menus.
This only happens with icons too. I can right click both the tast bar and
the desktop just fine but so far nothing else.

I think it was because of the software bundled with my new hp network
printer because it happened about the same time I installed the updates. I
installed the updates and the system starts throwing memory errors at me
every 5 minutes or so. I look in the log and the only error that repeats is
with windows image acquisition which I have disabled. I uninstalled the hp
software and then I used a program to clean the registry (this program has
never caused a problem for me before) and now I have the icon problem.

I have already tried sfc /scannow and it didnt help so then I tried
repairing the install with the xp pro cd and then I tried sfc again and now
when I boot up after login I get a svchost error which I think I tracked back
to windows image acquisition and I still cant right click on any files.

I think the problem is somehow the context menus registry entries got
deleted but even then I would expect it to pup up an empty box or the
standard menu not hang explorer.

Is there a way to cause windows to rebuild the registry or should I just go
ahead backup and format?

 

[Guest]

The problem is whenever I right click on an icon to bring up the context menu
explorer hangs. The system still responds and windows will let me open task
manager close explorer and then open it again but still no context menus.
This only happens with icons too. I can right click both the tast bar and
the desktop just fine but so far nothing else.

I think it was because of the software bundled with my new hp network
printer because it happened about the same time I installed the updates. I
installed the updates and the system starts throwing memory errors at me
every 5 minutes or so. I look in the log and the only error that repeats is
with windows image acquisition which I have disabled. I uninstalled the hp
software and then I used a program to clean the registry (this program has
never caused a problem for me before) and now I have the icon problem.

I have already tried sfc /scannow and it didnt help so then I tried
repairing the install with the xp pro cd and then I tried sfc again and now
when I boot up after login I get a svchost error which I think I tracked back
to windows image acquisition and I still cant right click on any files.

I think the problem is somehow the context menus registry entries got
deleted but even then I would expect it to pup up an empty box or the
standard menu not hang explorer.

Is there a way to cause windows to rebuild the registry or should I just go
ahead backup and format?

go to the following website
http://www.nirsoft.net--Download the following:
ShellExView v1.16

this will allow you to disable context menu entries one at a time to find
the problem. DO NOT disable any windows or microsoft entries. Test the
right-click to find out which one solves your problem after disabling each
one.

I had the same problem as you,. I( found that an entry from Nero after
installing Nero 7 had caused the problem--this cured it and I was also able
to remove some entries I no longer needed. GOOD PROGRAM!

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

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