everytime i double click on: “My Computer”, “My Pictures”, Control Panel, or anything that allows me to view directories, the computer crashes then gives me an option to send an error report then refreshes. It's driving me crazy, can anyone help.

http://ww2.nero.com/nero7/enu/InCD_CleanTool.html

cleans INCD out of system. You can then reinstall Nero

Sandeep 4

If it is a Divx issue, wouldn’t I have seen the specific word “divx” somewhere when I went through the context-menu files? I didn’t notice it at all. Most postings I’ve read regarding this problem seem to be related to the divx issue. And with most I’ve read, it seemed very easy for them to solve the problem. I was hoping it would be that easy for me.

As I mentioned, I’m more of a novice and therefore, looking for more help/instructions to find a solution.

Thanks again.

I still suspect that your problem lives in those context menu handlers; however, the method you describe is pretty efficent. I am not sure that anybody is going to be able to help you thought just in a forum.

If you safe boot (tapping f8 after a reboot until the boot menu appears), do you still get the error?

Thanks for your message. Regarding context menu issues/problems, I did follow the directions in Method 2 below:

SYMPTOMS
When you right-click a file/folder, there may be a huge delay before Windows displays the context menu

When you try to empty Recycle Bin (from Common Tasks), it opens Quick Finder instead

When you click “Play All” in the Music or Videos folder Common Tasks, nothing may happen

When you select multiple files and right click and open / print nothing happens. Whereas, selecting a single file in explorer and right click and open / print, it works fine.

When you right-click a folder in the Start Menu and choose Open or Explore, nothing may happen. (Whereas, it works fine in Windows Explorer)

Error message “Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience” when you right-click a folder

Right-click is extremely slow when Network is enabled, and normal with NIC disabled

When you right-click on a folder and choose Properties, nothing may happen.

CAUSE
These problems are caused by a poorly coded context menu handler. A context menu handler is a shell extension handler that adds commands to an existing context menu (Example: cut, copy, paste, print, Scan with Norton etc). A poorly coded context menu handler may be causing any of the above symptoms. As context menu handlers can be implemented at different areas (file class, folder, allfilesystemobjects, HKCR* registry keys), it’s a difficult task for an end-user to pinpoint which shell-extension / context menu handler is causing the problem.

SOLUTION
If you are not confident about dealing with registry, proceed to method 2.

Method 1
First, isolate the problem. Observe when the problem occurs. While right-clicking a particular file type? While right-clicking Folders? While right-clicking all file types? As said earlier, context menu handlers can load from any of these areas:

Registry Key
Description

HKCR *shellexcontextmenuhandlers
Files

HKCRAllFileSystemObjectsshellex contextmenuhandlers
Files and file folders

HKCRFoldershellexcontextmenuhandlers
Folders

HKCRDirectoryshellexcontextmenuhandlers
File Folders

HKCR<ProgID>shellexcontextmenuhandlers File class

HKCRDirectoryBackgroundshellexContextMenuHandlers Desktop

If any of the symptoms occur when you deal with a folder, then you may need to inspect the context menu handlers loaded in these areas (AllFileSystemObjects, Folder, Directory). If it’s only for a .txt file, inspect the file class of .txt file (HKCRtxtfile). Open Registry Editor and backup the selected branch, delete the context menu handlers one-by-one.

Related Information : Manage the context-menu entries for folders, drives and Namespace objects

Method 2 – Using ShellExView to determine the Context-menu causing the problem
ShellExView lets you view all installed shell extensions. If available, it displays the description, as well as version details, company information, location, file name and more. You can optionally disable/enable any item, which can be very useful to disable an extension, that you don t need or that has been left behind in your right click menu from a previous software install.

Effective usage of ShellExView to resolve the right-click problems
Download ShellExView and run it. 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.

General rule here 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 (v1.10) 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.

Problems when you right-click an empty area in the Desktop?
If you have a problem when you right-click on a blank area on the Desktop, then you need to inspect the handlers in this registry key. I don’t think ShellExView enumerates the items from here:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDirectoryBackgroundshellexContextMenuHandlers

The only handler present by default (in a clean XP installation) is the New handler. If you find any additional sub-keys there, it may have be added by third-party applications. Usually, the software that comes with your graphic card adds entries to the above location. Here is one instance, an article from the Intel Graphics Controller website. Intel® 82865G Graphics Controller – Removing the custom desktop right click context menu (Thanks to Cliff for sending in this link)

NOTE: It may not be caused by a context-menu handler always, but a PropertySheet handler or an Icon Handler can also be causing the right-click issues. Few have reported that the Property Sheet handler “Property Sheet – IIS W3ext Module” (XP Professional) was responsible for the folder properties issue (See Case:8 in the Symptoms section above), and that reinstalling IIS from Add/Remove Windows Components fixed the problem.

In one peculiar case, it was the shimgvw.dll module Shell Image Verbs – {e84fda7c-1d6a-45f6-b725-cb260c236066} itself causing the problem. In case of system files, try running SFC /Scannow to fix the problem.

I went through all the non-Microsoft context menu items – first, disabling them one by one, then enabling them, and the problem continued.

Any other advice out there as to what a newbie/novice should do? I don’t particularly want to pay someone to deal with this issue and I don’t really know anyone who’s confortable enough with registry issues/editing to help me.

Thanks again for any and all advice!!

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTFoldershellexContextMenuHandlers

I would suggest uninstalling anything that appears to be placing entries in this region.

If you are a registry guru, you can try deleting the registry entries under the above folder one by one until your right-click works. If you are not comfortable with the registry, just find somebody who is.

Nobody is going to be able to walk you through this, I am afraid, because we don’t know which context menu handler is causing your problem.