Still facing software bugs, errors, and fixes after last update

[Kenneth.L]

Okay, I’ll be honest right off the bat. I’m pretty sure I broke my Windows 10 install because I was trying to be clever with the registry. I was following some guide to clear out old startup entries, and I think I deleted a whole key instead of just one value. The computer still boots, but it’s acting weird and I’m too embarrassed to take it to a shop and explain what I did.

So the main issue is that File Explorer crashes every time I right-click on a folder. Not on a file, just folders. I tried running SFC /scannow in the command prompt and it said it found corrupted files but couldn’t fix some of them. Then I tried DISM and it said it completed, but the problem is still there. I also rolled back a system restore point from two days ago, but apparently I didn’t have one from before I messed with the registry. Figured that out the hard way.

Is there any way to target just the context menu handler for folders specifically without doing a full reset? Or is there a specific registry path I can check to see if something is pointing to a dead DLL? I don’t mind getting my hands dirty again, I just need to know exactly where to look.

[George.R]

If you're looking for the context menu handlers, check HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*
\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers. Look for anything strange in the folders section. Just be careful about what you delete this time. I've been there too!

[Sofia_G]

There's a tool called ShellExView that can help you identify and disable problematic context menu handlers. It sounds like a DLL could be the culprit. My setup crashed when I messed with one of those handlers before.

[AdamSM]

It's tough when the system doesn't have a valid restore point. You might want to try a clean boot to see if a third-party context handler is causing the issue. Last time I tried that, it narrowed down a similar problem for me.

[James_S]

You should consider reinstalling Windows components specific to File Explorer. It often resolves these kinds of glitches, though it can be a hassle depending on how deep the issue goes.