Cant open properties or right click in folders

[Jamibi]

Hey people.
New guy here, sorry if this has already been sorted out but this is really getting on my nerves and needed a quick responce
I'm browsing a folder and i cant right click in it, i have to use file> blah blah all the time i go to file>properties and it never opens. as in never it hasnt been able to open for a good couple of months now ive had this problem for ages and thought it was time to do something about it.
Any suggestions?
using Windows Xp Pro and dont have the disk to check anything like that.

Thanks in advance,
Jamibi

 

[Sharkfood]

When you right-click on a file, what happens? Look at your HD light and see if it's blinking wildly.

Sometimes the right-click menu has so many associations that Windows has to build a cache of all your associated applications. On slower PCs, this can take.. a very long time!

You might want to try right-clicking on an icon... then walk away for like 10-15 mins lol.

Also, you might want to look in Network places or My Computer for any network shares, mapped drives or removable media that are no-longer valid or present. This can also hang the right-click menus (it's trying to build a "Send-to" list to something that is long gone.. and it's drivers are getting hung-up).

From there, I'd also inspect your add-remove programs for any 3rd party tools/trinkets you no longer use. Many of these can cloud-up the right-click context menus.

Does right-click work in IE or web browsers? Is it limited to just the desktop and file-folder browsing? It's not something silly like right-mouse button mapped to something else, right?

 

[Jamibi]

Yep right click works just about everywhere but my desktop and inside folders, i need to get into the properties of a file and i just cant do it nothing happens, my computer isnt ancient so i doubt it would take about 15 minutes to open, ill try the other stuff you said to do. Another mate said to me that it was a virus but if ran aload of scans and whats been picked up is deleted, im tying that AVG one as loads of people had recommended it here. so ill see what this picks up.
Thanks for a speedy reply

Jamibi

 

[Peddant]

That problem can be caused by spyware or bad context menu handlers.

For the latter see HERE or read this -

1.Go to Regedit

2.Key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

In this key, all shell extensions are listed which work with all files. The * is a real star, it does not mean 'any key' here!

3. Choose "Registry" - "export registry", so you can revert your changes later. Choose to export only the selected branch.

4. Now delete one context menu handler after the other, and then try each time in (Windows Explorer) whether right click works again. This way you should find the defective extension.

5. When you have found it, you need to double click the .reg-file created above to restore all shell extensions, and then delete only the malfunctioning extension.

You may have to repeat this with the keys

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

or

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

If the error happens with directories or with virtual folders.


For spyware read the stickies in the Security forum

 

[Jamibi]

thanks alot for the reply, i tried what u said and went to the site to download the other program but i still cant right click going to try to go on that sticky in the spyware forum and see if that will help. The main thing i want is properties to open not really too bothered about the right clicking


Thanks,
Jamibi