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Topic: Shell Extension loses top of RMB popup-menu< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
dsperber
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Posted: Aug. 06 2008,21:15
Having just finished doing total reinstalls of WinXP Pro on my two desktop machines, I noticed the same problem with both of them.  For some reason the "top" of the popup menu (from RMB on items shown in Explorer) was missing!  Oddly, when I RMB on items shown in the File Manager program I use (Power File Gold) which uses a very similar looking Explorer-like interface, sure enough the "missing" items appear in its RMB popup menu.

Having not noticed this early on in both installations, but having noticed it when both installations completed, I was sure it was caused by one of the application products I'd installed that provided some kind of extension to Shell by additional items on the Explorer RMB context menus.  I have several such products which "enhance" the context menu.

Looking at the current RMB menu it was quite an accident that I picked MP3-Tag Studio as the first program to delve into, in particular the Options provided to see if I could turn off the Shell extension.  And sure enough I could.

Imagine my surprise to see that the "missing" top of the context menu HAD NOW RETURNED!!!  It was obviously MP3-Tag Studio's Shell Extension which had somehow caused the loss of the top of the menu.  Just to be sure, I reactivated it and sure enough the menu was once again corrupted, and then I deactivated it again and sure enough the menu recovered its normal appearance.

Needless to say, I am now operating with Shell Extension DEACTIVATED.

See attached screenshot of the menu WITH ITS TOP.  Since this forum only supports a single attachment I will post the second screenshot (WITHOUT ITS TOP) on the next post.

Edited by dsperber on Aug. 06 2008,21:15

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dsperber
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Posted: Aug. 06 2008,21:17
Here's the "bad" menu, with Shell Extension enabled and the top section of the RMB context menu missing.

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Magnus Brading
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Posted: Sep. 05 2008,15:50
Very strange, I have no idea how that might happen.  :confused:

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dsperber
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Posted: Sep. 20 2008,09:42
Probably has something to do with the interaction of MP3-TS's shell interface and the other products I have installed which also insert their own shell interface.

Notice the non-Microsoft additions to the RMB popup menu, and where MP3-TS's line goes (when activated).

Nevertheless, there's no question that it is MP3-TS's shell interface being activated that results in the loss of the top section.

Even with all the other products installed as shown, it's only MP3-TS's activation that causes the damage.  Turn off MP3-TS, and the damage disappears.
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Magnus Brading
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Posted: Sep. 20 2008,23:31
What about if do don't install any other product that Mp3/Tag Studio, does it still happen? Otherwise it might still be some other program in combination with Mp3/Tag Studio that does it.

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dsperber
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Posted: July 26 2009,15:11
Just a reminder about this one...

I had occasion to reinstall WinXP this past weekend, and when reinstalling MP3-Tag Studio I forgot that this didn't work right.  So I checked the "shell extension" option.

And so once again, right-clicking on an INF file in Explorer failed to present the normal top items on the context menu... specifically "INSTALL".

I was temporarily baffled, until I remembered about this bug I first reported last year.  Un-checking the "shell extension" once again brought back the top items in RMB, and I was able to do the INF install.


Looking over this forum I noticed that there has been another "shell extension" bug report, this time concerning a large list and UNDO.

So, if you're working on that other problem before converting the fixed 20 beta into a "final release", can you please work on this problem as well before wrapping things up.

Thanks.
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