Slow Context Menu: "New" in windows explorer takes ~30 seconds to load list

[ks13219]

Hello all,

 

I have been having this issue for a few weeks.  Any time I try to create a "New" item in windows explorer using the context menu, I get a blue wheel and about a 30 second delay before the list loads.  Every item on the list works when it finally loads.  I am used to making folders this way (even though there is another option I forget about every time I try to make one), and it's driving me bananas.  

 

Any suggestions on a fix?  I've done a lot of googling and haven't come across an answer that works (other than reinstalling windows and/or setting my computer on fire).  

 

Attached is an image of my "New" menu in case it's useful.  

 

Thanks!

[Paroxy]

Try repairing (or uninstall and reinstall) your Microsoft Office installation.

[LogicalDrm]

-> Moved to Windows

***

 

Any other parts where slowness occurs?

[GoodBytes]

Please note that the following assumes that Windows is fully updated, if that is not the case, then please ensure that you are under version 1909.

 

So the "New" menu option is a special menu, where it renders it every time it popups. Programs can register themselves on the list, so that when a new document is created that new document is, ideally, an empty template file... notice that I said "empty template file" not empty file. So for example, if you pick "Microsoft Excel worksheet" it will create a file of 6KB of file size.

 

When the "New" menu takes time to show, typically it is because you have a program that registered itself and that program takes ages to provide the information to Windows when Windows executes its API calls that it expect.

 

So from what I can see, it is either be Adobe Flash (It has been ages since I coded in ActionScript with Flash, but I recall Flash started to be a bug fest, bloated monstrosity rather quickly when Adobe bought Macromedia), or something is wrong with Office 365, maybe it should be uninstalled completely and re-installed. Another thing that is possible, is a program registration that Windows waits for, but times out because it so do buggy, and so it is not listed.

 

So how it all works:

Registry > and now you have 2 locations to deal with. Those that applies to your account only, and those that apply to all users (even if you are the only account on the system).

These 2 locations are: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\

For both path, you have a list of file extensions, you have to expend the key (folder) and sub-keys (their respective sub folders), and look for if there is 'ShellNew' If there is one, and it is not set to null, then it is registering something to the "New" menu. Bellow the list of file extensions, you have names, these can be references defined in a file extension above, so you should check those.

 

There is maybe a program that can scan and give you the list of items, but I don' know any of them. So do at your own risk what you get.

 

It is painful, but that is the proper way to troubleshoot and resolve the problem.

 

If you don't want to go trough that, but convince it is only your account, then you can make a new account, test there the New menu. If all works fine, you can transfer all your stuff between accounts, and start fresh there. Delete your old account once all is taken care off, and you are sure are 10000% you got everything. Sure beats re-installing. If it does happen on a new account, and you tried removing programs and the problem persists, and you are sure Windows 10 is fully updated, and you also check your A/V (if you are not using Windows built-in one), and you don't have a potato CPU, and yes, it might be worth considering re-installing Windows if you cant' figure it out, and probably be faster than trying to figure it out, hopefully it won't come back.

[homeap5]

ShellExView may be helpful. You can disable half of items, then check. Then enable half of them etc. Finally you will find one that causes problem.