Fix right-click issue on Windows 10

The following article will guide you through measures to fix this problem. It is important to ensure that all system files are intact and not corrupted before proceeding with the solutions below.

1. Turn off Tablet Mode

The failure of the right-click function can stem directly from the Tablet Mode being enabled on the computer. You cannot perform most right-click operations while in this mode. There are many ways to turn off Tablet Mode on Windows 10 PC.

Refer to: Enable/Disable Tablet Mode on Windows 10 for detailed instructions.

2. Use the Shell Extension Manager application for Windows

The right-click problem is also sometimes caused by third-party extensions on the context menu. There is a tool that can help you get rid of these extensions effectively without much effort.

Step 1: Download Shell Extension Manager.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html

Step 2: After completing the download, launch the application using the keyboard ( Shift+ F10) and then select ' Run as administrator '. No installation required here.

Step 3: On the menu that appears, select Options . Click Filter by Extension Type , then select Context Menu.

Fix right-click issue on Windows 10 Picture 1

Step 4: A list will be displayed. Take note of the items with pink backgrounds. They are items installed by 3rd party software.

Step 5: Press and hold the key CTRL, then click all items with a pink background. In the left corner, click the red button to disable all.

Step 6: Again in Options , restart Explorer.

Step 7: Right click on the desktop and see if the problem is resolved. If the problem goes away, start activating 3rd party extensions one by one.

If the right click issue occurs again, it is definitely caused by the last 3rd party extension you enabled. Please disable that extension or completely uninstall its original software/program if necessary.

3. Execute DISM commands

The health of the drive may be problematic, causing right-clicking to not work on the computer. Therefore, you need to perform inspection and repair with DISM commands. The detailed method has been mentioned by TipsMake in the article: How to repair Windows 10 image with DISM.

Once the process is finished, check if the issue still occurs.

4. Run an SFC scan

It is possible that a certain driver or '.dll' file is missing or corrupted. Therefore, in this step, you will need to start an SFC scan to check and fix this issue.

Tip : If problems occur with your computer or laptop/notebook, you should try using Restoro Repair, a tool that can scan repositories and replace damaged or missing files.

Refer to the article: Use the SFC command to fix Windows 10 system file errors for details on how to do this.

5. Delete Registry entries

Sometimes, the error is fixed simply by deleting some registry entries. If registry configurations have been corrupted or misconfigured, they can prevent certain components of the operating system from working correctly. To fix that:

B1: Click Win+ Rto open Run.

Step 2: Enter Regedit and click Enterto open Registry Editor.

B3: Navigate to the following path:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDirectoryBackgroundshellexContextMenuHandlersNvCplDesktopContext

Fix right-click issue on Windows 10 Picture 2

Step 4: Delete all folders, except:

1. FileSyncEx
2. new
3. Sharing
4. WorkFolders

Step 5: Right-click any folder except the ones indicated above and select Delete from the list to delete them.

Fix right-click issue on Windows 10 Picture 3

WARNING : During the above steps, the desktop may disappear and you will have nothing left to work with for the remaining processes. If this happens, just press Ctrl+ Alt+ Del. In Task Manager, select the File tab > Run a new task , then enter explorer.exe. The Desktop will appear immediately.

6. Uninstall/Disable conflicting applications

There are known applications that cause the right click error under discussion. These third-party applications often control the HID, and sometimes, they are in an error state that causes loss of functionality. In that case, uninstalling/disabling these apps may resolve the issue. The following is a list of such applications:

1. HP Display Control (PdiShellExt.dll )
2. Symantec System Recovery
3. 7zip
4. WinZip

If you have any of these apps installed then disable or uninstall and reinstall them. You may also consider starting your computer in Safe Mode to diagnose the problem.

7. Update drivers

Driver is the main component that connects hardware and operating system. If any drivers are corrupted or outdated, updating to the latest version may resolve the issue. Drivers are often corrupted due to problematic Windows updates or are outdated if they are not updated with Windows updates.

Reference: 5 basic ways to update computer drivers for detailed instructions.

If none of these methods help, then perform a system restore or reset Windows. But before doing anything, make sure the mouse is not defective.

Jessica Tanner

Update 01 August 2024