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If File Explorer closes or restarts as soon as you right-click, the context-menu route is a useful clue, but it does not identify a single cause. Start with Windows Update and a restart, then check whether the crash depends on the file or menu path. If it continues, use a clean boot to test for software interference; run Windows’ repair commands only if system-file corruption is plausible.
Pin down when the crash happens
Before changing settings, note whether the crash occurs on every file and folder or only a particular type or location. Also note whether Explorer fails as soon as you right-click, or only after you select Show more options. Windows 11 has a modern context menu and a separate Show more options path; some extensions may add commands in that older menu. These observations can help narrow the symptom, but they do not prove which component is responsible or fix the problem by themselves. A Microsoft Community question reports a similar Show more options crash, but community reports are examples, not evidence of how common the issue is: Microsoft Community discussion.
Try low-disruption steps first
Install available Windows updates and restart
Open Settings > Windows Update, check for and install available updates, then restart the PC and test right-click again. Microsoft recommends checking for updates and restarting as general first steps for File Explorer trouble. Its guidance covers Explorer problems broadly, not this exact right-click crash, so treat these as sensible initial checks rather than a guaranteed cure: Microsoft: File Explorer in Windows. Windows servicing and context-menu behavior can vary by build, so note your Windows version and build if the issue remains.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsCheck recently added apps that extend the menu
If the crash began after installing or updating an app that adds right-click commands, use that app’s supported update, repair, or removal process as a test. Possible categories include archive utilities, cloud-sync clients, security tools, graphics utilities, and PDF apps; these are examples of software that may integrate with Explorer, not evidence that any particular category or vendor caused your crash. Avoid deleting registry entries or other menu components at random.
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Use a clean boot to test for software interference
A clean boot starts Windows with non-Microsoft services and startup programs disabled, helping determine whether background software is involved. It tests broad software or service interference; it does not identify a particular context-menu handler on its own. Follow Microsoft’s procedure and record what you change so you can restore normal startup afterward: Microsoft: How to perform a clean boot in Windows.
- Save your work and follow the clean-boot instructions in Microsoft’s guide for your Windows version.
- Restart in the clean-boot state and try the same right-click actions that normally trigger the crash.
- If Explorer no longer crashes, re-enable services and startup items in a controlled way, testing between changes to narrow down the interference. Once identified, update, repair, or remove the relevant app using its supported options.
- Restore normal startup settings when testing is complete.
Some functionality may be temporarily limited during a clean boot. If this is a managed work or school PC, consult IT first: organizational policies may block these steps. Microsoft also cautions that changing advanced startup settings can make a computer unusable if done incorrectly.
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Repair Windows system files if corruption is plausible
If Windows itself may have damaged or missing component files, Microsoft’s prescribed order is DISM first, then System File Checker (SFC). Open Command Prompt as administrator and run these commands one at a time, waiting for each to finish:
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Let SFC complete verification to 100%. Microsoft documents these tools for repairing Windows image and system-file issues: Microsoft: Use the System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files. They address Windows system-file integrity; they do not establish that corruption caused a right-click-only crash or repair every third-party context-menu problem.
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If Explorer still crashes
Gather details before escalating: your Windows version and build, whether all files and folders trigger the issue, whether it happens before or after Show more options, and what changed shortly before the crashes began. Include any relevant crash details you can obtain. Microsoft’s general File Explorer guidance suggests using Feedback Hub if Explorer remains unreliable.
Resetting the PC or reinstalling Windows is a later recovery option, not a first response to a context-menu crash. Back up important files and plan for recovery before taking a step that can remove apps or data. Microsoft’s general Explorer guidance includes reset as an option, but does not guarantee it will fix this specific symptom: Microsoft: File Explorer in Windows.
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