Windows XP glitch

[Proud Liberal Dem]

I would post this in the computer groups forum but since money is a bit too tight right now to allow me to donate to DU, I thought that posting this here would be the next best thing. I have been experiencing a problematic but so far benign Windows XP glitch that prevents me from right-clicking or using the Properties tab on my computer drives. I can't seem to pinpoint when this problem began or how it began. I was using XP Home when it first started, then migrated to Windows XP Pro thinking it might fix the problem (it didn't) and I even went so far as to re-install XP Pro which also didn't solve the problem. The only thing that the drives seem to have in common is that I enabled folder sharing on all of them but beyond that I haven't been able to figure out what is causing the glitch. The computer and Windows is suprisingly working fine otherwise except for this one little glitch. I haven't been able to find anything about this kind of problem at Microsoft's website and the Gateway tech I chatted online with wasn't able to suggest anything more than a reinstall/repair. Has anybody else here experienced a similar problem and if so, how did you resolve it? Any suggestions? Thanks!

[billyskank]

1. Might as well ask the stupid question straight away

You're sure it's not that the right button on your mouse is bust, right?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. Nope

I can right click everything else (including my other Windows folders while in Windows Explorer) without any problems. The problem ONLY seems to occur whenever I right-click the drives (i.e. C:/, D:/, etc.)

[ET Awful]

3. Could it be a rights issue?

Just a thought. . . is your ID an administrator on the machine?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. Yes

I am set up to be the administrator of my system.

[mccoyn]

4. Try running these:

Ad-Aware http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
SpyBot S&D http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

Also try a virus scanner.

Spyware, adware, viruses and worms often disable random things in windows to make it harder for you to find them. These programs should be able to figure out if you have one of these things. Take notes of the names of anything found. If these programs don't get rid of the problem, but they did find something you might have to do a google search on those names to see if anyone else has solved the problem.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. Already Tried These

I have all of these programs already installed and running on the system in addition to Windows Defender Beta and McAfee Internet Security Suite. I'm pretty well loaded in terms of protection (although I realize that nothing is necessarily "foolproof" when it comes to viruses, spyware, etc.)

[swag]

7. Have a look over here:

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain/browse_thread/thread/1b8907ccd00b4f5/df875e7b70b2a4b4?lnk=st&q=&rnum=13&hl=en#df875e7b70b2a4b4

And don't edit your registry unless you are darned comfortable doing so.

[swag]

8. There is also this, which offers no solutions, but which shows that you're

not alone (gee, I'm sure that helps)

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/browse_thread/thread/309a6f74cd98b837/9a4039091860f1a9?lnk=st&q=&rnum=10&hl=en#9a4039091860f1a9

You might try contacting some of these people.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

9. Thanks!

It fits EXACTLY with what is going on with my computer. I tried the first fix but it looked like the settings were already correct. I was able to BRIEFLY bring up the properties tab for a couple of my drives but then it crashed again. *sigh* :argh:

[meegbear]

10. I did a goolge on "right click context menu hangs up" ...

Check this link out (it was the first entry): http://ufies.org/archives/001815.html

If it doesn't do it, google the phrase above and check the links.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

11. Thanks!

I'll give it a try when I get home. It was really wierd how this problem started. Just one day out of the blue it started up without any apparent explanation (as most things seem to do with computers)