Windows Explorer Shell context menu problem

Add items to Windows Explorer Shell context (right-click) menu easily – How to add them ?

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 Discussion

Before will be provided this question discussion we should inform you that menu item appending to context menu methods described below work only for Windows 95 / Windows 98 (not on XP, Vista, x64 - 64-bit Windows), to add items to Windows Explorer Shell context menu you should use, according to Microsoft guidelines, appropriate .Net component - Windows Explorer Shell Context Menu. Here are the autumn 1997 descussion details:

Can you share the contents of your registration and the location of the
binaries on the two machines?

I imagine you have additional registration that you've done on the first
computer or a hard-coded path that only applies to the first machine.

First of all, thank you very much for your kind answer.

After your message, I have changed

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2C4BBD71-
F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9}\InProcServer32

Default = "shellext.dll" path idenfication
but nothing have changed at second computer.


ShellExt.Reg (I have used the same file on both computers)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2C4BBD71-F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9}]
@="Shell Extension Sample"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2C4BBD71-
F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9}\InProcServer32]
@="shellext.dll"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.gak]
@="GAKFile"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\GAKFile]
@="Shell Extension file"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\GAKFile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]
@="GAKMenu"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\GAKFile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\GAKMenu]
@="{2C4BBD71-F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9}"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell
Extensions\Approved]


First Computer (shellext works prefectly on this computer):
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

File path :           C:\WINDOWS\system32\ShellExt.dll


Registry entries:


1. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2C4BBD71-
F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9}

Default = "Shell Extension Sample"

2. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2C4BBD71-
F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9}\InProcServer32

Default = "shellext.dll"
ThreadingModel = "Apartment"

3. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.gak

Default = "GAKFile"

4. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\GAKFile

Default = "Shell Extension file"

5. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\GAKFile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

Default = "GAKMenu"

6. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\GAKFile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\GAKMenu

Default = "{2C4BBD71-F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9}"

7. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{2C4BBD71-
F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9}

Default = "Shell Extension Sample"

8. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{2C4BBD71-
F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9}\InProcServer32

Default = "shellext.dll"
ThreadingModel = "Apartment"

9. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\GAKFile

Default = "Shell Extension file"

10. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\GAKFile\shellex
\ContextMenuHandlers

Default = "GAKMenu"

11. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\GAKFile\shellex
\ContextMenuHandlers\GAKMenu

Default = "{2C4BBD71-F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9}"

12. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell
Extensions\Approved

{2C4BBD71-F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9} = "Shell Extension
Sample"



Second Computer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

File path :           D:\WINDOWS\system32\ShellExt.dll


Registry entries:


1. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2C4BBD71-
F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9}

Default = "Shell Extension Sample"

2. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2C4BBD71-
F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9}\InProcServer32

Default = "shellext.dll"
ThreadingModel = "Apartment"

3. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.gak

Default = "GAKFile"

4. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\GAKFile

Default = "Shell Extension file"

5. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\GAKFile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

Default = "GAKMenu"

6. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\GAKFile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\GAKMenu

Default = "{2C4BBD71-F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9}"

7. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell
Extensions\Cached

{2C4BBD71-F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9} {000214E8-0000-0000-
C000-000000000046} 0x401 (REG_BINARY) = "01 00 00 00 31 00 39 00 76 ca
da 59 df eb c7 01"

8. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{2C4BBD71-
F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9}

Default = "Shell Extension Sample"

9. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{2C4BBD71-
F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9}\InProcServer32

Default = "shellext.dll"
ThreadingModel = "Apartment"

10. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\GAKFile

Default = "Shell Extension file"

11. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\GAKFile\shellex
\ContextMenuHandlers

Default = "GAKMenu"

12. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\GAKFile\shellex
\ContextMenuHandlers\GAKMenu

Default = "{2C4BBD71-F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9}"

13. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell
Extensions\Approved

{2C4BBD71-F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9} = "Shell Extension
Sample"

14. HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1935655697-2111687655-839522115-500\Software
\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Cached

{2C4BBD71-F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9} {000214E8-0000-0000-
C000-000000000046} 0x401 (REG_BINARY) = "01 00 00 00 31 00 39 00 76 ca
da 59 df eb c7 01"

You might be running afoul of verclsid (introduced in this update
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS06-015.mspx).  Perhaps
you don't have all the dependencies you need on the second machine (for
instance, a particular version of the c-runtime).  Anyway, verclsid verifies
that a COM object is going to do a few basic things without crashing.

I would check this by using depends.exe from the second machine and making
sure that you've got all your dependencies.  If that works, try debugging
verclsid as it checks out your extension.  I don't remember the syntax, but
you can just debug verclsid whenever it it run a couple times to get an idea
for how to invoke it.  Image File Execution Options is a reasonable way of
doing that (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/a329t4ed.aspx).

I don't see anything really wrong with the registration and the fact that
verclsid seems to be invoking your stuff is also evidence that it's hooked
up right and that there is something wrong with loading your dll.

I have checked all dependencies. The result is same for both machines
and no problem about dependencies.

Here, the article tells about manual steps to add shell extensions to
the "allow list". I have added the following value to the registry for
the extension:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell
Extensions\Cached
{2C4BBD71-F932-410A-8603-415085CE28D9} {000214E8-0000-0000-
C000-000000000046} 0x401 (REG_DWORD) = 1

But, it did not changed the result.

To try another shell extension (newcntx.dll), which gives the same
results with ShellExt on both computers, I have used the same method
and I have added the following value:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell
Extensions\Cached
{E0147448-0B85-4C6A-A70D-6F54422210F6} {000214E8-0000-0000-
C000-000000000046} 0x401 = 1

The result was positive at the second computer. newcntx.dll menu items
are added to the windows explorer context menu.

All the registry entries for newcntx.dll:

1. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\MyNewCntx
Default = "{E0147448-0B85-4C6A-A70D-6F54422210F6}"

2. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{E0147448-0B85-4C6A-A70D-6F54422210F6}
Default = "MyNewCntx"

3. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{E0147448-0B85-4C6A-
A70D-6F54422210F6}\InProcServer32
Default = "D:\Program Files\My New Context\newcntx.dll"
ThreadingModel = "Apartment"

4. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\MyNewCntx
Default = "{E0147448-0B85-4C6A-A70D-6F54422210F6}"

5. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\MyNewCntx
Default = "{E0147448-0B85-4C6A-A70D-6F54422210F6}"

6. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell
Extensions\Cached
{E0147448-0B85-4C6A-A70D-6F54422210F6} {000214E8-0000-0000-
C000-000000000046} 0x401 = "01 00 00 00 31 00 39 00 b4 79 16 41 47 f1
c7 01"

7. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
\MyNewCntx
Default = "{E0147448-0B85-4C6A-A70D-6F54422210F6}"

8. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{E0147448-0B85-4C6A-
A70D-6F54422210F6}
Default = "MyNewCntx"

9. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{E0147448-0B85-4C6A-
A70D-6F54422210F6}\InProcServer32
Default = "D:\Program Files\My New Context\newcntx.dll"
ThreadingModel = "Apartment"

10. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Directory\shellex
\ContextMenuHandlers\MyNewCntx
Default = "{E0147448-0B85-4C6A-A70D-6F54422210F6}"

11. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\shellex
\ContextMenuHandlers\MyNewCntx
Default = "{E0147448-0B85-4C6A-A70D-6F54422210F6}"

12. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell
Extensions\Approved
{E0147448-0B85-4C6A-A70D-6F54422210F6} = "MyNewCntx"

13. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell
Extensions\Cached
{E0147448-0B85-4C6A-A70D-6F54422210F6} {000214E8-0000-0000-
C000-000000000046} 0x401 = 1

14. HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1935655697-2111687655-839522115-500\Software
\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Cached

{E0147448-0B85-4C6A-A70D-6F54422210F6} {000214E8-0000-0000-
C000-000000000046} 0x401 = "01 00 00 00 31 00 39 00 b4 79 16 41 47 f1
c7 01"

Consequently, security update MS06-015 is not installed at the first
computer. Cverclsid.exe, coming with security update MS06-015, blocks
the shellext.dll and newcntx.dll at the second computer. Adding item
13 for newcntx.dll have solved the problem. But this solution is not
valid for shellext.dll.

Instead of adding item 13 to the registry, renaming verclsid.exe file
to verclsid.old gave the same result.

The most interesting thing is:

Softwares like Winzip, Winrar, Axcrypt, etc. use their extensions
without any problem  at the second computer and they have same
registry entries with newcntx.dll except item 13. They need not adding
item 13.

Right - the other applications don't need those entries because they are
going to pass the verclsid test anyway.
The next thing to do is debug explorer and see if your dll is getting
loaded.  Probably, you're getting loaded (now that you've faked passing the
verclsid test), and you can debug the failure right in explorer - put a
breakpoint on your DLLGetClassObject and step out from there.  Perhaps
you're failing some internal call on the second machine - only debugging can
tell (and apparently my guessing hasn't turned up too much yet :).

However, failing the verclsid test means that you've got something pretty
fundamental that's broken.  So you need to track down where that's failing
as well (it may be for the same reason).