Windows 10/11 comes with a lot of functionalities, features, and updates that make it one of the best operating systems on the market. Microsoft provides Windows 10/11 with regular updates to help it keep pace with technological trends, resolve errors, and improve user experience. However, like every piece of software, Windows 10/11 has its limitations and downsides. For example, updates can trigger unexpected problems, which can make using your computer a hassle. You have to resolve these issues if you want to continue enjoying your device. The good news is that most Windows 10/11 problems can be easily fixed.

Microsoft has recently released a new update for Windows 10/11. However, this update comes with an issue. If you have recently updated your Windows, you might notice that the right-click context menu takes a long time to appear when you perform a right-click. This forces you to wait for a long time before you can do what you want to do. It can be frustrating right-clicking on an icon and then waiting for almost 5 minutes before the context menu appears.

There is a reason why your right-click context menu is delayed. You do not have to worry. You can easily rectify this problem. However, before you can do that, you need to understand what triggers it.

This issue can be annoying, to say the least, because you need the right-click tool to quickly access essential functions on Windows, such as display settings, general settings, etc. The main cause of this issue is a conflict between third-party apps and Windows shell extensions. It could also be caused by a corrupt third-party shell extension. Another reason why this problem can appear is your display drivers being outdated or faulty.

So, let’s get down to it! In this guide, we will show you how to fix right-click menu problems in Windows 10/11 with ease. The troubleshooting methods below will help you solve this issue. You don’t even have to be an IT expert to use this list.

Fix your slow right-click context menu in Windows 10/11

  1. Update Your Display Drivers
  2. Disable All Unnecessary Third-Party Shell Extensions
  3. Execute a Clean Boot
  4. Fix Your Registry
  5. Solve This Issue Automatically

Let’s look at each of these solutions to find what works for your PC. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of resolving this problem manually, simply scroll down to the last solution for a guide on how to fix this problem automatically.

Note: Before trying out any of the solutions in this guide, be sure to create a restore point. This will back up your important system information, just in case you encounter problems.

Solution 1: Update Your Display Drivers

The first solution you have to try involves checking if your display drivers are outdated and then updating them. Here is how to do this:

  • Press the shortcut Windows key + R, input “devmgmt.msc” (without the quotes) into the box and then press the ENTER key. This will open the Device Manager window.
  • Click on Display adapters to expand it. From there, go to your NVIDIA graphics card and right-click on it. This will display a list of options from which you should select
  • Once you have done this, return to your NVIDIA graphics card and right-click on it again. This time, select Update Driver Software.
  • Choose the Search automatically for updated driver software option and patiently wait while Windows searches for an update.
  • At this point, your issue should be rectified. However, if the problem persists, then return to your NVIDIA graphics card and right-click on it again. Choose Update Driver Software. However, this time around, select Browse my computer for driver software
  • Now choose the option Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer. This will show you a list from which you should select the compatible driver for your NVIDIA graphics card.
  • Allow Windows to run the process. When the process is complete, restart your PC in order to save your changes.

Now that your display driver is up to date, you should be able to enjoy your PC once again. However, if the issue persists, go to the next solution.

Solution 2: Disable All Unnecessary Third-Party Shell Extensions

If your context menu is full of third-party shell extensions, then one of them could be the problem. A corrupt third-party shell extension can make your right-click context menu slow. This could be the reason why your context menu delays. In some cases, more than one shell extension can be corrupt at the same time. Therefore, you need to disable all unnecessary shell extensions that you have in your context menu.

To disable shell extensions, follow the instructions below:

  • First, download the necessary program from here. You don’t need to install it. Simply right-click on it and choose the Run as Administrator
  • Go to the menu and select Then choose the option Filter by Extension Type. From there, go to the Context menu option and click on it to open the next page.
  • In the new window, a list of entries will be displayed. On this list, any entry marked with the pink background is an entry that has been installed with third-party software.
  • Hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard and click on all the entries with the pink background. This will highlight each of them. Now go to the top left corner of the window and select the red button. This will disable all the selected entries.
  • After this, restart your computer to effect the change. Check to see if the problem is gone.
  • If this resolves the issue, it means a faulty shell extension is the cause of your problem. To identify the specific shell extension causing this problem, you should enable the extensions one after the other until the issue reoccurs again. If the problem reoccurs when you enable a particular extension, that is your culprit.
  • All you have to do now is disable that specific extension. After that, locate the software associated with it and uninstall it as well.
  • Restart your computer so that Windows can save your changes.

Solution 3: Execute a Clean Boot

A software conflict could be another reason why your right-click context menu is slow. To fix this, you need to perform a clean boot to see which app is the culprit:

  • On your keyboard, press the shortcut Windows key + R. Into the box, input “msconfig” (without the quotation marks). Click on the OK button to confirm your input.
  • In the new window, click on the General tab and check to confirm that the box next to Selective markup is
  • Go to the box next to Load startup items and uncheck it.
  • Click on the Services Under this tab, go to the box next to Hide all Microsoft services and check it.
  • At this point, go to the Disable all button and click on it. This will disable every unnecessary service that may cause conflict.
  • Go to the Startup tab and choose Open Task Manager.
  • In this new window, go to the Startup tab and look for every startup item that is enabled. Disable all of them.
  • Confirm your selection by clicking on the OK button and then rebooting your system.
  • Now return to your keyboard and press the shortcut Windows + R. Input “msconfig” into the box and select OK.
  • Click on the General tab again and choose the option Normal Startup. Click on the OK button to confirm your changes.
  • When a prompt appears asking you to restart your device, click on the Restart button. If this prompt does not appear, reboot the computer yourself. Your right-click context menu should be back to normal after this.

Solution 4: Fix Your Registry

If the above solution did not work, it could be that you have a corrupt registry and you need to fix this. Before proceeding to fix your registry, make a backup of your registry. This will come in handy if you encounter an error and need to restore your registry to its former state.

After backing up your registry, you can now follow the steps below to perform a registry fix:

  • On your keyboard, press the shortcut Windows + R. Then input the command regedit and hit the ENTER key to execute it.
  • The next step is to navigate to this registry key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

  • When you are in this location, go to ContextMenuHandlers and select it. This will show you a list of folders under it.
  • Right-click on all the folders on this list (except for New and WorkFolders) and choose

Note: If you do not want to delete all these folders completely, you can delete them one after the other until the problem is resolved. However, for each folder you delete, you have to reboot your PC. Therefore, it is best to delete them all at once.

  • Restart your device to confirm the changes you have made.

Solution 5: Solve This Issue Automatically

If none of the solutions above worked to resolve this issue on your PC, you can automatically solve it by using dedicated software. Also, if you are worried that you might cause more damage while trying to fix this problem yourself, this solution is for you.

Auslogics BoostSpeed 13 is software designed specifically to locate system errors and resolve them with just the click of a button. It can locate dangerous shell extensions and terminate them. It can also find and remove or disable corrupt extensions. This not only gets your right-click context menu functioning properly but also increases the speed of your computer.

Auslogics BoostSpeed 13 does more than just fix the slow right-click context menu; it also addresses other deep issues that may be affecting your computer’s functionality, which you may not know about. It will give you a full report on the issues found before it goes ahead and fixes them.

Use this tested and approved tool to fix errors on your computer.

Conclusion

The solutions discussed in this article are sure to help you resolve the problem and get your system back to its best. However, if you do not want to go through the hassle of fixing it yourself, simply use the Auslogics BoostSpeed 13 tool to resolve it in no time.

If you have any other solutions that you would like to share with us, kindly leave them in the comment section below.