Removing Orphaned Items from the Shell Right Click Handler
In setting up my machine yesterday I needed to get access to an old file, which forced me to install a tool in trial mode to access it. Having completed my install and respective uninstall of said application I found an annoying hangover. My shell now had a orphaned shell handler. Since my machine is so fresh I went on a war against this shell entry.
First up there are lots of tool that can help here, but being a that a craplet got me here in the first place I wasn't keen to install another one to resolve my issue. I figured I go about things the traditional way.... regedit.
Windows stores these keys in several places;
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\OpenWithList
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
Once I've found the offending entry. Hit delete. You could back it up, but I wanted no trace.
There you have it no more shell craplet.