No context menu - version 5.8.1

[Alanrf]

I have just installed the current version of this software, using the Windows Explorer look'n'feel.

Initially, I was impressed.  However, trying varying basic functions I find that I cannot display a context menu by a right-mouse click.

Every time I try MC hangs with a "Not responding" message in the title bar.  Tried changing the style to Commander look'n'feel which, it appears, could not be invoked.

Completely uninstalled and then tried a fresh install.


Still doesn't work.

Is there a simple, (perhaps obvious), solution to this fundamental problem?

Otherwise, it seems that I will have to uninstall and look for other file management alternatives.

[Mathias (Author)]

Normally context menus are not an issues.

But shell extension in general is a big problem with Widows. They are cause of many problems on Windows.
Shell extension are 3de part code that gets injected into the calling process. And since the way to create Shell Extensions are hard. Many developers fails in doing everything correct and takes shortcuts and only test it on Windows Explorer, and also many assume that the calling process IS Windows explorer.
And since the shell extension is injected into the calling processes it is now loaded into the MC process, and if it act out,  it will make MC hang/crash.
It is not common but it happens to often. It is a very know issue that 3de part shell extension cause a lot of problems for other programs not only MC.

MC do not have any control over 3de part shell extensions.  One why to figure out what shell extension that is cause problems is to disable them one by one and test
and that can be done with ShellExView tool by Nir  ( http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html )

However the first time you call for the shell context menu it will need to load them all in and can take extra time. But normally only a couple of seconds.

[Alanrf]

OK, thanks for the speedy reply.

However, if there is some sort of clash with an existing shell extension then I guess I'll forget about using Multi Commander.  I am loathe to change my existing set up and make any forced changes.

Pity because I thought I had found a first class piece of software.


Incidentally I  have also found some other issues.


It is not easy to change the look'n'feel styles despite following the instructions.  Nothing seems to change whichever option I select, so that I cannot even try the Commander style..

Changing color options, especially for active /inactive backgrounds appeared fine when I first installed the software but now, if I want to try a modify the various color defaults for files and folders I can't do anything because I get the message "Your color setting in Explorer Panel does not allow for Rules Based coloring.  To see this color rules in use you must enable that option."

There appears to be no such option available in that panel and, in any case I have changed nothing there with this latest install.

After failing to make that work I then tied to invoke different color backgrounds for active / inactive panels but couldn't do that despite being successful with the initial installation.

[Mathias (Author)]

OK, thanks for the speedy reply.

However, if there is some sort of clash with an existing shell extension then I guess I'll forget about using Multi Commander.  I am loathe to change my existing set up and make any forced changes.

MC is not in control of any of the 3de part shell extension.  MC just tell windows to show them. So if there are conflicts with installed once or issues there is nothing MC can do.

It is not easy to change the look'n'feel styles despite following the instructions.  Nothing seems to change whichever option I select, so that I cannot even try the Commander style..

Strange. You just select and it changes.. I'm not able to make it fail.

Changing color options, especially for active /inactive backgrounds appeared fine when I first installed the software but now, if I want to try a modify the various color defaults for files and folders I can't do anything because I get the message "Your color setting in Explorer Panel does not allow for Rules Based coloring.  To see this color rules in use you must enable that option."

Then the option to allow Rules based colors are off.  There is an option for that in settings that you must have turned off

After failing to make that work I then tied to invoke different color backgrounds for active / inactive panels but couldn't do that despite being successful with the initial installation.

There is no know issue around this.  maybe you disable the parent option. "Override standard windows background" ?

[Alanrf]

Update in the Context Menu issue.

This was actually a rather subtle problem to resolve!

My initial installation of Multi Commander was on a Windows Vista box, where, as reported, everything seemed fine except for the context menu issue.

Before trying to resolve any issue with extension incompatibilities I decided to install Multi Commander, (64 bit version), on one of my Win 10 boxes which carries very similar software content .

Result -  on that computer, the context menus worked every time.

With that confirmation that at least one version was working on my local network I then compared the content of the context menus on each box.  This was identical apart from one specific piece of software which exists only on the Vista box.

So, following you excellent advice, I installed and used ShellExView and disable that item.

Result.  Multi Commander still crashed.

It was then a matter of selectively disabling / enabling any relevant extension to try and remove the problem.  Nothing obvious worked until, almost as the last try before giving up I checked the AVG Shell Extension Class.

(I use AVG antivirus on all of my computers after many years of Norton and then a few years of unhappy experiences with McAfee).

This extension did not cause any problems on the Win 10 box and the context menu functions quite properly, containing the "Scan with AVG" and "Permanently shred with AVG" options.  Both of these originally appeared on the Vista box too but disabling the extension removed them of course.

Basically, with the AVG extension removed on the Vista box, the problem appears to have been resolved.



Update on the change Look'n'Feel issue.

This issue was much simpler to resolve.  Using the "Quick Look'n'Feel Setup" option the selection panel appears, of course, but there is no indication that once a change, say from Commander Style to Explorer style has been made it is necessary to close down and restart Multi Commander for the change to take effect.  If the information is somewhere I didn't see it, but I suppose the solution is obvious, in hindsight!




Update on the File Coloring Rules Editor issue.

No solution yet as to why the error message "Your color setting in Explorer Panel does not allow for Rules Based coloring.  To see this color rules in use you must enable that option."  appears. Even in the new installation on Win 10 the message appears even though no configuration changes have been attempted.

Just where is the option to allow for Rules Based coloring?  I have looked carefully and can't see that anywhere.



Thanks for your help; as I posted originally, I was, and am, impressed with the quality of this utility! 

[Mathias (Author)]

Ahh great that you found what Shell Extension that was the issue. I will see if I can recreate it if I install AVG, maybe I include a workaround if I can detect AVG

Update on the File Coloring Rules Editor issue.

No solution yet as to why the error message "Your color setting in Explorer Panel does not allow for Rules Based coloring.  To see this color rules in use you must enable that option."  appears. Even in the new installation on Win 10 the message appears even though no configuration changes have been attempted.

Just where is the option to allow for Rules Based coloring?  I have looked carefully and can't see that anywhere.

Press the "Color Wheel" icon on the toolbar and enabled the "Apply file coloring" option.

[Alanrf]

Ah!

Found the setting to clear the warning message 
Explorer Panel Settings / Folder and Folder state colors / Rule based coloring of files and folders.

Sorry not to have spotted that earlier.  I will need to spend some time to familiarise myself with the software.  I continue to be impressed with the range of configurations and so on!