The desktop context menu or popularly known as the desktop right-click menu, which appears when you perform a right-click on an empty spot on the Windows 10 desktop, is useful for quickly accessing Settings and display settings, showing/hiding desktop icons, sorting desktop items, and create a new folder on the desktop.
Ever since the release of Windows 10, several users have been complaining about the slow desktop context menu. According to users who have been experiencing this issue, when you perform a right-click on the empty area of the desktop, the context menu doesn’t appear instantly. The context menu appears slowly after about 4 seconds.
If you’re also experiencing the slow desktop right-click menu issue in Windows 10, you will be happy to know that the problem can be fixed in a few minutes. In most cases, the desktop context menu takes longer than usual time to appear because of the integrated third-party items like Intel graphics card properties and the NVIDIA Control Panel.
Follow the given below directions to remove third-party entries from the desktop context menu and fix the slow desktop right-click issue in Windows 10.
Method 1 of 2
Fix the slow desktop context menu in Windows 10
Step 1: In the Start menu or taskbar search box, type Regedit and then press Enter key to open Registry Editor. If you see the User Account Control dialog, please press the Yes button.
Step 2: Once the Registry Editor is launched, navigate to the following key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\ shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
Step 3: Under ContextMenuHandlers, several folders will appear.
Step 4: In order to remove Intel Graphics Properties and Graphics Options entries, you need to delete igfxcui and igfxDTCM folders. To delete a folder, simply right-click on it and then click Delete. Click Yes when you see the confirmation dialog.
Likewise, if your PC has NVIDIA graphics hardware, you will see NvCplDesktopContext under ContextMenuHandlers. Simply right-click on it and then click Delete.
You may close the Registry Editor now.
Step 5: The desktop context menu should now appear instantly, without any delay. If not, restart your PC once.
Method 2 of 2
Another way to fix the slow desktop context menu in Windows 10
Those of you who don’t want to play the Registry can use a free utility called ShellExView to remove those entries from the desktop context menu. Here is how to download and use ShellExView on Windows 10.
Step 1: Visit this page and download the latest version of ShellExView. Note that the download link appears toward the end of the page.
Step 2: Extract the zip file and then run the shellexview.exe file by double-clicking on it. Click Yes button when you see the User Account Control prompt.
Step 3: The tool will take a few seconds to scan your PC for context menu entries.
Step 4: Finally, look for the entry named NVIDIA CPL Context Menu Extension, right-click on it, and then click Disable.
Likewise, if you have Intel graphics, under Extensions, look for two entries named TheDesktopContextMenu Class and TheDesktopContextMenu Class and disable them by right-clicking on them and then clicking Disable. You might need to restart Windows Explorer once or perform a reboot to see the change.
How to fix the Downloads folder opening slowly in Windows 10 guide might also interest you.
Bert says
A huge thanks to Bob says
February 11, 2021 at 9:05 pm
How I fixed my case (laptop HP Pavilion, Intel Core i7 , 8th gen)
My issue was Pin To Start Screen verb handler, it has been driving me insane for months.
I am very late to this forum but I Am glad I came across it, again Bob many many thanks.
Just for the record the actual location is for this culprit is C:\Windows\System32\appresolver.dll
Although I say that I advise caution for anyone wanting to delete that dll.
Kind regards all.
Bert
Lou says
Perfect!
Mecha says
Awesome, I deleted the Regedit folders and it worked!
Terry Watts says
mmm does not fix it for me
I did the ShellExView thing and disabled the Microsoft Url Search Hook
I used regedit and cleared out all bar New, sharing and work folders.
The C drivve is better, and so is the larger d drive
But if I keep right clicking in either dive folder with some files in after the first right click subsequent clicks can take around 23 seconds to launch the popup menu
yes 23 seconds!!
I have tried windows 11 and the same issue occurs
all drives are SSD.
C drive is constantly optimised and it still takes several seconds on occasion, it is
My D drive I cannot set to constantly optimise for some reason.
Maybe it is a defrag issue on that drive?
The C,D and E drives have at least 25% free space
C: 500 Gb
D:790 Gb available
E2 Tb available
If you can offer any advice – this is getting very frustrating as I am busy developing code here and the issue appears to be getting worse by the day
thanks!
shane says
worked! thanks!
tousif says
Thank you so n=much :)
Problem solved by option 1 after 7years ??
Athena says
Thank you so much! Problem solved!
Thor says
Thank you! Disabling the NVIDIA CPL Context Menu Extension using the ShellExView program fixed the problem for me :)
Raghav says
Thank you so much. Worked in the first time!!
Bob says
How I fixed my case (laptop HP Pavilion, Intel Core i7 , 8th gen).
The handler connected to Microsoft apk “People” caused 5 -8 sec lag when you open the context menu with right mice button. I used the “ShellExView” to investigate the culprit of this lag. When I click to “Handlers”, no handlers have been highlighted in “ShellExView”. Since this lag was happened recently, I checked the dates of all handlers and regroup them by installation date. The Jan. 13th 2021 (the latest update from Microsoft) was applied to my laptop. I found 10 handlers installed on this date and blocked them. Restarted file explorer and NO LAGS any more !!
So, I was enabling one by one subsequently until found that handler named ” Pin To Start Screen verb handler” was the only one who caused such crazy lag. Of course, I uninstalled the Apk “People” which was installed with latest windows update. In order to successfully uninstall the People apk, this handler should be enabled and than blocked again after. I did it in order to avoid messing with Registry editor.
FYI, my older laptop with different Intel processor and Display adapter driver, still do not have the same lag problem. Just in case, I also uninstalled this People apk and blocked the appropriate handler named above.
Hope this will help in similar situation – at least, it is worth to try. It is obvious that bad handler is not interacting equally bad with different versions of the screen adapters.
Robby says
You are amazing. I love you
rhusselle rivera says
aw thank you so much.. i deleted my user file and it did made a mess..
jem says
it fix it. Thank you!
Yogesh Jain says
Thanks it worked. the right click is instantaneous now.
Although, for those like me, who might be wondering what they are about to delete on some random online advice, that too after allowing admin rights..
By following these steps, you are not deleting/uninstalling anything. You are just about to remove the registry for the graphics controller to be shown in context menu (right click menu).
Further, if you are little skeptical, and don’t want to loose access to graphics options, follow the following before deleting:
First right click on the desktop > Graphics options > Enable to be seen in panel tray.
That way, you can still perform all the functions from the panel tray (located in the bottom right corner of your pc) even after it is gone from context menu, as the icon will be present in it.
August says
Thank you sooo much! Wish I had found this guide a year ago.
thol says
very nice… working 100%
Jerry Ensminger says
Thank you very much. Worked for me. Enough said, but still wondering what I deleted. Ha. Thanks again.
Bob Nestel says
To clarify my other comment: The bottom two items do not need to be removed. I put them back in and all the right mouse context menus are still fast.
Bob Nestel says
The above fix did not work for me but I finally got it. Right click was slow on some items, fast on others. Made table of items. Slow items all had “pin to desktop” in their context menu. Removed from registry and all were fast. Thanks to Shawn Brink:
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\PintoStartScreen]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\PintoStartScreen]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Microsoft.Website\ShellEx\ContextMenuHandlers\PintoStartScreen]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mscfile\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\PintoStartScreen]
Oh yea, I also took out the following two keys first and it may have made some items fast but the above really solved it.
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{a2a9545d-a0c2-42b4-9708-a0b2badd77c8}]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{90AA3A4E-1CBA-4233-B8BB-535773D48449}]
Sam says
Wow.. Thankyou.. It worked!
Dave says
I have NVIDIA graphics hardware and it was driving me nuts trying to figure out why it was taking so long to open when I right-clicked the on the display. Your solution fixed it immediately once I deleted the NvCplDesktopContext under ContextMenuHandlers.
Krishna Balabhadrapathuruni says
Awesome, I deleted the Regedit folders and it worked!
Piotr Biesiada says
Google Drive was taking much time, removed from the registry and the problem is gone! :)
lea says
thank you the second method worked for me <3
Nani says
It worked instantly. But how to access ‘Graphic Properties’, from the start menu?
Liew from Malaysia says
It works – 14 Aug 2019 !!
Undie says
it worked for me. thx.
saket says
Awesome. Thanks. Great
Pys says
It worked!! Thank you.
benjamin says
You saved my life
Luke says
Worked for me too. Thank you kindly!
efqi says
wow…it works, thank u so much
Andrei says
Thanks a lot, it worked. I read some of the comments and just added “—-” before the default values, without deleting the folders.
Karin says
Thanks! This worked.
Khanh Truong says
Thanks a lot, this worked for me!
Azhar Iqbal says
thanx dear, it has done in a couple of minutes.
Lukasz says
This happened after I restored my windows 10 laptop. Following Xian Valencia advice
“I just deleted the NvCplDesktopContext and now the desktop context menu appears instantly.”
It worked for me too!
Xian Valencia says
Man! Thanks for this. In my case, I just deleted the NvCplDesktopContext and now the desktop context menu appears instantly.
fleminglr says
The problem persists even though the above tips are described. I deleted it directly in Regedit and I used “shexview” too
I see the reports follow from 2017 to 2018
Mine is about windows10 1809 in 2019
My problem is a bit different.
The context menu is fast but when I want to create a new folder the delay appears …
Below this submenu of creating folders and shortcuts appear several shortcuts to “all Microsoft applications (excel and access) Imcompatibility?
I noticed this problem in my system from the sync with the microsoft account during the OS installation.
Before the synchronization with the Microsoft account, I was installing the original drivers and everything was very fast
Anyone have a tip?
David Roberts says
Thanks! I was getting the slow menu item issue on my new Alienware. This fixed it right up.
Riley says
Method 1 worked like a charm!
I backed up the files that were to be deleted (just in case) but looks like there was no need for that! Desktop menu works juuuust fine!
Thanks!
Taskiya shaikh says
Amazing help.
Yes really simple and helpful, thank you so much.
Daniel says
Doesn’t work for me, please help thanks
remzej says
Thank you very much! This worked!
Fazri says
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I deleted Nvidia only and it works!!!
Mohit Mendiratta says
You are God
Kero says
Thanks! :)
DSpider says
Didn’t work for me. Still slow right click (i7 4790 with Intel Graphics and Nvidia GTX 1060).
So, NO THANKS! Even rebooting.
Rohit says
Hey thank you so much, I am so relieved, your solution was just perfect.
Harish says
Thanks you for advice its working very well now, no longe problem available. ??
Best solution!!
Donald MacKenzie says
Edit, also looks like the nvidia folder can cause this issue, I removed it and the context menu is fast.
giga says
thank you! this drove me crazy :)
Frenaldi says
thanks a lot.. now my laptop has no delay while right clicking on it.
THANKS BILL GATES
Ahmad says
Instead of deleting them double-click on the (Default) value in the right-hand side, and then add some dashes in front of the value to disable it. You should be able to right-click on the desktop and see that the item is removed.
Mark C says
Thanks. Saved me a load of work figuring out what the issue was.
Anonymous user says
Very quick & easy. Thanks!
Cyber Criminal says
Thanks! The first approach via deleting the folders did the trick. The context menu shows immediately, even faster than before :)
Max says
You are the best! Thanks so much. Ive been searching for days now.
Alex G. says
Thanks a lot! :)
Hazik says
Can we use those options after there deletion..???
Eric Anderson says
my problem turned out to be Asus AI Suite, reomoved it and all is good.
nepal says
Works!
great.
Eric says
you saved my life
Ed says
It worked perfectly! Thanks!!!
cyril says
Thanks it worked!
hossam says
thank you so much, its resolved now :)
Abhijeet says
Thanks a lot, it worked.
b.k says
awesome!!! worked well
Edu says
Worked cool
Manuel Martín Vivaldi Gallego says
Worked fine, from 5 seconds to instant menus. Why Intel didn’t fixed it years ago? Why Microsoft allow crap to be added in system menus?
Kid says
The biggest bang for your buck. No more waiting for 5 seconds for the menu to appear!
Mae says
Cool! It does work! Thank you very much ^^
Pavan says
Excellent! Worked for me on the fly! Amazing!! Much appreciate it.
Garry says
Thanks, Seems everything working now
Amanda Jones says
wow thanks, it worked flawlessly!
chris says
This is not a fix, you are removing items that are meant to be there. Mine was working fine then one day just started being slow. This doesn’t even work, when you right click once it’s still slow, then for a temporary short time after it speeds up. But if you leave your desktop and come back say 10 minutes later its slow again for the first time then fast after. But that’s no good, I dont need after i need it the first time
Patrick says
thank you so much, how simple was that