Win+X menu items don't work (except for ExplorerPatcher's Properties entry)

[fazzaan]

Before reporting your issue

• [x] I have confirmed that this issue does not happen when ExplorerPatcher is not installed
• [x] I do not have "register as shell extension" enabled
• [x] I have tried my best to check existing issues

Repro ExplorerPatcher versions

ExplorerPatcher 22631.5335.68.2 ExplorerPatcher 22621.4317.67.1

Repro Windows Versions

Windows 11 Enterprise 24H2 26100.4202 AMD64 This started last night, immediately after I updated to the KB5058499 26100.4202 update.

3rd party tweak software installed

Nothing else

Describe the bug

1. Install Windows update KB5058499.
2. Install ExplorerPatcher [22631.5335.68.2 or 22621.4317.67.1].
3. Press Win+X to open the menu.
4. Press any menu item.
5. None of the items work, except for "Properties" to open ExplorerPatcher's settings panel.

I initially upgraded from the previous version [22621.4317.67.1], but I also tried removing it completely, installing the new version fresh, and wiping my ExplorerPatcher settings.

On further testing, I discovered that the bug also occurs in the previous version [22621.4317.67.1] so it seems that the issue is due to changes in the Windows update.

Expected outcome

At step 4, the menu items in the Win+X menu should launch their respective applications, such as Device Manager, Disk Management, Settings, etc.

Actual outcome

At step 4, nothing happens at all.

Additional info

I've tried uninstalling it, reinstalling it, resetting my preferences, and running it without installing it. Nothing worked.

I originally updated ExplorerPatcher because it was in a crash-loop after updating to KB5058499 last night. I just tested the previous version again, which I was able to make run after resetting ExplorerPatcher settings. The Win+X menu doesn't work in that version, either. So perhaps this is because of something changed in the Windows update.

Crash Dumps

No response

Media

[pyrates999]

With 68.2 installed from here: https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher/releases

Try uninstalling Windows Terminal, and seeing if it works then.

[MikeRotch76]

I have the same issue EP ver: 22631.5335.68.2 windows 11 ver: 261004.4351 I also do not have any other 3rd party tweak software installed. I have also done: I've tried uninstalling it, reinstalling it, resetting my preferences, and running it without installing it. Nothing worked.

Uninstalling Terminal did the trick, however I like the new Terminal over Powershell as my default CLI. I guess I'll have to live with that since a working win+X menu is much more important to me than Terminal.

But I do hope this gets fixed.

[fazzaan]

@MikeRotch76 check if you have any firewall running that might be blocking ExplorerPatcher. ExplorerPatcher seems to run as a process inside a system process container so I couldn't give it explicit permission via the firewall, I had to just disable the firewall completely. My issue seemed to be because it needed to download new "symbols" for the updated Windows OS version. After disabling the firewall you'll probably have to restart ExplorerPatcher and Explorer, I can't remember how I did it but it took a fair few times of restarting stuff before it finally downloaded the new symbols. I didn't uninstall Windows Terminal.

[MikeRotch76]

This @fazzaan. This worked for me as well. I reinstalled Terminal and my Win+X menu works after disabling firewall and getting symbols. (I of course re-enabled it hehe right after)

[pyrates999]

are you using the windows firewall or a third party antivirus with its firewall?

[fazzaan]

are you using the windows firewall or a third party antivirus with its firewall?

I'm using Binisoft/MalwareBytes firewall app, it isn't a firewall, it just controls the Windows firewall. It has granular control over application file internet access. I have blocked explorer.exe from accessing the internet.

So I guess this is the real cause. It might be a good idea to add a note to the ExplorerPatcher Properties window and/or the installation notes about firewalls if there isn't one already :)

[pyrates999]

explorer.exe is what EP must be using to download the symbols then. You'll need to allow it every time EP is updated and when windows is updated then.

[atlasveldine]

TL;DR?

I'm almost completely certain that this Win+X bug has nothing to do with Windows Terminal, as I resolved it and haven't touched my Windows Terminal installation.

Likewise, I don't believe it has anything to do with Malwarebytes—at least when it's run in the "free" mode; I can't speak to whether or not the full version could cause this.

All I had to do to fix this problem was download the latest ep_setup.exe from the releases page and run it. Win+X worked right off the bat afterwards.

Didn't work, and you have the free version of Malwarebytes installed?

If that doesn't resolve it and you do have Malwarebytes (the "free" version), you could try adding explorer.exe to your global allowlist. This shouldn't be necessary—as I explain below, the free version of Malwarebytes doesn't do anything outside of allow users to perform filesystem scans when they wish to—but if what worked for me didn't work for you, you might as well try this.

Open Malwarebytes up and follow this little image guide:

After pressing the highlighted Configure button, select Add item → File or folder and then navigate to explorer.exe (probably at C:/Windows/explorer.exe).

After that, try shutting Malwarebytes down, then running ep_setup.exe again and see if it fixes it. If not, I can't help you, because you've quite literally replicated the exact steps I took to resolve it myself—add explorer.exe to Malwarebytes allowlist, shut down Malwarebytes, then run ep_setup.exe.

---

Win+X Issue with ExplorerPatcher

This was also happening for me. I don't have any kind of firewall software whatsoever (and the built-in Windows Firewall is as disabled as it possibly can be) but I do have the free version of Malwarebytes installed. This version does not include any kind of firewall, nor any functionality that should interfere with an app running in realtime. Only the so-called "premium" version does that sort of thing.

Just to rule it out, I tried adding explorer.exe to the global allowlist in Malwarebytes, as well as shutting it down, and Win+X menu buttons still didn't work.

I'd be genuinely surprised if Malwarebytes had anything to do with this. When it's in the "free" mode, it doesn't perform:

1. Any active/realtime scanning.
2. Any automatic actions (e.g. removing/quarantining detections without manual user consent).
3. Any firewalling whatsoever.
4. Literally any other features/functionality, besides user-activated filesystem scans.

Likewise, this seems wholly unrelated to the Windows Terminal app, given that I have it installed (and would not opt to uninstall it in order to be able to use Win+X properly, as it's vital to my daily workflows) and was able to resolve this problem without uninstalling either Malwarebytes or Windows Terminal.

The Solution — ...for me_, at least._

For me, to fix this, I simply downloaded the latest ep_setup.exe and ran it:

Voila. Win+X menu items worked once again.

Possibly Related Bug?

I suppose this may also have fixed other bugs that I'd originally come here to look into—specifically, a strange bug where explorer.exe's file browser suddenly refuses to accept mouse input in the file list (but UI buttons still function).

I did manage to find a workaround for that bug:

1. Manually step up one directory.
2. Hit Enter on the keyboard.
3. Use the arrow keys to select/highlight a file.
4. Press that weird little button between R-Alt and R-Ctrl on US keyboards—the one that opens the right-click context menu on the currently-selected item.
   • Sorry, I have no idea what this key is actually called.
5. Finally, mouse input is accepted again.

Since the two problems may well have been related, I'll leave it at that and return if it turns out that the bug I actually came here to look into is still around, because damn is that annoying. Win+X is something I almost never use, so it's not a big deal to me that it wasn't working; although it's still nice that it is working, on the off chance I want to use it.

[Amrsatrio]

After updating, symbols will be downloaded. Please restart explorer after they've been downloaded so that you have working Win+X menu items again. For some reason the fallback methods for getting entry clicking to work broke, and I'll be fixing it in the next update.

[Amrsatrio]

69.4 now in release.