PDF-ShellTools in Windows 11 Home - context menu

[P. Allan]

I don't know when it happened but the version 3.4.2.0 has vanished form the explorer context menu. I have tried restarting the explorer, reinstalling the PDFST - but it didn't help. (The settings in the manager is also in place.)

[RTT]

What is you current system default PDF app?
Does the problem gets fixed if you set it to the PDF-ShellTools Reader?

[P. Allan]

Hi Rui

The setting of the default pdf app (for double click, "Open with" item and so on (always) work.

Setting the internal PDFST-reader also does that. But the Shell-Tools doesn't show up in the context menu.

[RTT]

The shell context menu in Windows 11 uses a compact design and you need to click its "show more options" item to show the legacy context menu, where the PDF-ShellTools item will show (to show the legacy context menu directly use the Shift+Righ-click shortcut).

Please confirm the missing PDFST context menu is indeed in the legacy menu.

It is missing also from a file open dialog from a 32-bit program, e.g. from the PDF-ShellTools Reader file open dialog?

[P. Allan]

Hi again

Indeed it is in the "old" menu it is missing. I have never used other in W11.

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling PDFST,  re-activated the legacy menu, manually regsvr32 of the PDST-dll's (lots of restarts of the PC).

I have the same experience with another - and slightly older - shell app, PathCopyCopy. There was an advice to install it "for me only". And when this not was en option in the installer, move the content of the app folder to a folder under "C:\Users\[user]\AppData\Local\Programs" and register the dll's manually. Sounded like a rather doubtful advice, and it didn't work.

Can't get them to show up.

[P. Allan]

Problem solved - but not quite explained.

I used nirsoft ShellExView and saw, that the PDFST was disabled. Enabled it and everything is OK.

But why disabled?

I removed PathCopyCopy earlier because of the above mentioned problem. Now I reinstalled it.

In ShellExView it showed up - but was disabled. Enabled it like with PDFST.

Both are now active in the shell (contextmenu).

Thanks for Your always quick and kind help.

[RTT]

Then the PDF-ShellTools registration code is missing some corner case.
If you have the time, search the Windows registry for this key name {E3FD95C1-D5B1-4929-B0EC-C156318EDD8F}, and take note, in a text editor, of all the key paths of the found ones.

Use the ShellExView tool to disable the PDFST context menu extension, and repeat the above registry search.

Now use the PDFST manager.exe to enable the extension, and repeat the above registry search.

Notice any change?
Is the context menu item still showing, or you need to use the ShellExView tool again?

[P. Allan]

Take note ... of all the key paths of the found ones.: Hmmm - notes. There 25 keys found.

Use the ShellExView tool to disable the PDFST context menu extension: Done - 5 items regarding PDFST disabled.

Repeat the above registry search.: Then there are 27 keys found.

Now use the PDFST manager.exe to enable the extension: Done - but the manager shows all the needed blue check marks. So I just opened and closed, confirming changes.

, and repeat the above registry search.: We are back to 25 keys found.

Is the context menu item still showing: Still not showing since the disabling above.

, or you need to use the ShellExView tool again?: Yes. And then its showing, and (of course) working.