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Why is Text Document missing from the New context menu while in root of C?

Anonymous
2013-06-14T20:30:56+00:00

Alright, so here's the thing, when I right click on Desktop I get the context menu, and when I hover over the option New I get all kinds of options.

  • Folder
  • Shortcut
  • Flash ActionScript File
  • Contact
  • Microsoft Word Document
  • Journal Document
  • Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation
  • TI Connect Data File
  • Text Document
  • Microsoft Excel Worksheet
  • Briefcase

But if I browse to C:\ in Windows Explorer and right click there all I get is the option to create a new folder.

  • Folder

What's up with that? Is this normal behavior in Windows? Is this some kind of parental control imposed by Microsoft to prevent me from making "disastrous changes" to the system? I know the meaning of the word "context" - as in "context menu" - so I'm thinking that maybe this is the way it's supposed to be? Different options based on context?

Here's the funny part. If I enter a sub-directory like C:\AMD I once again have all the options available. So why is the root of C protected from creating new files in, while I can still make new files in its sub-directories?...

I have merged a Reg file I downloaded from Vistax64 website to my Windows registry that's supposed to add back this option to the system. It didn't solve the problem. Apparently many Vista users have had problems with several of the options missing from the New context menu, or are still having them. I have been using Vista before the SP1 came out and have never seen this problem before. Although in my case it's not completely missing! It's more like a partial problem. I both have it and I don't! Why?... What's wrong?

Restore_Text_Document.reg:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.TXT]

@="txtfile"

"Content Type"="text/plain"

"PerceivedType"="text"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.TXT\PersistentHandler]

@="{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.TXT\ShellNew]

"ItemName"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,\

  6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,\

  00,6e,00,6f,00,74,00,65,00,70,00,61,00,64,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,2c,00,\

  2d,00,34,00,37,00,30,00,00,00

"NullFile"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile]

"EditFlags"=dword:00010000

@="Text Document"

"FriendlyTypeName"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,\

  00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,\

  32,00,5c,00,6e,00,6f,00,74,00,65,00,70,00,61,00,64,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,\

  00,2c,00,2d,00,34,00,36,00,39,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\DefaultIcon]

@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\

  00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,69,00,6d,00,\

  61,00,67,00,65,00,72,00,65,00,73,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,31,\

  00,30,00,32,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\open\command]

@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\

  00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,4e,00,4f,00,\

  54,00,45,00,50,00,41,00,44,00,2e,00,45,00,58,00,45,00,20,00,25,00,31,00,00,\

  00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\print\command]

@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\

  00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,4e,00,4f,00,\

  54,00,45,00,50,00,41,00,44,00,2e,00,45,00,58,00,45,00,20,00,2f,00,70,00,20,\

  00,25,00,31,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell\printto\command]

@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\

  00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,6e,00,6f,00,\

  74,00,65,00,70,00,61,00,64,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,2f,00,70,00,74,\

  00,20,00,22,00,25,00,31,00,22,00,20,00,22,00,25,00,32,00,22,00,20,00,22,00,\

  25,00,33,00,22,00,20,00,22,00,25,00,34,00,22,00,00,00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\ShellEx{8895b1c6-b41f-4c1c-a562-0d564250836f}]

@="{1531d583-8375-4d3f-b5fb-d23bbd169f22}"

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts.TXT\UserChoice]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}]

@="Plain Text persistent handler"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}\PersistentAddinsRegistered]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}\PersistentAddinsRegistered{89BCB740-6119-101A-BCB7-00DD010655AF}]

@="{c1243ca0-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID{c1243ca0-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}]

@="Plain Text filter"

"LocalizedString"="@query.dll,-511"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID{c1243ca0-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}\InprocServer32]

@=hex(2):25,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,72,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\

  00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,71,00,75,00,\

  65,00,72,00,79,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00

"ThreadingModel"="Both"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID{1531d583-8375-4d3f-b5fb-d23bbd169f22}]

@="Windows TXT Previewer"

"DisplayName"="@shell32.dll,-38242"

"Icon"="notepad.exe,2"

"AppID"="{6d2b5079-2f0b-48dd-ab7f-97cec514d30b}"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID{1531d583-8375-4d3f-b5fb-d23bbd169f22}\InProcServer32]

@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\

  00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,\

  65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00

"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-06-15T11:10:52+00:00

    Hi Samir,

    This is part of a security feature in Windows 7 to prevent items, shortcuts from being saved directly to the system drive ( C: drive). That is why you are able to see the other New items in other non system drive letters. If you see the root folder, it always contains a minimum folders that are installed  by the operating system.

    If you still want to create shortcuts in the root drive, you can create them on the desktop and paste them in the root drive. However, we would suggest you not to do it.

    I also see that you are using some registry fixes, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly.

    Hope the above information is useful, if you still have any questions you may post here.

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-06-16T17:12:13+00:00

    Hi,

    As I suggested earlier, the easiest way  is you can create folders on your desktop, copy them and paste in the root directory.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-06-15T11:49:48+00:00

    Thank you! Yes, you are right. I just found out that this is indeed normal behavior of Windows, or the default configuration. By the way, I am using Windows Vista Ultimate, not Windows 7.

    About the Windows registry... yeah, it's not recommended to mess around with it if you don't know what you're doing. But no worries, I have made a registry backup (export) before I started trying fixes.

    These are the protected directories where you only will get the option to create a new folder from the New context menu.

    C:\

    C:\Windows

    C:\Program Files

    C:\Program Files (x86)

    To override this one has to...

    A: Disable UAC (user account control) or

    B: Take ownership of the directory

    Do you know of any Group Policy setting I can change to override this restriction? I mean I don't want to disable UAC. I've been told that some people have this feature enabled on their work computer, probably through some Group Policy setting.

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