Missing Explorer Shell entries PA 2021 20.00.56

[PA_Fan]

W10 Pro 1909 64 bit

I admit I don’t often need to use the facility, but today I went to the right-click context in Windows Explorer, and found that none of the usual PA shell options, as set up and defined in Configuration>Shell (screenshot) were to be seen.

Looking at Sysinternals Autoruns, I notice that a couple of the PA shell context entries show a couple of DLLs PASHLEXT and PASHLEXT64 as missing (File Not found) - see screenshot. The highlighted error shows up for every occurrence of these files in the HKLM\Software\ shell keys.

Looking in Program Files \PowerArchiver, the files listed above are not present, but there are some similarly named (see screenshot). The files present are not very recently dated, but I feel that I have used the PA shell feature since their March 2020 dates. However, I cannot be sure of that.

Any advice welcome.

[Mili]

I’ve checked with 2021 and have set up the shell extensions in Config the same way you have, and they appeared fine when I right clicked a file.
How do they appear for you when you right click a file, with this setup?

Thanks!

[PA_Fan]

@Mili They don’t appear at all I.e. there is no PA entry offered.

[PA_Fan]

@Mili I’ve had another look through this, and note the following:-

• there are no right-click Explorer shell options offered for any file types, and this includes PA archive files .pa and .zipx - see screenshots

• I’ve looked at the file associations for PA in Windows settings, and they look OK.

• when, after opening several archives in PA, exiting and then starting PA again, there are no recent files listed in the “Open” dropdown - see screenshot

When I updated from 20.00.55 to .56, the update process via PA crashed on every attempt. I thought this might be due to Bitdefender blocking it, but this is not so. In the end, I downloaded .56 from the website and installed it from there and, it seems to me, most if not all these problems have ensued since that update.

I am not sure what else may be problematic, but so far, on this system and .56, they are:-

• missing icons on the Backup file screen (as reported in another thread here)
• missing shell entries
• missing recent file entries on archive “Open” button
  

[PA_Fan]

I’m making some progress with this.

I have re-downloaded .56 from the website and reinstalled it over the top of the existing .56.

I now have PA appearing as an Explorer right-click set of options, Autoruns and the Nirsoft applications now no longer show missing .dlls, and the previously-missing files PASHLEXT.DLL and PASHLEXT64.DLL from Program Files\PowerArchiver are now back there, with a date of 20-9-2020.

The conclusion therefore is that the first installation of .56 by downloaded .exe rather than through the PA built-in Patchbeam service was corrupt.

Although I’m not absolutely sure that the shell choices are working exactly as they should, and I wonder why the Configuration>Shell Extensions right hand “To” pane self-populates with an unremovable “PowerArchiver 2019” entry (this appears in my first Configuration screenshot above), they seem to have at least returned.

I am therefore left with two (so far) unresolved problems, which are:-

• non-appearing toolbar icons in the Backup Files and Folder screen (other thread)
• no recent archive files showing in the Open dropdown.

Not sure why I’m finding these as an end-user when previously I was finding bugs as a Tester, but never mind.

One last question. In the case where any application reinstall appears to be a solution to a problem, my normal instinct is to completely uninstall, notwithstanding the chore of setting up preferences and re-registering purchased software all over again. However, I have on this occasion reinstalled “over the top”, mainly because I don’t want any problems with re-registering and so forth. What in these circumstances do PA think the best route?

[spwolf]

@PA_Fan This feels as if your AV has removed the file for testing and then later whitelisted it. What AV are you using?

Same installer is in both Patchbeam and website, as long as it is same version.

[PA_Fan]

@spwolf It’s Bitdefender, and it did indeed interrupt a previous update, at which point I whitelisted PA, and all was well.

I don’t think it was the AV, and I’m still puzzled as to why the PASHLEXT/64 DLLs were absent in the program folder (and reported as missing in all the Shell utilities from Nirsoft and Sysinternals) when the program was first installed, but reappeared when I re-ran the instal and the Shell entries were then available. I’ve been through the Bitdefender logs and Quarantine, and those files are not mentioned or there, and the only explanation seems to be that the first install failed to complete 100% for some reason, but not the AV.

I have found the reason for the missing Recent files in the Open dropdown is that Private Mode was enabled under Options (toolbar). I don’t think I set it so, but reversing it fixes that particular thing.

I’m left (I think) with the missing icons in the Backup section. Here, I’ve tried several more permutations of icons and skins, but I still have square, blank icon boxes. Not a big problem, as the titles appear on hover, and more a cosmetic thing, but it would be good to see the icons as well.

[Mili]

Hi @PA_Fan

We have the missing icons issue logged in and the devs will take a look to fix that. We will respond with further questions if needed.

Also, the Ribbon interface open button will not show an MRU menu at the moment. We have that logged in for implementation as well.

Thanks for all the information!

[PA_Fan]

@Mili Thanks for the update, and you’re welcome.

I’ll wait to hear about the icons which, as I mentioned, I seem to recall having been a minor glitch in the past, but otherwise .56 is excellent.