Suspected 4.4.201 regression: blank File Explorer pane, broken context menus, and repeated explorer.exe errors

[Rustynailss]

Describe the bug

While using Open-Shell 4.4.201, File Explorer intermittently became unusable when browsing files and folders. The file pane would turn white/blank, and right-clicking sometimes displayed only a thin vertical line instead of the context menu.

The desktop remained usable, including its right-click menu. Restarting explorer.exe temporarily restored normal behavior.

Event Viewer recorded repeated explorer.exe Application Error events:

• Event ID: 1000
• Faulting module: KERNELBASE.dll
• Exception code: 0xe06d7363
• Fault offset: 0x00000000000c483a
• explorer.exe version: 10.0.26100.9539

Errors were already being logged while I was away from the computer, before I returned and started right-clicking in Explorer.

After uninstalling 4.4.201, installing 4.4.200, and restarting Explorer, the problem has not returned so far. I have continued browsing folders and deliberately left Explorer windows open to recreate the previous conditions. NVIDIA's context-menu handler is currently enabled.

I also noticed that newly installed programs were not highlighted correctly in the Start menu with 4.4.201, but were highlighted after reinstalling 4.4.200. I do not know whether these symptoms are related.

The rollback suggests a possible Open-Shell regression, but I have not confirmed the responsible component.

Area of issue

Windows Explorer

To reproduce

I do not have a reliable reproduction sequence. The circumstances were:

1. Use Open-Shell 4.4.201.
2. Open File Explorer and browse files and folders, leaving folder windows open for a while.
3. Eventually, the file pane becomes white/blank, or right-clicking displays only a thin vertical line.
4. Restart explorer.exe to restore normal behavior.

The issue has not recurred so far after reverting to 4.4.200 and restarting Explorer.

Expected behavior

No response

Open-Shell version

Open-Shell 4.4.201

Windows version

Windows: Windows 11 Pro 26H2, build 26300.9539

Additional context

No response

[ge0rdi]

Thank you for the report.

Event Viewer recorded repeated explorer.exe Application Error events

Could you, please, try to obtain crash dumps using our guide?

[ge0rdi]

Windows 11 Pro 26H2

I don't have 26H2 at the moment (will try to install it).
Testing with 25H2 (in Windows Sandbox). I don't see any weird issues for now.

I also noticed that newly installed programs were not highlighted correctly in the Start menu

Haven't noticed such. Highlighting seems to work fine for me.