Member Avatar for WargRider

Well, I have used TortoiseSVN a lot previously in Windows XP, and in previous years, it has always been working well and the context menu never had a problem etc. (Btw, for those that dont know I am talking about the right click menu). Either ways, in Windows 7, I just installed 1.6.10 version of TortoiseSVN, and even after rebooting the system, the contaxt menu for tortoise SVN doesnt appear when I right click a folder! I thought this might be an AMD problem, so I installed the same version, same options on my Laptop with Intel i3 processor, STILL same problem, both of these computers are 64 bit with Windows 7 Home Premium. I dont understand why TortoiseSVN fails to work, I really need to get the version control system up. I tried uninstalling, reinstalling, installing PREVIOUS versions of Tortoise, basically EVERYTHING, it MIGHT have something to do with the service not being registered though, because when I check current services, there is nothing on TortoiseSVN in the list. Can someone PLEASE help me? Thank You!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by aupadhye

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A quick recap and a focused checklist that helps when a simple reinstall/repair does not: several posters here (, , , ) found that re-running the installer or repairing TortoiseSVN restored the right-click menu. When that does not work, the problem is usually the shell integration not being registered or being blocked by other shell extensions. (tortoisesvn.net)

Practical diagnostic steps to try (in roughly this order):

  • Confirm you installed the TortoiseSVN build that matches Explorer's bitness (64-bit Explorer needs the x64 TortoiseSVN).
  • Check registry permissions for the TortoiseSVN context-menu key (for example HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\TortoiseSVN) and take ownership if access is denied — the FAQ documents the exact registry path and a safe way to fix permissions.
  • Use a shell-extension viewer (for example NirSoft ShellExView/ShellMenuView) to show and temporarily disable non-Microsoft context-menu extensions; a conflicting extension can prevent TortoiseSVN from loading.
  • If permissions and conflicts look fine, run the installer again and use the Repair option (or uninstall/reinstall) and then restart Explorer or the PC. (tortoisesvn.net)

More detail and cautions:

  • Context-menu handlers are registered under the ShellEx/ContextMenuHandlers registry keys; editing those keys without a backup is risky, so export the key first. If you lack permission to edit a key, the TortoiseSVN FAQ shows using an elevated/system regedit (PsExec) as an option.
  • Note that overlay-icon problems are a separate Windows limitation (Windows allows only a limited number of overlay handlers); missing overlays do not necessarily mean the context menu is broken. Back up the registry before changes and restart Explorer after any fix. If the issue persists, capture exact error behavior and consult the TortoiseSVN docs or support channels. (learn.microsoft.com)

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Member Avatar for sknake

It seems there is a bug with the latest release. I'm going to reinstall an older version until they address the issue.

The issue has been reported to TortoiseSVN's mailing list. I'm going to post a reply, and I recommend you do the same:

Let me know if you need help running down an older installer for TortoiseSVN.

Member Avatar for WargRider

I got it working, for some reason, I just did a reinstall of the 64 bit version. and it suddenly worked, this is what happened from beginning to end:

*Installed 64 bit TortoiseSVN - Didnt work
*Uninstall 64 bit
*Install 32 bit TortoiseSVN - Didnt work
*Uninstall 32 bit
*Install 64 bit TortoiseSVN - Worked!

IDK, it is a problem with the latest release though I can ensure you, I would suggest that method if it didnt work, this is on release 1.6.10 btw :)

commented: Solved major installation problem in software. +1
Member Avatar for sknake

I uninstalled and reinstalled twice (all 32-bit) and the menus came back. Thanks for posting back with this -- I almost reverted back to an older version :)

I did submit a message on Tigris' mailing list so hopefully it will be addressed in a future version. My reply is pending approval but its on there.

Member Avatar for WargRider

No problem, I am glad that I having a problem managed to help someone else, but ya SVN is really important, at least to me, I MUST.. MUST have a version control system for my projects lol. Well thanks for the time and good luck with your ventures ;)

Member Avatar for bbman

THANKS! WargRider's solution + a restart after everything worked for me. Hopefully this issue will be solved in the next release to prevent such hackery.

Member Avatar for aupadhye

I also had this problem for Tortoise 1.6.13 64 bit on Windows 7. So as suggested I just ran installer again with repair option and just restarted explorer and it started working. Thanks lot for saving my time ;-)

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