Troubleshooting “Cannot create new folder” on Windows Computer

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One of the benefits of Windows is that it allows users to easily create a new folder from the desktop context menu and File Explorer. But what if the “New Folder” and “New Item” buttons don’t work? This error could be caused by incompatible drivers or corrupt registry keys. Whatever the cause, it would be very frustrating if you could not create a new folder on your desktop. It might even delay your work and interrupt your activities.

In this article, we will tell you what to do if you cannot create new folders in Windows 10. It is worth noting that this problem can occur in other Windows operating systems as well. However, you don’t have to worry because our solutions also apply to Windows 10, 8.1, and 7.

What causes the “Failed to create new folder” message?

This error may be due to missing registry keys that may have been deleted by malware or by the user themselves by accident. Fortunately, it is a minor problem that can be solved in several ways.

To solve the “Can’t add new folder” problem in Windows, try the following methods below.

How to resolve the “Can’t create a new folder” problem?



Deleting an update with the problem

If this problem has occurred recently, a Windows update may be the cause. Sometimes an update can cause this problem. In this case, you need to find and remove the problem updates.

1. Open the Settings app by pressing the Windows + I keys.
2. With the Settings app open, go to Update and Security.
3. Go to Show installed update history.
4. A list of recent updates will be displayed. Select Delete updates.
5. Now double-click the update you want to remove.

Editing the Registry

You can manually edit the registry to correct new folder settings. Edit the registry to fix the folder settings as described below.

1. Open the registry editor by pressing Win + R and typing Regedit in Run.
2. In the Registry Editor window, navigate to this key:
   ComputerHKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDirectoryBackgroundshexContextMenuHandlers.
3. Select ContextMenuHandlers on the left side of the window, then right-click on the empty space on the right side and select New, then Key.
4. Enter New as the name for the key.
5. Select New and double-click on (Default) to the right to open the Edit String window.
6. Enter {D969A300-E7FF-11d0-A93B-00A0C90F2719} in the Value data field and click OK to close the window.
7. You can now close the registry editor window and right-click on the desktop to create a new folder.

Use the command line to create the folder

1. Press the Windows + S keys, type cmd and click Run as administrator to run the command line as an administrator.
2. When the command prompt starts, type cd / to access the root directory.
3. Now type mkdir the name of the folder to create a new directory. This creates a new folder on the C drive.

Perform a system restore

1. Type System Restore in the Cortana search box and select Create Restore Point.
2. In the System Properties window, click System Restore.
3. In the System Restore window, click Next and select the Show Other Restore Points checkbox to display a list of dates and times when you can restore Windows 10.
4. Now select System Restore to a date and time when the New Folder settings worked correctly.
5. Click Next and Done to confirm the restore point.
6. When the restore point has done its work, create a new folder on your desktop or in File Explorer.

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