Just received a cop-out reply from Avast, apparently we have all installed Paint Shop wrongly.
Hello,
Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding and for the automatic replies.
You have received the auto-response because the free support is limited and free users are sent to the forum for support.
As I suggested in my previous reply, have you disabled the components one by one to check the one that is affecting the application?
Also would like to inform you that Avast Self Defense just allows you to make changes in the Avast folders. If disabling Avast Self Defense allows a program to work, then something isn't correct with his installation of paint shop. Again, Self Defense just locks Avast folders.
Rohith
The Avast Support Team
I don't see it as a cop-out. I posted that same information some time back.
Why is Paint Shop Pro accessing Avast folders 
You didn't post "information", you posted a patently improbably theory.
Paint Shop Pro is NOT accessing Avast folders. Paint Shop Pro has been installed for MANY YEARS before Avast was ever on this computer. Paint Shop Pro is not aware of or interested in Avast. Similarly, Avast Self-Protect has stopped Notepad++ from working. Notepad++ was around long before Avast.
It's already been acknowledged here that the issue is with the Explorer context menus. It has nothing to do with Paint Shop Pro or Notepad++ "accessing Avast folders".
