Programs crash when using open dialog

Whenever i open a file with the open file dialog on anything like itunes, it crashes. I used clean boot and found that the applications only crash when Apple Mobile Device and Bonjour Service are enabled together. I tried uninstalling both and reinstalling itunes, but itunes needs these two programs to run.

I use Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit

You said "anything like itunes". Do you mean that this also occurs on file dialog for other applications? Can you mention any examples?

There's a couple ways to extract data on this. The first is to create a full crashdump for the application. This in itself can be done a couple ways:

1. Open Process Explorer. Then when it's open, attempt to crash the application by opening the file dialog. Once it crashes, do not interact or close the error message. Instead, go to Process Explorer and right click the process name (like Itunes.exe) for the crashing application and go to Create Dump then Full Dump. Or...
2. Open the .reg file attached to my post and click "Yes". Now crash the application. It should take a while, but it should create a full crashdump in the /Users/[YourNameHere]/AppData/Local/Crashdumps directory (you'll need to turn on hidden folders to see it).

While either way will produce a full crashdump, the latter option is preferable because it lets Windows automatically produce the crashdump at the right time, which will give us a more accurate picture of exactly what happened. You'll need to zip up and upload the file to a 3rd-party filesharing website since it'll be too big here. It's preferable you use metaupload sites like Upload.to and MirrorCreator.com to upload to several filesharing sites at once, since I and others may have firewall restrictions against some of them.

This is just the first endeavor to collect data on this. There are other options we can try later should I or anyone else not be able to extract an answer from this.

GraciBaby, I have been plagued by the same problem.

What I have found is the following. The problem occurs whenever you try to invoke the Windows Explorer Browse-to window and it involves ANY program: i.e. web browsers (Chrome, FF, Opera), third party programs such as media players (including iTunes). Any program which invokes the browse-to window will crash in the matter of a second along with the browser window itself.

The culprit is ONLY Apple Mobile Device Service. In order for the problem to occur, the AMDService needs to be running and you need to have connected your iDevice at least once before after a PC restart. The problem does not occur after a fresh system restart.

I have found no solution so far - problem seems not to be documented very well on the internet possibly due to its specificity. However, problem is widespread, as I have at least three confirmed friend cases.

Edit: Fully reinstalling iTunes and the AMDService does not fix the issue

There is a workaround: you must disable the Navigation pane in the WinExplorer Browse-to window for each of the applications you use to invoke this window. Of course, you need to do that on a fresh restart as otherwise the crash would occur too quickly for you to change the settings.

In order to remove the Navigation pane in the case of iTunes, for example, simply open your iTunes, go to Edit > Preferences > Advanced. To invoke the WinExplorer window, click on the "Change" button. From the WinExplorer window which appears, click on Organize > Layout, and untick Navigation pane. That's it.

The next time you invoke the Browse-to window, in iTunes, iTunes will no longer crash even with the AMDService running. SAME workaround is valid for any other application where there is an invoke of the Browse-to WinExplorer window.

Drawback - the workaround will "work" until you restart your PC - after which the Browse-to windows whose layout you changed will revert back and show the navigation pane.

I am desperate to know whether someone has come up with a real solution to this and with the exact cause as to why the AMDService in combination with invoked Browse-to Windows Explorer window lead to program crashes.

I have managed to sort the issue out.

Since in my case crashes would occur at any time I had my iPhone connected to my PC, I decided it has something to do with a driver or service associated with my iPhone. At first I thought it is some iTunes component itself such as the Apple Mobile Device service.

However, I remembered I had an old app installed on my PC called ipodrip which would access files on my iPhone. It was the iPhone drivers which it had installed which caused the crash. I have since removed the app from the Control Panel AND from the AppData/Roaming folder.

Problem solved.