Windows 7: x64 Windows Explorer crashes

This started slowly, a couple weeks ago. The only changes I recall between when it worked and when it broke was maybe some Windows Updates. I have no idea which ones. And, of course, automatic database updates to my security suite software.

Windows 7 Home Premium x64. Security is Kaspersky Internet Security version 9, only reason I upgraded from v8 is that 8 is not compatible with Windows 7.

The basic problem is that Windows Explorer (ie, the system shell and file manager) will crash. So far as I can tell, no crash data is being sent back to MS. At least, 99% of the crash dialogs just say "close and restart the program".

This can happen when trying to right-click on something to pull up the Properties or Rename dialog, or any other context-menu command. It can happen when pressing [F2] to rename a file. Depending on exactly where I am in Windows seems to determine if it's just a file-manager explorer.exe process that crashes or the entire GUI. When it's the entire GUI, most of it restarts, but some items sometimes fail to re-show in the Taskbar and/or system tray.

Over all, it does not seem to matter how long Windows has been up, but the longer it is up the more likely it is that it'll crash.



Possibly related to this, is that I cannot use sleep/hibernation. Windows becomes unstable when resuming from sleep or hibernation. I have contacted Microsoft about that and after several weeks of back-and-forth via email and telephone, the problem has been archived as unresolved.

Try opening command prompt (right click and run as admin) and type this:
~Lordbob

If that does not work, you said the problem started several weeks ago, so something has changed. If it were me, I would do a system restore back to better days.

Once you are up and running, make a system image and put it in a safe place. That way in the future, no matter what happens, you can return to that system image and be up and running.

Similar problem with x32 and x64 machines, and the instability after resuming from sleep (well, after several wakeups). I attribute it to the fact it's Windows. XP likewise was unstable after resuming, though Windows 7 is better. XP didn't have nearly so many Explorer problems as Windows 7 but Windows 7 restarts nicely from them.

Over Windows 7 is an improvement but that's like saying a Ford Pinto is an improvement over a Yugo.

If I knew exactly when and what the trigger was that started this. And I'd rather not go all the way back to re-install, I've already done that back in October.

I have three systems, XP Pro, Vista HP and 7 HPx64. 7 HP x64 was originally Vista HP x64. XP and Vista here have no problems with Sleep/Hibernate. This machine was upgraded to 7 via a "custom" upgrade to wipe remnants of Vista out of the system directories.

Will try that today.

No problems were found.

Am now trying something I saw in another thread somewhere: I just uninstalled Firefox, reverting to IE8. I'll miss AdBlock Plus, which is the prime reason I installed Firefox in the first place.

[QUOTE=gordol;449966]Haha! Who posted that, a Microsoft employee's sock puppet?

I never posted that.
Fix your quote.

~Lordbob