Windows 7 - Right Click on desktop causing Explorer.exe crash!!!

What a maddening experience

Running Win 7 64Bit Professional (retail)

even happens after a nice fresh clean install. I have seen so many threads/issues around the net about this, you'd think Microsoft would have responded.

I don't have any "additional" junk installed, and it still happens.

It's totally random, could happen 2-3 days after a reboot, or it could happen out of the blue 30 mins into a reboot.

Has anybody seen Microsoft respond about this in ANY way?

There are many reports of this issue by a subset of users here.

I installed 64bit Win 7 Pro on my desktop and used it extensively for three days without seeing such an error. I then rebuilt the system (long story) and it has been happening non-stop since. BTW, both builds were clean installs.

The only thing that I think that I did differently on the second build is install 7zip. Given that 7zip adds a contextual menu item, I decided to uninstall it last night. The crash still happened. I then rebooted and have not seen a similar crash, but I have only used the system for a couple of hours since this uninstall/reboot.

The entire thing may be a false correlation. Only time (and input from others) will tell. That said, if it crops up again, I am going to rebuild the system...again....assuming, perhaps, it's a corrupt install.

BTW, the specific error relates to a very vague heap corruption that folks here have not been able to debug (yet).

there are WAY too many reports ALL over the net about this single issue to not be an epidemic.

I literally had a fresh install, and after 2-3 hours without installing ANY third party software had the crash.

In my mind it is definitely a "Windows" issue in some regard. It happens totally at random and mine ALWAYS reports the ntdll.dll file as the culprit.

I installed Win XP 64 on my same system just to make sure it wasn't some crazy hardware issue, and I do not get the problem at all

I actually reported this to Microsoft via official Microsoft Connect feedback and they didn't want to know.

It was closed as either 'Not Reproducible' or 'Won't Fix' after a day or two, I can't actually remember which one so don't quote me on that.

I have been plagued by this issue (although better minds than mine say they're not all the same issue) for months now.
It really is the biggest pain going, and oddly it only started with the official RTM build.

I have blamed everything from MSE to Firefox, from Codecs to CCleaner.
Always either ntdll.dll or msvcrt.dll.

On the plus side my Reliability Index looks like the best rollercoaster on the planet!

I do agree though, whether this issue is the same issue all round, or a very similar issue we're all seeing, with all the coverage on the net, I wish someone at MS would at least take a look, as in a proper look.

Hmm..weird problem, luckily i don't have that one

IF you have retail Windows 7, and IF you don't install ANYTHING after Windows 7 installation and that still happening....hmmm..i am not expert but i can presume its some conflict between Windows 7 and hardware..

I agree but it has to be something more widespread because it's happening to tons of people with TOTALLY different hardware.

I can't believe Microsoft doesn't care about it when it's this widespread. I bet they are hiding their head in the sand (whoever is responsible at Micro)

lol

It must have something common, or it would happen to ALL people, including me.

Hi, I am having the same anoying problem, Explorer crashes, sometimes the odd time and sometimes all the time e.g. when I right click. I ran Event View and got this information:

Faulting application name: Explorer.EXE, version: 6.1.7600.16404, time stamp: 0x4a765771
Faulting module name: msvcrt.dll, version: 7.0.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5bdfbe
Exception code: 0xc000041d
Fault offset: 0x0000000000001221
Faulting process id: 0xe0c
Faulting application start time: 0x01ca57cc2dd25380
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\Explorer.EXE
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\system32\msvcrt.dll
Report Id: 89ddf440-c3bf-11de-8ab6-001e900aaf4a


Faulting application name: Explorer.EXE, version: 6.1.7600.16404, time stamp: 0x4a765771
Faulting module name: comctl32.dll, version: 6.10.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5bde67
Exception code: 0xc000041d
Fault offset: 0x0000000000130ab5
Faulting process id: 0x320
Faulting application start time: 0x01ca57cc24f19f00
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\Explorer.EXE
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\WinSxS\amd64_microsoft.windows.common-controls_6595b64144ccf1df_6.0.7600.16385_none_fa645303170382f6\comctl32.dll
Report Id: 67a7c680-c3bf-11de-8ab6-001e900aaf4a



Faulting application name: Explorer.EXE, version: 6.1.7600.16404, time stamp: 0x4a765771
Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5be02b
Exception code: 0xc0000374
Fault offset: 0x00000000000c6cd2
Faulting process id: 0xe04
Faulting application start time: 0x01ca57ca28852850
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\Explorer.EXE
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
Report Id: 5f7737c0-c3bf-11de-8ab6-001e900aaf4a

Does anyone know what this means and why these dll files are faulting???

I can't say for definite whether the issue occurs on a completely vanilla install, i.e. just the files on the DVD.

However, the issue does occur on a vanilla install with nothing but the Windows Updates.

Basically there is nothing that I haven't tried, I'm kind of sick of writing this stuff down but continue to do so in the hope of finding a fix.

I have done the following things:

Disabled every non-Microsoft entry using ShellExView.
Uninstalled anything that I thought might cause Explorer issues, for example, CCleaner, Java, Firefox, Win7Codecs, Microsoft Security Essentials, 7-Zip, WinRAR, Spybot - Search & Destroy, Spyware Blaster, Malwarebytes', the list goes on.
Cleaned my registry.
Tried various Firefox beta builds.
Uninstalled my Creative X-Fi.
Updated my BIOS.
Installed the latest drivers for ALL my hardware.
Used the default drivers for ALL my hardware.
Re-downloaded my Windows 7 ISO from Technet.
Burnt ISO to DVD (twice with different ISO).
Copied ISO to USB (again, twice with different ISO.
As above, four clean installs.
Reported the issue to Microsoft.
Posted the issue here and on NeoWin.
Submitted various dumps here. All point to Heap Corruption.
Tried various debugging methods, nothing solid.

...and a whole lot more I can't think of just now.

My hardware is all pretty standard stuff (see specs.), now the Creative card is gone there is nothing Windows 7 cannot find a driver for on installation, and with the exception of my ATi card, EVERYTHING is onboard, and either Intel or Realtek.

Those error reports look mighty familiar BashirSabeel!

Microsoft will fix it in some random Windows Update and we'll never know the true cause