Windows Explorer stops working when trying to customize notifications

Hello all,

When I try to click on the customize option in the notifications tray a "windows explorer has stopped working" box pops up before the window opens. I've also ran into this problem when opening something from the start menu. I've run a full scan with: Avast, malware bytes and super anti spyware and they have come up blank so now I'm a little worried as I've read that a driver may be messed up and may need to be updated. Here are the details, what do you think driver update?

Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: explorer.exe
Application Version: 6.1.7601.17567
Application Timestamp: 4d6727a7
Fault Module Name: taskbarcpl.dll
Fault Module Version: 6.1.7601.17514
Fault Module Timestamp: 4ce7ba10
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 0000a816
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

Yes, display drivers often cause random crashes so be sure you have the newest driver for your graphics system.

System File Checker may help if explorer.exe is damaged. Start, Run, type (or copy paste)

sfc /scannow

Then click OK.

Note there is a space after sfc. Takes awhile.

ajmich said:

Yes, display drivers often cause random crashes so be sure you have the newest driver for your graphics system.

System File Checker may help if explorer.exe is damaged. Start, Run, type (or copy paste)

sfc /scannow

Then click OK.

Note there is a space after sfc. Takes awhile.

I have run SFC multiple times, due to Brinks tutorial in which he says to run it a few times as one problem may not be able to be fixed until a previous problem is rectified, but my report continues to say "errors could not be fixed".

This is an old laptop so I'd imagine drivers will need updated by now. Thanks for the reply

If a driver update doesn't help (now knowing the SFC history I doubt it will), likely you will need to repair Windows using the boot time recovery option.

If it has been a long time since Windows was installed, a clean install is likely your best bet.

Please post an update here so others will know what may have worked for you. Good luck.