Interesting explorer.exe issue

Uhhhh...I always install java? Websites use it, etc?

Very few websites use Java. Uninstall it and see if you miss it.

If you happen to find a website that requires it, then you can decide if it is worth the risk of having it installed.

Java completely uninstalled. Still having exact same issue with explorer.

I did not expect Java to impact the problem detailed in your original post. I just saw no reason to have a security risk like Java installed.