Windows 7: appcrash in explorer.exe when trying to start ControlPanel

When trying to open the Control Panel explorer.exe crashes. In every other situation explorer works normal. Its a dead end cause I cannot remove or add programs from the control panel.



I have all latest Windows versions with Windows update and have added XP compatibility mode to Windows 7 (32 bit, pre-installed). SQL Server 2012 is installed including .Net framework - apart from that nothing special.

I get the following message, but no BSOD (in Swedish);

Problemhändelsens namn: APPCRASH
Programnamn: explorer.exe
Programversion: 6.1.7601.17567
Programtidsstämpel: 4d6727a7
Namn på felmodul: StackHash_c2d2
Modulens version: 6.1.7601.17725
Tidsstämpel för felmodul: 4ec49b60
Undantagskod: c0000374
Undantagsförskjutning: 000c380b
OS-version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.48
Språkvariant-ID: 1053
Ytterligare information 1: c2d2
Ytterligare information 2: c2d20c54ec8d5baf80e7b6aaa7dc5a81
Ytterligare information 3: c559
Ytterligare information 4: c55993be147b85fbbd522d2f08db23b3

Here is the trick to get to Add/Remove Programs window without Control Panel:
(It works in pretty much in any Windows from Windows 95 to Windows 8)

Press Win+R, in a Run window paste this
Appwiz.cpl
Click Ok.

As for a problem, my guess would be that you have got some custom Control panel file (*.cpl) installed, which is messing up your Control panel.

Therefore, I would search Windows\system32 and/or Windows\SysWOW64 folder for *.cpl files and examine everyone individually to find out an odd ball. Likely, there is one, which is causing the problem (it happened with me once, when I tried to install some drivers in Compatibility mode, it installed some cpl file, which was not working).

Thank you for your help. I cheched \Windows\System32 but no cpl files, only 2 cpx files with older date (2009)
- 12520437.cpx and 12520850.cpx.

/Orjan

Control PaneL files are *.CPL, not CPX
Is your windows 64 bit?

On more detailed instruction how to search them please refer to first part of this article.

Never mind the second and third part, where they talk about regedit and policy editor. You are only interested in search of Windows\system32 (32 bit Windows) folder or Windows\SysWOW64 (64 bit Windows).