Right Click on desktop causing Explorer.exe crash!!!

[Warhaven]

Hi Lucky098 and my other friends

I've just finished installing all of my software after a clean install earlier this afternoon of Windows 7 Ultimate x64.

Now, let me check my reliability history Lucky ... okay, good no issues thus far.

What have I done different this time around?

Installed MS Office 2007 without Outlook and Visio Viewer.

It's just a bit of an experiment which I hope pays off.

I've had terrible issues previously installing Office particularly with UAC at its default setting. The 'Bootstrapper' notification window has appeared and just as it seems to be starting the install, the window closes. I turned UAC off today and fortunately Office installed fine, but this time as mentioned, I chose not to install MS Outlook.

When I noticed the ole32.dll in the faulting module path of my most recent error event report as posted earlier, I think it might have something to do with Office?

What do I have installed? IE8, Windows Live Mail, DownloadStudio, AdobeAcrobat9 Extended, Photoshop CS3, XnView, EasyGif Animator, IZArc, Nero 9, WMP, QuickTime, RealPlayer, IMGBurn, SuperAntiSpyware, RocketDock, CCleaner, ESET Smart Security 4.

Cheers, Smiley

I have Office 2007 Ultimate myself, and I just uninstalled Outlook to see if it helps, and unfortunately, no dice. I'll give the VC++ runtimes a cleaning and see if it helps.

 

[icunxtime]

My problem solved now a question.

I have the same problem
Ran the shellexview
it was for sure the AVG Shell Extension Class disabled it and windows explorer functions like it should again !!! I am able to recreate the exception error if I enable it again every time.

I also thought this might solve some of the C++ issues as there was a C++ error when I was installing the AVG that I had to fix first.

Now it shows the file is C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG9\avgse.dll

Is it safe to delete it or will it mess up the AVG program?

I signed up just to share this in hope that it will help someone else.

Thanks

 

[BashirSabeel]

I have the same problem
Ran the shellexview
it was for sure the AVG Shell Extension Class disabled it and windows explorer functions like it should again !!! I am able to recreate the exception error if I enable it again every time.

I also thought this might solve some of the C++ issues as there was a C++ error when I was installing the AVG that I had to fix first.

Now it shows the file is C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG9\avgse.dll

Is it safe to delete it or will it mess up the AVG program?

I signed up just to share this in hope that it will help someone else.

Thanks

Hi, I would not delete this file as it is a library file and deleting it will mess up AVG and may not show up on the actual program so it puts your computer at risk.

 

[Otterbear]

A light at the end of the tunnel?

I have had this problem with the retail versions of both Vista x64 and Windows 7 x64. Home Prem. editions both.
I have been working and researching this problem for a couple of weeks now.
I believe I may have stumbled upon the answer or at least narrowed it down a bit.

As this error seems to effect just about every app written for windows in recent years ...
and..
As this error is unpredictable and hard to duplicate...
and...
as the error is usually predicated by using the right-mouse button...
and...
as this error seems to give a "heap corruption" error...
and...
as a lot of people are getting faulty messages about bad memory...
AND...
as some people can go for days even weeks without this problem.

It is my belief that this is a memory "leak" problem or at best a poorly protected memory space that is being accessed or overwritten/erased and/or re-written too.

The clipboard seems to be the area where we are getting into trouble. As memory space is used by most applications and the memory space set aside for this use(clipboard use), is in most cases being corrupted by applications NOT trying to use "clipboard" space, and some that actually are trying to manipulate the "clipboard" memory space, such as Firefox's privacy settings trying to clear the "clipboard"...and some apps in general are quite possibly corrupting the clipboard data as well as other data it(the app), was trying to store or other applications/services/system process data nearby.
It almost appears as a size problem. Like 3rd party apps are not using either the correct memory space size and/or location. Or MS has not given the correct specifications to 3rd party vendors.

What got me thinking along these lines is the right-mouse button issue. It calls up among other things, the "copy and paste" menu...which of course is tied to the "clipboard".
Also, the inability to re-produce the error at will can be explained by the fact that sometimes the date ISN'T corrupted in memory...and/or maybe the space has been erroneously protected and whenever some other process or app tries to use that space it THEN shows up as an error..or causes a crash. When nothing is using the now corrupted space...no crash. I can now more-or-less, re-produce this "crash" at will.

This would also explain the HUGE array of applications being caught up in this...Its not your programs(IMHO), its a memory management issue...causing EVERYBODY'S applications to fail or causing Explorer to fail.

This would also explain the "Heap corruption issue" and how people are getting what apear to be memory problems or bad memory errors and how after re-booting itself 4-5 times..the problem vanishes. (memory cleared).

If somebody has a better idea of what else could be addressing all these issues simultaneously -please feel free to correct me.

If you'd like to take a crack at reproducing this "crash"
Reboot your machine...then just use your clipboard and copy and paste a few things...I go online because there is a definite conflict with Firefox's privacy protection and the OS's clipboard...I copy some random text...then exit FF and within a few right-clicks of the mouse...BINGO! Crash...of explorer. This also explains why people who don't do much cutting/pasting...can go for a long time without an error. I'm assuming this of course.

 

[Rouphen]

That's make sense. And I think that Microsoft needs to fix it soon, or I will go back to Windows Vista- in my experience, a really stable OS-. If the copy/paste options are involved in this problem, every PC with Win 7 is a potencial victim of explorer crashes.

A few minutes ago I have had a lot of crashes, after modifying some Windows Shell options with the program Autoruns. Reboot and, then, all fine again...

EDIT: I did it (go online and copy some text, then shut down Firefox and do a right click). Result: Crash of explorer. With Opera or IE8 explorer doesn't crash.

 

[BobV365]

I don't seem to have this problem with Windows 7; however, I do have other issuse with Windows 7. I bought a new computer with Windows 7 64 bit already installed. Could it be that this issue appears only when upgrading from a previous version of Windows on an older computer with older graphics drives, etc.? Getting all of these flaws fixed in future service packs will keep the Microsoft programmers very busy in the coming months.

 

[Rouphen]

Well, I did a clean install of Win 7, not an update- which isn't recommended anyway-. In fact, I did two clean installs. The first of them was in my second HDD- to test the OS-, and that Win 7 Ultimate 64 didn't crash one single time, but I've used it only a few days.

After trying Otterbear suggestions, I sent Firefox to a short period- I hope- of holidays. Now I'm using Opera 10.10, and everything it's ok. Temporarily again? Who knows...

 

[MACKIE]

I suspect Winrar or Firefox. I removed both and I have copied and pasted right clicked blah blah blah for 2 days straight and no problems. I could always get a right click explorer crash after a reboot, not anymore.

 

[Otterbear]

Incedently FF has upgraded and fixed the issue (or rather dealt with MS's problem), in their latest version...whether that is a beta version or not right now I don't know. I have been working closely with them and they seem to have developed a working solution.
Like I said earlier, This is not winzip,FF, or any other application causing the problem, its just that ALL programs have to use memory and sometimes that memory is corrupted (due to insufficient reserved space management), and causes them to crash or explorer to crash.
IMHO, your not solving the problem by getting rid of all the software that is designed to run on Vista and Windows 7...your just avoiding it and replacing is with what will look like a different problem with the new app..(if it uses that particular memory allocated space).
I feel a little better, knowing that this will be worked out with MS and the 3rd party software developers..eventually. New OS's will have these kinds of issues and there is a learning curve for both parties.
Firefox has already developed ways to fix or deal with it..and I'm sure others will be close behind.
Hope this helps.

 

[TomasWin7]

Update:

Just to clarify all I did was DISABLE Private Browsing in Firefox 3.5.5

I have NOT had a SINGLE right click crash since doing so. I did not do anything else to solve the problem. I've been right clicking like a mad man and I have not had a single crash!!!!!

I am 99.93% confident I will no longer have this crash. Thanks to all that provided this possible solution!

 

[belikexp]

Update:

Just to clarify all I did was DISABLE Private Browsing in Firefox 3.5.5

I have NOT had a SINGLE right click crash since doing so. I did not do anything else to solve the problem. I've been right clicking like a mad man and I have not had a single crash!!!!!

I am 99.93% confident I will no longer have this crash. Thanks to all that provided this possible solution!

Interesting. I did a search for "Private Browsing in Firefox crashing Windows"

It is a problem for many people.

 

[Rouphen]

I'm another user without explorer crashes since I uninstalled Firefox. I'm near to my second day without errors, and it is a relief. And Opera works fine anyway .

 

[sullysnet]

I've been running for weeks now without the Private Browsing feature enabled and I can only now after a week of headaches that for me it was and is Private Browsing feature of Firefox. I had tested on Win7 x32 and also Vista x32 and had no issues with the Private Browsing feature enabled. I have posted on places like Neowin and a MS site as well as Technet and in Mozilla's forum. People that do not use or have Firefox loaded I suggest you try capturing a dump file against the explorer crash. This might help reveal what is causing your issue. I also suggest to any person with the issue and with it unresolved to test your memory with the Windows Memory Tester in Win7 or run one from a boot disk like Hiren's

I hope everyone solves their explorer issues

 

[papahood]

I am also one of the ones who disabled private browsing in FF and haven't had a single right click crash since

 

[Lucky098]

Yes think so with FF private browsing stay off and fix some patch in any AV you use that seem to be fixed the problems - I havent any crashing since few weeks ago as it prefect running - already updated with 2 MS via Windows Update plus Kaspersky, TuneUp2010 that has been fixed some latest patch that seem work fine, I click right button quite a lots - still no crashing as I spend over an hour Ive tested Fx 3.5.5 and still using Fx 3.6 Beta 4 - both working fine but stay off with private browsing mode.

 

[Otterbear]

That seems to be a nice way of avoiding the crashes, but shutting down the computer for a week, and reporting no problems; doesn't go very far for me in solving the problem.
Please don't misunderstand me...I'm glad we have found a way off stopping the crashes, but it would be nice to know WHY the crashes are occurring so we can fix the problem instead of avoiding it.
I like FF and I also like my privacy...so turning off either is like driving my car with the air-conditioner off...sure it'll work...but it's not the way it was designed to run...and my car isn't fixed.
Anyhow, I'm glad we can avoid the problem for the time being...hopefull the issue will be resolved soon and we can go back to using FF and its privacy features.

 

[Lucky098]

something like this with bug> Windows 7 chkdsk bug linked to antivirus software | Security | News | PC Pro

 

[Lobram]

After 5 days without a sigle error, sudenly I have had A LOT of explorer.exe right click crashes. I haven’t done anything special and I’m very tired so I decided to unistall Firefox. I will coment if this measure makes effect on my system.
Greetings.

 

[belikexp]

There must be something else wrong beside FireFox. I'm using firefox (no private sessions) with no problems.

Export your bookmarks and do a clean uninstall of Firefox Uninstalling Firefox - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
Reinstall Firefox, import your bookmarks and see what happens.

 

[sullysnet]

That seems to be a nice way of avoiding the crashes, but shutting down the computer for a week, and reporting no problems; doesn't go very far for me in solving the problem.
Please don't misunderstand me...I'm glad we have found a way off stopping the crashes, but it would be nice to know WHY the crashes are occurring so we can fix the problem instead of avoiding it.
I like FF and I also like my privacy...so turning off either is like driving my car with the air-conditioner off...sure it'll work...but it's not the way it was designed to run...and my car isn't fixed.
Anyhow, I'm glad we can avoid the problem for the time being...hopefull the issue will be resolved soon and we can go back to using FF and its privacy features.

Well you review one of the explorer crash dumps and you tell us what is going on. Everyone that has looked at it says it is heap corruption issues and they had asked me to test my RAM. I have tested it with two applications and the two sticks pass every test. If the RAM was bad (I have had this issue before) the machine would blue screen and usually crash. How can I be running this many weeks/days without an Explorer crash if it truly was an RAM issue. So no it is that it is something going on between Firefox releasing what is in memory (Private Browsing stores everything in memory and then releases it when you close Firefox) after the release or the way they release it is crashing Explorer. MS issue? Mozilla issue? Not sure

belikexp it says you are running Win7 and XP and with 2G of RAM so I imagine you are not using x64 are you? If so this issue is NOT with x32 and it mostly if not completely in x64. I had Vista x32 and Win7 x32 running with Private Browsing set to run on every start up and on those platforms I never had an Explorer crash.

It's simple, a fresh installed machine with NO drivers and only Firefox 3.55, Opera 10 and Trillian 4.1 crashed up till the moment I stopped using Private Browsing. I ran the machine in that setup with Private Browsing for close to a week with no issues. I did not rebuild once i solved the issue, I just started installing all the applications I had originally installed from the day I decided to reload and move to Win7. Since then I have had no issues related to Explorer crashing, trust me this would happen every night and more than once a night.

Anyone wants to have fun looking at the dumps you are more than welcome, they are here at Neowin and I also have Filemon logs as well.

Explorer.exe Constantly crashes - Neowin Forums

RapidShare: 1-CLICK Web hosting - Easy Filehosting

Everything should be in that zip as far as I recall.... have fun

Microsoft (R) Windows Debugger Version 6.11.0001.404 AMD64
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.


Loading Dump File [D:\Temp\explorer.exe.1596.dmp]
User Mini Dump File: Only registers, stack and portions of memory are available

Symbol search path is: srv*C:\windows\symbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols
Executable search path is: 
Windows 7 Version 7600 MP (4 procs) Free x64
Product: WinNt, suite: SingleUserTS
Machine Name:
Debug session time: Fri Nov 13 21:01:42.000 2009 (GMT-5)
System Uptime: not available
Process Uptime: 0 days 0:54:46.000
................................................................
................................................................
..................................
Loading unloaded module list
................................................................
This dump file has an exception of interest stored in it.
The stored exception information can be accessed via .ecxr.
(63c.470): Unknown exception - code c000041d (first/second chance not available)
ntdll!RtlSizeHeap+0x89:
00000000`7737202d 0fb74118        movzx   eax,word ptr [rcx+18h] ds:00000d92`1d2ca548=????
0:000> .ecxr
rax=0000000000000001 rbx=000000000014bdb0 rcx=00000d921d2ca530
rdx=00000000083a4280 rsi=0000000077487448 rdi=000000000014c2a0
rip=000000007737202d rsp=000000000014c370 rbp=0000000000000001
 r8=000000ffffffffff  r9=00000000083a4290 r10=0000000000000000
r11=0000000000000000 r12=0000000000000000 r13=00000000083a4320
r14=0000000008329618 r15=0000000000000000
iopl=0         nv up ei pl nz na po nc
cs=0033  ss=002b  ds=002b  es=002b  fs=0053  gs=002b             efl=00010204
ntdll!RtlSizeHeap+0x89:
00000000`7737202d 0fb74118        movzx   eax,word ptr [rcx+18h] ds:00000d92`1d2ca548=????