x64 Windows Explorer crashes

[gordol]

This started slowly, a couple weeks ago. The only changes I recall between when it worked and when it broke was maybe some Windows Updates. I have no idea which ones. And, of course, automatic database updates to my security suite software.

Windows 7 Home Premium x64. Security is Kaspersky Internet Security version 9, only reason I upgraded from v8 is that 8 is not compatible with Win7.

The basic problem is that Windows Explorer (ie, the system shell and file manager) will crash. So far as I can tell, no crash data is being sent back to MS. At least, 99% of the crash dialogs just say "close and restart the program".

This can happen when trying to right-click on something to pull up the Properties or Rename dialog, or any other context-menu command. It can happen when pressing [F2] to rename a file. Depending on exactly where I am in Windows seems to determine if it's just a file-manager explorer.exe process that crashes or the entire GUI. When it's the entire GUI, most of it restarts, but some items sometimes fail to re-show in the Taskbar and/or system tray.

Over all, it does not seem to matter how long Windows has been up, but the longer it is up the more likely it is that it'll crash.

Possibly related to this, is that I cannot use sleep/hibernation. Windows becomes unstable when resuming from sleep or hibernation. I have contacted Microsoft about that and after several weeks of back-and-forth via email and telephone, the problem has been archived as unresolved.

 

[Lordbob75]

Try opening command prompt (right click and run as admin) and type this:

sfc /scannow

~Lordbob

 

[richc46]

Try opening command prompt (right click and run as admin) and type this:

sfc /scannow

~Lordbob

If that does not work, you said the problem started several weeks ago, so something has changed. If it were me, I would do a system restore back to better days.

Once you are up and running, make a system image and put it in a safe place. That way in the future, no matter what happens, you can return to that system image and be up and running.

 

[Buggsy2]

Similar problem with x32 and x64 machines, and the instability after resuming from sleep (well, after several wakeups). I attribute it to the fact it's Windows. XP likewise was unstable after resuming, though W7 is better. XP didn't have nearly so many Explorer problems as W7 but W7 restarts nicely from them.

Over W7 is an improvement but that's like saying a Ford Pinto is an improvement over a Yugo.

 

[gordol]

If that does not work, you said the problem started several weeks ago, so something has changed. If it were me, I would do a system restore back to better days.

If I knew exactly when and what the trigger was that started this. And I'd rather not go all the way back to re-install, I've already done that back in October.

 

[gordol]

Similar problem with x32 and x64 machines, and the instability after resuming from sleep (well, after several wakeups). I attribute it to the fact it's Windows. XP likewise was unstable after resuming, though W7 is better. XP didn't have nearly so many Explorer problems as W7 but W7 restarts nicely from them.

I have three systems, XP Pro, Vista HP and 7 HPx64. 7 HP x64 was originally Vista HP x64. XP and Vista here have no problems with Sleep/Hibernate. This machine was upgraded to 7 via a "custom" upgrade to wipe remnants of Vista out of the system directories.

 

[gordol]

Try opening command prompt (right click and run as admin) and type this:

sfc /scannow

~Lordbob

Will try that today.

 

[gordol]

Try opening command prompt (right click and run as admin) and type this:

sfc /scannow

No problems were found.

Am now trying something I saw in another thread somewhere: I just uninstalled Firefox, reverting to IE8. I'll miss AdBlock Plus, which is the prime reason I installed Firefox in the first place.

 

[Buggsy2]

Am now trying something I saw in another thread somewhere: I just uninstalled Firefox, reverting to IE8.

Haha! Who posted that, a Microsoft employee's sock puppet?

 

[Lordbob75]

Am now trying something I saw in another thread somewhere: I just uninstalled Firefox, reverting to IE8.

Haha! Who posted that, a Microsoft employee's sock puppet?

I never posted that.
Fix your quote.

~Lordbob

 

[gordol]

Am now trying something I saw in another thread somewhere: I just uninstalled Firefox, reverting to IE8.

Haha! Who posted that, a Microsoft employee's sock puppet?

I don't know. May have been another thread in this forum.

Didn't work, problem persists.

What are the chances it's something wonky with Kaspersky Internet Security v9?

 

[devenprasad]

Any of you think that its DEP?

Also u only have one antivirus software right

 

[TimStitt]

Hi Gordol,

Open the windows event viewer and see if there is more information available as to what is causing the crashes, check the time that the crash occured on all available logs.
RUN
eventvwr.msc

If there is no helpful information, you may want to try the windows debugging tools, post the log here for us to see.
Debugging Tools for Windows - Overview

EDIT: Some last thoughts.
- Check all your drivers and download the latest from the manufacturers website (not microsoft update).
- Unplug all external drives and see if the problem occurs when they are not attached. This includes all USB, Sata-e, firewire, phones, camera's, and ports in printers that you can add cards or usb devices to, + anything else you can think of that's external. If we are lucky we'll find that explorer is crashing when reading one of these devices.

 

[gordol]

Open the windows event viewer and see if there is more information available as to what is causing the crashes, check the time that the crash occured on all available logs.
RUN
eventvwr.msc

If there is no helpful information, you may want to try the windows debugging tools, post the log here for us to see.
Debugging Tools for Windows - Overview

It hasn't crashed like that in a couple weeks now. To my knowledge, I had made no changes to any system files.

 

[TimStitt]

If I understand correctly, it has been good now for a couple of weeks? That sounds promising. Perhaps it was an external device causing the issue?

If it does come back, run with the testing and driver updates as suggested earlier and let us know the results.

re: Event Viewer (in case we have misunderstood each other ) - this will show warning and error messages, that may not show as crashes and errors in everyday windows usage, so it's worth a look.

 

[gordol]

If I understand correctly, it has been good now for a couple of weeks? That sounds promising. Perhaps it was an external device causing the issue?

Neither My external drive setup nor my use of the system, including external devices, has changed. A USB hard drive always connected, an externally mounted SATA drive only powered on once or twice a week when I run my system backups, printers that are turned on only when in use, smartphone and media player plugged in for syncing or charging.

If it does come back, run with the testing and driver updates as suggested earlier and let us know the results.

Will do.