Solved Explorer.exe and Excel constantly unresponsive

[Camokid]

When trying to use microsoft excel, it constantly freezes and will not respond. Sometimes it freezes upon opening a file, but usually it is while I am trying to SaveAs new work or open a file after opening excel. It will continue to be unresponsive untill I close the program from the start menu, resulting in me having to start-over on a lot of my work. This will also freeze firefox AND excel if I try to open excel attachments from my e-mail.
Window's explorer constantly freezes, whenever I try to open anything on the start menue or files from my desktop. The taskbar seems to be nearly immune from problems until something else freezes up explorer.exe. Also, when explorer.exe DOES happen to work, my desktop will refresh everytime I exit from a window, as well as every time I right click on anything in the start menu. Not sure if that's a problem, because I don't know if it did that before, but I only started noticing it a few days ago.

This started a few days ago when I used the Comodo System Cleaner's disk cleaner to clean duplicates from my computer. I would restore my system to it's previous state but the only restore points I have were made after CSC did it's thing and the program was not set to back-up changes at the time.

I have .dmp files for both programs while they were unresponsive. Here's the links for the two of them since they're quite large and can't be uploaded here, so here's the links on rapidshare:

https://rapidshare.com/files/3258160045/EXCEL.DMP.zip

https://rapidshare.com/files/2504853661/explorer.dmp.zip

 

[Maguscreed]

I have... issues with rapidshare.
Could you use the paperclip icon to attach them here?

 

[Camokid]

Reply

It doesn't let me...they're probably too big. They're 86 and 101 megabytes...is there another way?

 

[Maguscreed]

Is there anything in the c:\windows\minidump folder?
If there is you can zip and attach that. It's what I'm accustomed to working with anyhow.

If not following these instructions should produce one on the next crash.

To ensure minidumps are enabled:

Go to Start, in the Search Box type: sysdm.cpl, press Enter.
Under the Advanced tab, click on the Startup and Recovery Settings... button.
Ensure that Automatically restart is unchecked.
Under the Write Debugging Information header
Select Small memory dump (256 kB) in the dropdown box (the 256kb varies).
Ensure that the Small Dump Directory is listed as %systemroot%\Minidump.
OK your way out.
Reboot if changes have been made.

this will create a small file minidump, it's also possible someone without a dire aversion to rapidshare will help you, lol. Sorry it's just one of my quirks.
In the meantime this is a first step I give to just about everyone so it couldn't hurt to run it on your system.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

 

[Camokid]

Reply

There's nothing in the folder, and nothing happens when I try to open sysdm.cpl, even when I try to run as administrator. I'm running the System File Checker right now, so I'll get back again when that's done.

 

[Camokid]

Reply

The scan says no integrity violations were found. Still no luck with sysdm.cpl, all that happens when I try to open it is the mouse does the blue spinning thing for a bit and then nothing happens.

 

[Maguscreed]

you have admin right? if so sysdm.cpl should open. Viruses can lock you out of cpl's
Malwarebytes : Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a free download that removes viruses and malware from your computer
run a good scan with it after it's updated itself.

If that doesn't turn up anything http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html may be the easiest path.

 

[Camokid]

reply

here's the log file for malwarrebytes quick scan. should I remove the problems?

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.51.2.1300
Malwarebytes : Free anti-malware, anti-virus and spyware removal download

Database version: 8088

Windows 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1
Internet Explorer 9.0.8112.16421

11/6/2011 8:12:33 PM
mbam-log-2011-11-06 (20-12-23).txt

Scan type: Quick scan
Objects scanned: 226168
Time elapsed: 3 minute(s), 51 second(s)

Memory Processes Infected: 0
Memory Modules Infected: 0
Registry Keys Infected: 0
Registry Values Infected: 1
Registry Data Items Infected: 1
Folders Infected: 0
Files Infected: 0

Memory Processes Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Memory Modules Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Keys Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Registry Values Infected:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\ForceClassicControlPanel (Hijack.ControlPanelStyle) -> Value: ForceClassicControlPanel -> No action taken.

Registry Data Items Infected:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoPropertiesMyComputer (PUM.Disable.MCProperties) -> Bad: (1) Good: (0) -> No action taken.

Folders Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

Files Infected:
(No malicious items detected)

 

[Maguscreed]

Sorry took a nap, I would go ahead and fix that problem.
I think you'll find yourself able to access it again after rebooting.

 

[Camokid]

Reply.

Ecellent, got sysdm.cpl to work, made the changes, so now do I need to do anything to get the file?

 

[strike3test]

Which OS, what version of office & when does it happen will help for start

I have bailed out few users having same issue but I had some info on hand like OS & Office version & also what triggers the issue like opening file over network or a specific file which causes this.

 

[Maguscreed]

actually it's entirely possible we just fixed your problem. If you get another blue screen you should find a file in c:\windows\minidump
Zip and upload it if it's created.
I think we may have reassigned cpl's and fixed your problem just with that though.

 

[Camokid]

Reply

MS Windows 7 Enterprise 32-bit SP1

For excel it happens everytime I try to SaveAs, and sometime when I open excel.
For explorer, it happens when I try to open any window in explorer from the sstart menu or from my desktop, whenever I right click on anything on the start menu, when I open the start menu, or when I search for files. The problems with excel are consistent (freezes every time I try to SaveAs but not every time i open it) while the problems with explorer are less consistent (seems t happen every other time to every third time i try to open something). Nothing else stops working while this happens eaither, I can type documents and surf the net while explorer.exe is unresponsive, and I can even switch between applications using windowskey+tab, but everything else (desktop, task bar, start menue and any explorer windows) remains frozen.

 

[Camokid]

reply

Since i've restarted explorer.exe has only frozen once (huge improvement), but the desktop is still refreshing everytime i close a window. Also, excel still locks-up everytime i try to SaveAs...so I am still only getting school work done with recovered files and auto-save copies, which i can't actually save...There is noticable improvement, however.

 

[Maguscreed]

lets just try repairing the excel install now.
HOW TO: Install or Repair Microsoft Excel Features in Excel 2000
steps are little different for newer versions but that should point to how.

Wouldn't hurt to run this again either.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

 

[Camokid]

Reply

Exel now works (thanks so much I can do timework now) but sfc.scannow didn't find anything and I'm still having trouble with explorer.exe

 

[Maguscreed]

http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/96879-blue-screen-death-bsod-posting-instructions.html
following that will give me a copy of the application logs, it's possible I can find something there to explain explorer.

 

[Camokid]

Reply

Here it is.

I'm running Windows 7 Enterprise 32-bit SP1. Not sure about previous 0S or OEM or not cause I'm not the original owner

 

[Maguscreed]

Not a ton of help just full of apphangs.
Something I did notice though, how many security/firewall programs are you running?
I see true suite I see norton, I see comodo.
It's looks like a ton of them have been stacked up on each other.
You should clean them all out and then pick just one.

 

[Camokid]

Reply

All I've got now is norton, and so far there's been no freezing since (crossed finger). However, the desktop still refreshes everytime i close an explorer window (not a bad thing...but odd) and I can't right click on anything in the start menu without the start menu closing followed by the desktop refreshing.

I've also started getting a warning from Symantic Endpoint protection:

A Potential threat has been detected on your computer

An attempted Hostfile change has been detected
Location:
c:\windows\system32\svchost.exe

Should I allow or block this when it pops up? It's recommended for me to block it, but is there a chance blocking it is causing my problems?