Multple instances of Explorer.exe

[MsterBeatty]

I have an issue with explorer creating a new process every time I open a new explorer window. And before someone asks I DO have the Option UN-ticked (ie : Double-Click on "My Computer" > Click "Tools" -- "Folder Options" > Click the | View | tab > Un-check [ ] Launch Folder Windows in a separate process > Click [OK] )

Any suggestions?

 

[Ryan2320]

Have you restarted since, you change the setting? Also do you have more than one account on your computer? are they both logged into, I would guess if you had both accounts running then you would also have both explorer process running as well..If you don't have two (or more) accounts running then try logging into another account and see if it does the same thing...

Hope this Helps..and Happy Holidays

 

[MsterBeatty]

I have only one user account on this PC and it has been doing this for some time. I usually try and figure out how to fix the problem before I ask for assistance, because usually someone has had the issue before and they might have found the solution. So in short yes the pc has been rebooted, but I would also like to add that the "folder option" part was NEVER checked yet this issue has been happening anyway.

Is it a registry issue do you think? or is there a registry entry that I can tweek? ( im not too keen on reg edits)

 

[Johnathan Lyman]

I have only one user account on this PC and it has been doing this for some time. I usually try and figure out how to fix the problem before I ask for assistance, because usually someone has had the issue before and they might have found the solution. So in short yes the pc has been rebooted, but I would also like to add that the "folder option" part was NEVER checked yet this issue has been happening anyway.

Is it a registry issue do you think? or is there a registry entry that I can tweek? ( im not too keen on reg edits)

The setting you said you unticked WOULD be the registry edit, unfortunately.

There is one thing you CAN do if you feel slightly adventurous. Open the Task Manager and kill ALL the explorer.exe processes. Once you kill them all you will have a blank desktop with just your wallpaper and the task manager. That is ok.

Within the Task Manager window, go to FILE > New Task (Run) and type "explorer" without the quotes. Your UI will reappear after a few seconds with just that one process. If additional processes open up again, double check that setting again and give the computer a restart or two. If you still are not having any success, I recommend a virus scan for sure. There might be something else going on.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[MsterBeatty]

I use Nod32 and I have te latest updates, nd I have it set to scan all drives once a week... Nothing found there I also use Spybot: Search and Destroy and few minor things but nothing to get worried about. and I am aware of the Taskmanager and ending all instances I can even tell which one is the desktop instance, because the others are utilizing less mem then the main instance. It does become irritant to have to check and manually close an instant when ever I open more than one explorer window. The only thing that I can think of to do maybe is a 'repair' with the Windows disc... but Im afraid of data loss

 

[MsterBeatty]

*bump*

 

[Dzomlija]

Open "Task Manager", then click the "View" menu and select "Seelct Columns...". In the list, add a check mark to the item "Image Path Name".

This will help you to confirm whether or not the "Explorer.exe" process you keep terminating is in fact a legit program or not. Windows Explorer should be "C:\Windows\Explorer.exe".

 

[lilamezz]

A simple solution to the multi instance of explorer.exe. The cause is really when you open Windows Explorer with an option (ex "%windir%\explorer.exe D:\" to open automatically Explorer showing disk D.

If you open without any kind of option ("%windir%\explorer.exe"), this problem doesn't appear, but you do not solve the problem, because you WANT to open Explorer on a specific directory (or disk).

I found the solution on another forum : in this case, simply put the aim (disk or directory) in the shortcut. For example, instead of "%windir%\explorer.exe D:\tmp", only put "D:\tmp". It works very well and doesn't leave any Explorer process pending in memory.

Tested on Windows 7 32 and 64 bits, works like a charm.

Alain