the explorer process crashing

[beeski]

recently, i have been experiencing frequent crashes of the explorer.exe process under win7 x64. i have since run various malware scans, including microsoft's own, checked for corrupt win 7 files, as well as googled on the issue a little bit. i've found some reports associating this issue with shell extension conflicts, and have done some very minor tweaking using shellex, but as i am not sure what i should really be looking for, i have not come up with a fix yet.

i would really appreciate any tips on solving this.

thank you!

 

[Slartybart]

Please follow the Easy System specs link in my signature below and
elaborate on what the shell tweaks were done and what utiltiy or method was employed

Thanks

 

[beeski]

thank you.

i have filled out the sys specs based on the tool you provided.

as regards the shell tweaks-- i used the shellEx x64 tool, and i believe these are extension names i disabled:

acronis secure zone
acronis true image shell context menu extension
VersionsPageSHellExt Class (also related to acronis)
BRU context menu handler (bulk rename utility)
MBAMShlExt Class (malware bytes)

in laymen's terms, shellex is showing a couple of other extensions as 'not disabled', albeit with a pink background; and i am unsure what that is an indication of. those are winrar's extensions, 'shell extension (x64) for altap servant salamander', 'microsoft XPS rich preview handler', a bunch of dropbox's extensions, and a 'sorcerer shell extensio' (sic).

 

[AddRAM]

run a system file check, see if it turns up anything.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

 

[beeski]

thank you!

i've run the test and it did indeed come up (and reset) some files; unfortunately the cmd shell closed so i cannot tell what the affected file(s) were (edit: unless this gets logged somewhere - ?)

i will have to see now if the issue continues to show...

thank you again.

 

[Slartybart]

Windows\logs\CBS\CBS.log

See OPTION THREE of tutorial "How to See and Read....from the CBS.log"

 

[Callender]

Possible cause

I can't say that I'm an expert on this but I did have the same issue "Windows explorer has stopped working" and after some research found that it could be down to a whole range of issues. I decided that the most likely cause was a corrupt media (image or video) file somewhere on the HD. That's just one possible cause that you could investigate. I'm sure that other forum members will help you check out the other possible causes.

After checking all jpeg image files for corruption the problem remained so I moved all personal image and video files onto another HD and since then I've been problem free.

See: Error: Windows Explorer has stopped working

You can use JPG Cleaner to scan for and bulk delete corrupt jpeg files:

Rainbow Software - Programs

Download link is hard to spot. It's in the blue box below the description.

Settings that I used:



I didn't manage to find a similar method to deal with other image file formats or video files. I just moved any folders of images or videos that I had personally created off my hard drive onto an external one.

This might not help in your case but in my case it did indeed solve the problem.

Good Luck!

 

[beeski]

I can't say that I'm an expert on this but I did have the same issue "Windows explorer has stopped working" and after some research found that it could be down to a whole range of issues. I decided that the most likely cause was a corrupt media (image or video) file somewhere on the HD. That's just one possible cause that you could investigate. I'm sure that other forum members will help you check out the other possible causes.

After checking all jpeg image files for corruption the problem remained so I moved all personal image and video files onto another HD and since then I've been problem free.

See: Error: Windows Explorer has stopped working

You can use JPG Cleaner to scan for and bulk delete corrupt jpeg files:

Rainbow Software - Programs

Download link is hard to spot. It's in the blue box below the description.

Settings that I used:

View attachment 300908

I didn't manage to find a similar method to deal with other image file formats or video files. I just moved any folders of images or videos that I had personally created off my hard drive onto an external one.

This might not help in your case but in my case it did indeed solve the problem.

Good Luck!

thank you very much for the detailed response! i have to admit however that this explanation seems most unusual to me (i'd understand a corrupt .dll or other piece of code is critical, but a random jpg file that may not even be accessed, seems so very strange to me!).

i will keep it in mind though, and failing the system file checker scan i just did, i can try it.

 

[Slartybart]

I personally stay away from so-called cleaners. No one knows what might be causing this yet. But, you did spark something in this old man's head.

Beeski
- after complying with Addram's request and any subsequent follow up requests,
you might try rebuilding the search index
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/17880-index-rebuild.html

 

[Slartybart]

Please attach sfcdetails.txt to a new post and someone will take a look

Use the paperclip icon on the menu above a post window to attach the file

..... i will keep it in mind though, and failing the system file checker scan i just did, i can try it.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Folder Options - Separate Process

Have you tried using the "Launch folder windows in a separate process" option (Folder Options > View tab)?

​

My Windows Explorer started to go "crash happy" a while ago (2011?).
I started using the "Launch folder windows in a separate process" option (Folder Options > View tab).

Windows Explorer has only crashed ~10 times since I did that.

 

[beeski]

Have you tried using the "Launch folder windows in a separate process" option (Folder Options > View tab)?

View attachment 300926​

My Windows Explorer started to go "crash happy" a while ago (2011?).
I started using the "Launch folder windows in a separate process" option (Folder Options > View tab).

Windows Explorer has only crashed ~10 times since I did that.

Thank you. I have had this option enabled for as long as I remember.

 

[beeski]

Please attach sfcdetails.txt to a new post and someone will take a look

Use the paperclip icon on the menu above a post window to attach the file

..... i will keep it in mind though, and failing the system file checker scan i just did, i can try it.

Thank you. I am a little confused; searching the system drive produced 0 hits on this filename. Did you mean I am to create it and populate it w/ something from the cbs log? Sorry.

 

[andrew129260]

Let's have a look at a few other things...

Please post a full copy of the report produced by the MGADiag tool
(download and save to desktop - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012 )
Once saved, run the tool.
Click on the Continue button, which will produce the report.
To copy the report to your response, click on the Copy button in the tool (ignore any error messages at this point), and then paste (using either r-click/Paste, or Ctrl+V ) into your response.
- **in your own thread**, please
Please also state the Version and Edition of Windows quoted on your COA sticker (if you have one) on the case of your machine (or inside the battery compartment), but do NOT quote the Key on the sticker!

 

[beeski]

Let's have a look at a few other things...

Please post a full copy of the report produced by the MGADiag tool
(download and save to desktop - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012 )
Once saved, run the tool.
Click on the Continue button, which will produce the report.
To copy the report to your response, click on the Copy button in the tool (ignore any error messages at this point), and then paste (using either r-click/Paste, or Ctrl+V ) into your response.
- **in your own thread**, please
Please also state the Version and Edition of Windows quoted on your COA sticker (if you have one) on the case of your machine (or inside the battery compartment), but do NOT quote the Key on the sticker!

ok, do you mean i should start a separate topic for this? (BTW running the tool/copying did not produce any error messages)

 

[andrew129260]

nope, keep in the same thread. And like the above stated, post the log file/report in your reply.

 

[Slartybart]

You don't need to apologize - I was typing in shorthand sentences and I wasn't clear at all.

Addram in post# 4 had asked you to run SFC and pointed you to a tutorial.
I posted where you could find the log, if one existed.
In post# 10 I referred to option 3 in the SFC tutorial which outputs the sfcdetails.txt file.

No wonder you're confused - I didn't connect the dots.

If you get the chance or come to an impasse, then you run SFC (Option One or Option Two) and post the sfcdetails.txt files created in Option Three of http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html
It might be necessary to run SFC at boot given the sysmptoms you're describing.


Anyway, you're on a path now - stick to that path.

There's enough good people helping herre, so I'll back out.

Please attach sfcdetails.txt to a new post and someone will take a look

Use the paperclip icon on the menu above a post window to attach the file

..... i will keep it in mind though, and failing the system file checker scan i just did, i can try it.

Thank you. I am a little confused; searching the system drive produced 0 hits on this filename. Did you mean I am to create it and populate it w/ something from the cbs log? Sorry.

 

[andrew129260]

@beeski

Can we try the following items?

1.) http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...ation-conflicts-performing-clean-startup.html

2.) Boot into safe mode. Does the issue still exist?

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/69585-safe-mode.html

3.) What security software do you use? Have you run any optimization or registry cleaners programs?

 

[beeski]

@beeski

Can we try the following items?

1.) http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...ation-conflicts-performing-clean-startup.html

2.) Boot into safe mode. Does the issue still exist?

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/69585-safe-mode.html

3.) What security software do you use? Have you run any optimization or registry cleaners programs?

Thank you!

Re 3:
I have habitually run cc cleaner x64; I also have a (legitimate) copy of Acronis True Image that I believe does some rather low level OS tweaks. I am also experiencing frequent AppHang/crashes of Office applications (currently running, again - legitimate - version of Office 2013 365).

Re 1 & 2:
I will need to try that tomorrow.

 

[andrew129260]

Other options:

1.) I would create a new windows administrator account and run a sfc scan as instructed before. I would then see if the newly created windows user account has the same issues at the old account.

2.) If all else fails, I would go for a http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html which would be the quickest way to get up and running without losing your programs or data. (But of course, still have your data backed up)