Solved Windows Explorer crashing randomly

[soccnut]

Hi,

Have encountered this problem recently, not sure if it is due to me cloning my HDD onto a new SSD or due to a recent windows update/software installation.

Windows explorer will crash randomly, sometimes while playing a game, browsing the net, or even when idle. It will then attempt to automatically restart Windows explorer and everything reverts back to normal. This happens about 3-4 times randomly in about 8 hours. While it is restarting explorer, mouse movement is very sluggish.

So far, all important windows updates are successful. For shell extensions i have eraser, teracopy, winrar, malwarebytes anti malware, norton ghost and magicISO. These extensions were installed long before the problem surfaced. I have also done a sfc /scannow but did not find any errors.

I did remove my optical drive and replace it with a 2nd HDD caddy with a HDD inside if it matters.



Help is much appreciated


Attached is error from event log

Faulting application name: Explorer.EXE, version: 6.1.7601.17567, time stamp: 0x4d672ee4
Faulting module name: msvcrt.dll, version: 7.0.7601.17744, time stamp: 0x4eeb033f
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0000000000001083
Faulting process id: 0x1b28
Faulting application start time: 0x01cd68cf359a3c39
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\Explorer.EXE
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\system32\msvcrt.dll
Report Id: 0491af73-d61c-11e1-a450-e3d5fd014c50

- EventData


Explorer.EXE


6.1.7601.17567


4d672ee4


msvcrt.dll


7.0.7601.17744


4eeb033f


c0000005


0000000000001083


1b28


01cd68cf359a3c39


C:\Windows\Explorer.EXE


C:\Windows\system32\msvcrt.dll


0491af73-d61c-11e1-a450-e3d5fd014c50


Attached is the Windows Error reporting for the crash

Fault bucket 56892039, type 4
Event Name: APPCRASH
Response: Not available
Cab Id: 0

Problem signature:
P1: Explorer.EXE
P2: 6.1.7601.17567
P3: 4d672ee4
P4: msvcrt.dll
P5: 7.0.7601.17744
P6: 4eeb033f
P7: c0000005
P8: 0000000000001083
P9:
P10:

Attached files:
C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Temp\WERD43D.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml

These files may be available here:
C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportArchive\AppCrash_Explorer.EXE_47ec0fd405cd62c8b67dfcf9b2e560f950d2_009826fe

Analysis symbol:
Rechecking for solution: 0
Report Id: 0491af73-d61c-11e1-a450-e3d5fd014c50
Report Status: 0

- EventData


56892039


4


APPCRASH


Not available


0


Explorer.EXE


6.1.7601.17567


4d672ee4


msvcrt.dll


7.0.7601.17744


4eeb033f


c0000005


0000000000001083










C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Temp\WERD43D.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml


C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportArchive\AppCrash_Explorer.EXE_47ec0fd405cd62c8b67dfcf9b2e560f950d2_009826fe






0


0491af73-d61c-11e1-a450-e3d5fd014c50


0

 

[Everlong]

Could you fill in your system specs, please?

You said the shell extensions you added were before this issue started, but for testing sake lets disable the none Microsoft ones. Download this program ShellExView - Shell Extension Manager For Windows which lets you view and enable/disable shell extensions.

Does it also happen in safe mode?

 

[soccnut]

Thanks, will enable them 1 by 1 to try isolate the cause. Will post back on the issue.

Did not try using for extended periods of time in safe mode

 

[Everlong]

Could also try giving this a try as well if you have the entry specified. If you don't have the entry in your registry to delete, then don't worry about doing this:

1. Click Start
2. Type regedit and hit enter
3. Go into the following - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE - SOFTWARE - Microsoft - SQMClient
4. Then you should see an entry called "MachineThrottling", backup your registry first (File>Export) and then delete that entry.
5. Close regedit
6. Open Computer and right click on C:/
7. Click the Tools tab
8. Click check now to check for errors (make sure the top box is selected - fix file system errors) and OK
9. Restart your computer

 

[soccnut]

Hi,

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction, the problem ceased after i disabled all third party shell extensions. Will now enable them slowly to isolate the cause of the problem

 

[Everlong]

That's good news. Keep us posted about how you get on.

 

[soccnut]

After re enabling the extensions batch by batch, i was unable to reproduce the problems. Probably an automatic update for a third party extension fixed the issue.

Thanks anyway.

 

[jjeremiah]

Hello everyone... I had this problem and solved it by examining the tasks in the Task Scheduler.
In my case the offending task was the "Scheduled Update for Ask Toolbar".
They symptom was frequent failures of the Task Scheduler. and the following entry in the event viewer:taskeng.exe
6.1.7601.17514
4ce79d2c
msvcrt.dll
7.0.7601.17744
4eeb033f
c0000005
00000000000027de
98c
01ce2c7b0a8c0dfd
C:\Windows\system32\taskeng.exe
C:\Windows\system32\msvcrt.dll
54b0d3b4-986e-11e2-ad0f-005056c00008

When I reviewed the history of the task in the task scheduler, I could see the multiple starts and failures.

Hope this helps.... will update this thread if I find that my 'fix' was not actually a fix.

 

[10Fan]

Sorry this is such an old thread but this is happening to me, trying to put a silent installer of Driver Booster in on an unattended installation, it's causing an explorer crash with it saying msvcrt.dll is the reason.

Like the above post, it also seems to be something to do with Task Scheduler, because the Driver Booster setup puts three scheduled tasks in while it runs. I will try just killing explorer when my main batch file starts (that runs various silent installers like .NET Framework v4.8 etc) and if that doesn't fix it, I will just leave that particular silent installer out - but it's only doing this during Windows setup at first login, I can't replicate it on an already installed system. To be honest killing explorer is probably a good idea since the system has 1 more reboot to do at that time.