WTF is up with all these Windows Explorer crashes?

[DataMan47]

Could be a bad shell extension. A lot of apps like to install context menu extensions (7zip, WinRAR, Acrobat, Winamp, etc.), and it takes just one buggy extension to turn a right-click in Explorer into a crash.

 

[Ames]

I agree and I'm not ready to blame it on Windows 7 yet. Just strange that its just this RTM build (and my installed software is the same)

Of note, my laptop doesn't seem to have these problems. Its got most of the same software installed, but its 32-bit.

 

[DataMan47]

Of note, my laptop doesn't seem to have these problems. Its got most of the same software installed, but its 32-bit.

That could make a big difference if some company's context menu extension was poorly or hastily ported from 32-bit.

 

[xcluded]

i got windows explorer crashes as well. It happens everytime when i navigate around the control panel. It is really weird.

Faulting application name: explorer.exe, version: 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5bc60d
Faulting module name: DUI70.dll, version: 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5bda05
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0003d86a
Faulting process id: 0x1098
Faulting application start time: 0x01ca11999a9558e1
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\explorer.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\system32\DUI70.dll
Report Id: 439016c4-7d8d-11de-abe0-000129a50609

Any idea what is causing this?

 

[glmwpg]

No solution here, but getting the same symptoms. Just began today on my laptop. Anytime i right click something it takes anywhere from 3-10 minutes to pull up the context menu. I was reading this thread on my desktop while waiting for the menu to come up and had a look - No programs i've recently installed have added an icon in the main context menu or in "Send To" submenu. Thought Dataman47 was onto something - it is exactly that type of behavior.

Reading through the thread I don't seem to have much as far as similar software goes, aside from also using 7 RTM. I have all updates and can't say I installed any just before this started happening.

Running sfc /scannow and going to have a look at the eventlogs to see what we can figure out.

 

[tgwilt]

I have an interesting variation on this problem.

Installed the RTM version of Home Premium over XP (which of course meant a clean install - used to that, I used to install operatings systems for fun) and now every time I click on a document icon in Explorer such as a .pdf or .txt or .mp3, etc. explorer crashes and will not open the application that would read the file.

If I open the application and open the file from the application, everything works.

It's frustrating to say the least.

All this on an Acer 9410 laptop with the vista drivers.

Tom

 

[Yeodave]

FIX

I had same problem, random Explorer crashes and then everytime I right clicked it would crash again.

I think I read somewherre that it was to do with the Customer Experience Program. I turned this setting off and the crashes went away. Worth a try?

Some people say this is done through a registry edit but this method is far safer. Open Action Center > Change Action Center Settings and under Related Settings choose Customer Experience Improvement Program Settings. Set it to Off.

 

[fseal]

i got windows explorer crashes as well. It happens everytime when i navigate around the control panel. It is really weird.

Faulting application name: explorer.exe, version: 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5bc60d
Faulting module name: DUI70.dll, version: 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5bda05
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0003d86a
Faulting process id: 0x1098
Faulting application start time: 0x01ca11999a9558e1
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\explorer.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\system32\DUI70.dll
Report Id: 439016c4-7d8d-11de-abe0-000129a50609

Any idea what is causing this?

THis is most likely caused by a control panel item for a piece of hardware you installed that is not exact;ly Windows 7 compliant

I've run into the same issue, was fixed by uninstalling the hardware.

It's a shame that explorer crashes though, in this day an age, just because a control panel hands you back a null string when you ask for it is no reason to roll over dead.

As for the others it could be an installed context item issue or a file type association that causes a crash or large delay when certain types of files exist in a folder you are exploring too.

And BTW this is nothing new to 7 in general (though it may seem thatway for specific users). These problems all started with XP SP3 and persisted through Vista. Bad control panels never USED to crash exploerer, having written enough of them and had my fair share of bugs during development, I never used to crash explorer, but now... The Explorer team has got some s'plainin' to do.

 

[crxin]

i have problems with crashing when i have outlook open for an extended period of time. I have reinstalled it serveral times and from different cd's still have a problem.

 

[stewarta13wsb]

Basically I'll be working away on IE8 and suddenly get the 'IE has stopped working' message, then the looking for a solution (that never finds one) and then the restart/close or wait window.

Same with Windows Explorer, and same windows/options. This morning I opened paint, to reduce the size of a pic to email, and one at a time they all 'fell over' - windows explorer first, then paint, then live mail. Didn't have to re-boot, they eventually shut down after graying out for a bit. Sometimes I have to get into task manager to 'kill them'

Windows 7 Ultimate (full system, bought after launch), with MSE, Comodo, Spy Sweeper. I'm back to IE8 since I moved up to 64 with 7, although firefox is still installed (one of the 'other' sites suggested F'fox as a link?)

sfc /scannow found 'no integrity violations' so that's good!
Event viewer didn't show up anything relevant either (actually it listed an alarming number of bits and pieces but I recall from another post that all systems do!)

I still haven't had a repeat with IE8 since (as suggested on another forum) I turned off protected mode - how 'dangerous' is that? Do I really need it switched back on?
As for Windows Explorer, it hasn't done it today

, and as I type I'm scanning with super antispyware - another easy to implement suggestion from another forum.

Any thoughts?

 

[Capt.Jack Sparrow]

For right click causes crashes are most because of Context Menus

To Fix the problem Download ShellExView

The rule is to disable non-Microsoft context menu handlers *one-by-one* and verify if the problem is solved. If disabling one does not solve the problem, undo the disabled item and disable the next non-Microsoft handler. Do the same until the problem is solved and finally identify the culprit. Scroll right to see the Company Name column in ShellExView.

Hope this helps
Captain

 

[fseal]

The best I can suggest atm is try to keep mentally aware of any patters. I.e. (no pun) it happens in certain folders (Folders with avi files in them for example), or certain websites. The patterns can be hard to find though, and can take some time.

I don't think you have to disable protected mode, but if you have ANY plugins in IE disable those. Or any type of av software running, disable them one at a time see if the problem goes away. A lot of av programs get their hooks DEEP into outlook, IE and Explorer...

 

[crxin]

the protected mode isnt that important imo