Windows 7 64 Bit Pro Explorer (explorer.exe) keeps crashing and restarting randomly. This happens several times a day and its quite annoying. Sometimes happens when I search for files, sometimes when I click on an Program Icon, Sometimes when I open a folder and sometimes for no apparent reason. My Install was a Clean Install and I have had this issues from day 1. I have tried several “solutions” including Copying Explorer.exe from the Wow64 folder to System32 folder, fixing the SQM issue, Changing registry settings, Running sfc, Defragging my HDs Scanning for Viruses and Malware (using Multiple fully updated AV programs). Updating Windows and Drivers etc. etc. Nothing seems to work. I don't want to reinstall the entire OS if I will have these problems again. Please Help! Thanks. K. Chahal

A not-dissimilar situation has shown up in a couple different places, related to the nVidia M series video adapters. Apparently they have a mechanism whereby they flip in and out of high-performance mode depending on what's being demanded by currently running software. The problem is that in certain situations this switch can happen several times within a few milliseconds and create problems for Windows. (I've only seen this come up in relation to 64-bit versions.) The fix, copied from an OCZ forum, came courtesy of Winston Smith: Update Driver Download and install the latest NVIDIA driver from here . RivaTuner Download and install RivaTuner from here . Magic Open RivaTuner and switch to the "Power User" tab. Expand the "RivaTuner\NVIDIA\Overclocking" Tree. Set "EnablePerfLevelForcing" to 1. Switch to the "Main" tab. Under "Driver settings" click on the small arrow left to "Customize..." and choose the first icon "System settings". Set "Force constant performance level" to either "low power 3D" (suffient for 2D audio work) or "performance 3D" (used for 3D gaming). Click OK and let the computer restart. I would start with step 1, update the driver, then if the problem persists download RivaTuner and continue from there. This even handles a problem of Windows 7 x64 (or Vista x64) freezing completely under certain circumstances on the MacBook.

Hi, are you using Mozilla Firefox 3.5.x? if yes, disable the private browsing feature! Firefox causes the explorer crash. This is fixed in Firefox source code and will be part of the next Firefox 3.5 Updates. André "A programmer is just a tool which converts caffeine into code" CLIP- Stellvertreter http://www.winvistaside.de/

This is still happening. Microsoft where are you !! Ignoring this issue won't make the problem go away (just google Explorer.exe crashes in Windows 7). This must be fixed.

Update Explorer did not crash on Safe Mode. But that might not mean anything because the problem is random and intermittent to begin with and I only spent 45 minutes or so on it. Tried Clean Boot following instructions and Explorer still crashes. Unfortunately no Problem/Error message is displayed (bad Bug/Error trapping). Google on "Windows 7 64 bit and Explorer crash" gets me dozens of hits. This seems to be a common problem. When will Microsoft accept and fix this issue! The specs. of my Laptop are Microprocessor 1.9 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology TL-58 Microprocessor Cache 512KB+512KB L2 cache Memory 2048 MB DDR2 (2 Dimm) Video Graphics NVIDIA GeForce Go 7150M (UMA) Video Memory Up to 559MB Hard Drive 240 GB (5400 RPM) Dual HDD - 120 GB + 120 GB(SATA) Multimedia Drive LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVD±RW with Double Layer Support Display 17.0" WXGA+ High-Definition BrightView Widescreen Display (1440 x 900) Fax/Modem High speed 56k modem Network Card Integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector) Wireless Connectivity 802.11b/g WLAN Sound Altec Lansing Keyboard 101-key compatible; Notebook keyboard with scroll bar and integrated numeric keypad; 2 Quick Launch Buttons-HP Quick Play Menu and DVD Pointing Device Touch Pad with On/Off button and dedicated vertical scroll Up/Down pad PC Card Slots 1 ExpressCard/54 Slot (also supports ExpressCard/34) External Ports 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader* for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards 4 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 2 Headphone out 1 microphone-in 1 VGA (15-pin) 1 TV-Out (S-video) 1 RJ-11 (modem) 1 RJ -45 (LAN) 1 notebook expansion port 3 1 IEEE 1394 Firewire (4-pin) 1 Consumer IR Dimensions 15.16 (L) X 11.22" (W) X 1.65"(H) Weight 7.7lbs Security Kensington MicroSaver lock slot Power-on password Accepts 3rd party security lock devices Power 90W AC Adapter 8-Cell Lithium-Ion battery

Windows 7 64 Bit Pro Explorer (explorer.exe) keeps crashing and restarting randomly.

Anonymous

Windows 7 64 Bit Pro Explorer (explorer.exe) keeps crashing and restarting randomly. This happens several times a day and its quite annoying. Sometimes happens when I search for files, sometimes when I click on an Program Icon, Sometimes when I open a folder and sometimes for no apparent reason.

My Install was a Clean Install and I have had this issues from day 1.

I have tried several “solutions” including

Copying Explorer.exe from the Wow64 folder to System32 folder,
fixing the SQM issue,
Changing registry settings,
Running sfc,
Defragging my HDs
Scanning for Viruses and Malware (using Multiple fully updated AV programs).
Updating Windows and Drivers
etc. etc.

Nothing seems to work. I don't want to reinstall the entire OS if I will have these problems again. Please Help!

Thanks.

K. Chahal

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

You have a Heap Corruption in Shell32.dll

Please run ShellExView and disable all Shellextension which are NOT from Micrososoft. Does the crash still occur? If not, enable the extension successively until you find the one which crahes the explorer.

André

"A programmer is just a tool which converts caffeine into code" CLIP- Stellvertreter http://www.winvistaside.de/

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

A not-dissimilar situation has shown up in a couple different places, related to the nVidia M series video adapters. Apparently they have a mechanism whereby they flip in and out of high-performance mode depending on what's being demanded by currently running software. The problem is that in certain situations this switch can happen several times within a few milliseconds and create problems for Windows. (I've only seen this come up in relation to 64-bit versions.) The fix, copied from an OCZ forum, came courtesy of Winston Smith:

Update Driver

Download and install the latest NVIDIA driver from here .

RivaTuner

Download and install RivaTuner from here .

Magic

Open RivaTuner and switch to the "Power User" tab.
Expand the "RivaTuner\NVIDIA\Overclocking" Tree.
Set "EnablePerfLevelForcing" to 1.
Switch to the "Main" tab.
Under "Driver settings" click on the small arrow left to "Customize..." and choose the first icon "System settings".
Set "Force constant performance level" to either "low power 3D" (suffient for 2D audio work) or "performance 3D" (used for 3D gaming).
Click OK and let the computer restart.

I would start with step 1, update the driver, then if the problem persists download RivaTuner and continue from there.

This even handles a problem of Windows 7 x64 (or Vista x64) freezing completely under certain circumstances on the MacBook.

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72 additional answers

Anonymous

2009-12-21T15:12:29+00:00

Hi,

are you using Mozilla Firefox 3.5.x? if yes, disable the private browsing feature! Firefox causes the explorer crash. This is fixed in Firefox source code and will be part of the next Firefox 3.5 Updates.

André

"A programmer is just a tool which converts caffeine into code" CLIP- Stellvertreter http://www.winvistaside.de/
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Anonymous

2009-12-20T19:23:13+00:00

This is still happening. Microsoft where are you !! Ignoring this issue won't make the problem go away (just google Explorer.exe crashes in Windows 7). This must be fixed.
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Anonymous

2009-12-07T23:31:16+00:00

Update

Explorer did not crash on Safe Mode. But that might not mean anything because the problem is random and intermittent to begin with and I only spent 45 minutes or so on it.

Tried Clean Boot following instructions and Explorer still crashes.

Unfortunately no Problem/Error message is displayed (bad Bug/Error trapping).

Google on "Windows 7 64 bit and Explorer crash" gets me dozens of hits. This seems to be a common problem.

When will Microsoft accept and fix this issue!

The specs. of my Laptop are

Microprocessor 1.9 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology TL-58

Microprocessor Cache 512KB+512KB L2 cache

Memory 2048 MB DDR2 (2 Dimm)

Video Graphics NVIDIA GeForce Go 7150M (UMA)

Video Memory Up to 559MB

Hard Drive 240 GB (5400 RPM) Dual HDD - 120 GB + 120 GB(SATA)

Multimedia Drive LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVD±RW with Double Layer Support

Display 17.0" WXGA+ High-Definition BrightView Widescreen Display (1440 x 900)

Fax/Modem High speed 56k modem

Network Card Integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)

Wireless Connectivity 802.11b/g WLAN

Sound Altec Lansing

Keyboard 101-key compatible; Notebook keyboard with scroll bar and integrated numeric keypad; 2 Quick Launch Buttons-HP Quick Play Menu and DVD

Pointing Device Touch Pad with On/Off button and dedicated vertical scroll Up/Down pad

PC Card Slots 1 ExpressCard/54 Slot (also supports ExpressCard/34)

External Ports 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader* for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards

4 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0

2 Headphone out

1 microphone-in

1 VGA (15-pin)

1 TV-Out (S-video)

1 RJ-11 (modem)

1 RJ -45 (LAN)

1 notebook expansion port 3

1 IEEE 1394 Firewire (4-pin)

1 Consumer IR

Dimensions 15.16 (L) X 11.22" (W) X 1.65"(H)

Weight 7.7lbs

Security Kensington MicroSaver lock slot

Power-on password

Accepts 3rd party security lock devices

Power 90W AC Adapter

8-Cell Lithium-Ion battery
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