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.

I hope this isn't a totally stupid response (meaning one you already tried), but I had this happen twice. Both times I simply rebooted my PC and it went away. Just making sure you tried that and/or turning it off and back on. I could not make this issue go away as long as I stayed logged in. T

Hi K. Chahal, Welcome to Microsoft answers. · May I know the specifications of the computer? You may make the note of the error message by following the steps below: i. Restart the computer ii. Start tapping F8 key iii. You will get advanced boot option window iv. Select “Disable Automatic Restart”. Now make a note of error message and provide the same. Since you have tried all the possible steps which might have helped you to fix the issue, the last step that I would suggest is that you boot the computer in Safe Mode with Networking and check if explorer crashes on the computer, safe mode starts Windows with a limited set of files and drivers. Startup programs do not run in safe mode, and only the basic drivers needed to start Windows are installed, follow the steps to boot the computer in safe mode: i. Restart the computer ii. Start tapping F8 key iii. You will get advanced boot option window iv. Select the option “Safe mode”. If the explorer is not crashing on the computer, then you may have to perform clean boot on the computer, you can start Windows 7 by using a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. This kind of startup is known as a "clean boot." A clean boot helps eliminate software conflicts. Steps to perform clean boot and check if you have the issue. Click Start, type msconfig in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER. User Account Control permission:If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue. On the General tab, click Selective Startup. Under Selective Startup, click to clear the Load Startup Items check box. Click the Services tab, click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box, and then click Disable All. Click OK. When you are prompted, click Restart. After the computer starts, check whether the problem is resolved. After you determine the startup item or the service that causes the problem, contact the program manufacturer to determine whether the problem can be resolved. Or, run the System Configuration Utility, and then click to clear the check box for the problem item. Note: Please ensure that the computer is set to start as usual by following the step 7 from the article: How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows7: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135 . If the issue still persists, then I suggest that you contact the computer manufacturer for further assistance. Swathi B Microsoft Support. Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.

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

2009-12-02T00:32:31+00:00
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
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Anonymous

2009-12-02T20:20:49+00:00

I hope this isn't a totally stupid response (meaning one you already tried), but I had this happen twice. Both times I simply rebooted my PC and it went away. Just making sure you tried that and/or turning it off and back on. I could not make this issue go away as long as I stayed logged in.

T
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Anonymous

2009-12-02T22:59:05+00:00
Hi K. Chahal,

Welcome to Microsoft answers.

· May I know the specifications of the computer?

You may make the note of the error message by following the steps below:

i. Restart the computer

ii. Start tapping F8 key

iii. You will get advanced boot option window

iv. Select “Disable Automatic Restart”.

Now make a note of error message and provide the same.

Since you have tried all the possible steps which might have helped you to fix the issue, the last step that I would suggest is that you boot the computer in Safe Mode with Networking and check if explorer crashes on the computer, safe mode starts Windows with a limited set of files and drivers. Startup programs do not run in safe mode, and only the basic drivers needed to start Windows are installed, follow the steps to boot the computer in safe mode:

i. Restart the computer

ii. Start tapping F8 key

iii. You will get advanced boot option window

iv. Select the option “Safe mode”.

If the explorer is not crashing on the computer, then you may have to perform clean boot on the computer, you can start Windows 7 by using a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. This kind of startup is known as a "clean boot." A clean boot helps eliminate software conflicts.

Steps to perform clean boot and check if you have the issue.
1. Click Start, type msconfig in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
User Account Control permission:If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.
1. On the General tab, click Selective Startup.
2. Under Selective Startup, click to clear the Load Startup Items check box.
3. Click the Services tab, click to select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box, and then click Disable All.
4. Click OK.
5. When you are prompted, click Restart.
6. After the computer starts, check whether the problem is resolved.
After you determine the startup item or the service that causes the problem, contact the program manufacturer to determine whether the problem can be resolved. Or, run the System Configuration Utility, and then click to clear the check box for the problem item.

Note: Please ensure that the computer is set to start as usual by following the step 7 from the article: How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows7:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135.

If the issue still persists, then I suggest that you contact the computer manufacturer for further assistance.

Swathi B
- Microsoft Support.
Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forumand let us know what you think.
Was this answer helpful?

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