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 uninstalled 64 Bit and Installed 32 Bit version of Windows 7. Problem gone. That is not a fix. That is a work around with many disabilities.

I have tried countless fixes for my Windows 7 Explorer not working and have found no solution. The internet is flooded with similar Windows 7 problems and the proposed MS solutions blame the problem on everything from a virus/malware to a software conflict with other programs to a problem with the PC. In other words, it could be anything except Windows 7 OS. MS's position on this problem reminds me of the "Peter principle", where individuals will be promoted to the point where they are no longer capable of doing the work. MS has developed two consecutive OS's (Vista and 7), which are so complex that no one @ MS is capable of understanding the problems let alone developing a solution. And this is not meant to disparage MS support engineers. Windows 7 is roughly equivalent to building an auto, which requires a rocket scientist to fix. Windows 7 has effectively blocked access to my hard drive and made my PC a large paperweight.

99% of the Explorer crashes are caused by 3rd party tools, NOT by Microsoft Programs. Give me the crash dump and I can help you. "A programmer is just a tool which converts caffeine into code" CLIP- Stellvertreter http://www.winvistaside.de/

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

2010-10-22T00:33:46+00:00

I uninstalled 64 Bit and Installed 32 Bit version of Windows 7. Problem gone.

That is not a fix. That is a work around with many disabilities.
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Anonymous

2010-10-28T20:46:53+00:00

I have tried countless fixes for my Windows 7 Explorer not working and have found no solution.

The internet is flooded with similar Windows 7 problems and the proposed MS solutions blame the problem on everything from a virus/malware to a software conflict with other programs to a problem with the PC. In other words, it could be anything except Windows 7 OS.

MS's position on this problem reminds me of the "Peter principle", where individuals will be promoted to the point where they are no longer capable of doing the work.

MS has developed two consecutive OS's (Vista and 7), which are so complex that no one @ MS is capable of understanding the problems let alone developing a solution. And this is not meant to disparage MS support engineers.

Windows 7 is roughly equivalent to building an auto, which requires a rocket scientist to fix.

Windows 7 has effectively blocked access to my hard drive and made my PC a large paperweight.
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Anonymous

2010-10-28T20:59:26+00:00

99% of the Explorer crashes are caused by 3rd party tools, NOT by Microsoft Programs. Give me the crash dump and I can help you.

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