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.

In the process of all of this I believe I've stumbled across the solution to my issue. The software in question (Maxwell) installs an add-in into Microsoft Outlook. I did not see how an Outlook add-in could have any bearing on a Windows Explorer error, but for good measure I disabled the add-in on two of the six workstations. Since that time those two workstations have not experienced the Explorer crash. Hi Roger, nice to hear that you fixed it. It looks like that the Office Addin is a 32Bit addon which is not good on a 64Bit Windows 7. "A programmer is just a tool which converts caffeine into code" CLIP- Stellvertreter http://www.winvistaside.de/

We have also found Maxwell to be the issue but I had not thought to disable the Outlook Add-in (like you I didn't see a connection). I have been working on this for the last 6 months with little response from Maxwell. I just found out that they are referencing this thread as there being a problem. I have disabled the add-in above for a handful of our users and will monitor it over the next couple of days to see if there is any changes. Hope this take care of it, my mystique as an IT guy has taken a serious hit over it.

Hi Joe, I hope the Outlook fix works for you. Myself and another Maxwell user who has used this board have been in contact with Maxwell regarding this and they have now opened a case to look into this specific issue. Fortunately my users don't use the Outlook add-in so disabling it has been an acceptable fix in our situation. Roger

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

2010-12-03T17:12:58+00:00

In the process of all of this I believe I've stumbled across the solution to my issue. The software in question (Maxwell) installs an add-in into Microsoft Outlook. I did not see how an Outlook add-in could have any bearing on a Windows Explorer error, but for good measure I disabled the add-in on two of the six workstations. Since that time those two workstations have not experienced the Explorer crash.

Hi Roger, nice to hear that you fixed it. It looks like that the Office Addin is a 32Bit addon which is not good on a 64Bit Windows 7.

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

2010-12-15T23:00:21+00:00

We have also found Maxwell to be the issue but I had not thought to disable the Outlook Add-in (like you I didn't see a connection). I have been working on this for the last 6 months with little response from Maxwell. I just found out that they are referencing this thread as there being a problem. I have disabled the add-in above for a handful of our users and will monitor it over the next couple of days to see if there is any changes. Hope this take care of it, my mystique as an IT guy has taken a serious hit over it.
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Anonymous

2010-12-20T13:23:48+00:00

Hi Joe,

I hope the Outlook fix works for you. Myself and another Maxwell user who has used this board have been in contact with Maxwell regarding this and they have now opened a case to look into this specific issue. Fortunately my users don't use the Outlook add-in so disabling it has been an acceptable fix in our situation.

Roger
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