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 don't have Everest. Still having crashes. The DMP file is at http://cid-7a2a7ac1abe91b30.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/explorer.exe.1588.dmp Andre, please review. Thanks!

Hi, you have a heap corruption in the explorerframe.dll PRIMARY_PROBLEM_CLASS: STATUS_HEAP_CORRUPTION BUGCHECK_STR: APPLICATION_FAULT_STATUS_HEAP_CORRUPTION STACK_TEXT: 00000000 7790d1cd ntdll! ?? ::FNODOBFM:: string'+0x123b4 00000000`777a2c7a kernel32!HeapFree+0xa 000007fe`fc590ad0 comctl32!DSA_Destroy+0x34 000007fe`fa03b6f8 EXPLORERFRAME!DSA_Destroy+0x38 000007fe fa01d1b5 EXPLORERFRAME!CPerfTrackProvider:: scalar deleting destructor'+0x85 000007fe`fa01d11b EXPLORERFRAME!CPerfTrackProvider::Release+0x22 000007fe`fa01d98a EXPLORERFRAME!CShellBrowser::~CShellBrowser+0x360 000007fe fa01d618 EXPLORERFRAME!CShellBrowser:: scalar deleting destructor'+0x14 000007fe`fa01d1f3 EXPLORERFRAME!CShellBrowser::Release+0x25 000007fe`fa01c43a EXPLORERFRAME!CBrowserHost::_Cleanup+0xb6 000007fe`fa01cfa0 EXPLORERFRAME!CBrowserHost::OnBrowserClosed+0x20 000007fe`fa01ca49 EXPLORERFRAME!CShellBrowser::_OnConfirmedClose+0x1f1 000007fe`fa01c8ab EXPLORERFRAME!CShellBrowser::OnClose+0xea 000007fe`fa01c7c2 EXPLORERFRAME!CBrowserHost::OnClose+0x26 000007fe`fa01c783 EXPLORERFRAME!CExplorerFrame::_OnClose+0x84 000007fe`fa01e166 EXPLORERFRAME!CExplorerFrame::v_WndProc+0x106 000007fe`f9fe1368 EXPLORERFRAME!CImpWndProc::s_WndProc+0x91 00000000`7769c3c1 user32!UserCallWinProcCheckWow+0x1ad 00000000`7769a01b user32!DispatchClientMessage+0xc3 00000000`7769a061 user32!_fnDWORD+0x2d 00000000`778efdf5 ntdll!KiUserCallbackDispatcherContinue+0x0 00000000`7769a08a user32!ZwUserMessageCall+0xa 00000000`7769a389 user32!RealDefWindowProcWorker+0xa4 00000000`7769a332 user32!RealDefWindowProcW+0x5a 000007fe`fc25795a uxtheme!DoMsgDefault+0x2a 000007fe`fc27637a uxtheme!OnDwpSysCommand+0x50 000007fe`fc25168e uxtheme!_ThemeDefWindowProc+0x209 000007fe`fc251445 uxtheme!ThemeDefWindowProcW+0x11 00000000`7769b643 user32!DefWindowProcW+0xe6 000007fe`f9ff0971 EXPLORERFRAME!CExplorerFrame::v_WndProc+0xa42 000007fe`f9fe1368 EXPLORERFRAME!CImpWndProc::s_WndProc+0x91 00000000`7769b601 user32!UserCallWinProcCheckWow+0x163 Heap corruptions are very difficult to debug :( I've listed all loaded files and can't see any shellextension form other software creators. Please check your RAM (with memtext86+), if the RAM is ok, contact the MS support and create a PSS Entry and send the dump. André "A programmer is just a tool which converts caffeine into code" CLIP- Stellvertreter http://www.winvistaside.de/

I doubt it is an issue with the RAM because I ran Vista for over a year on that Laptop with 0 (zero!) issues with Explorer crashing. The crashes started the day I did the Clean Install to Windows 7. What is a PSS Entry and who do I send the dump file to? Is that something that requires a Cost to me for availing of Microsoft Support? Thanks. K. Chahal

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/

0 comments

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

2009-12-23T02:32:23+00:00

I don't have Everest.

Still having crashes.

The DMP file is at

http://cid-7a2a7ac1abe91b30.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/explorer.exe.1588.dmp

Andre, please review. Thanks!
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Anonymous

2009-12-23T14:37:30+00:00

Hi,

you have a heap corruption in the explorerframe.dll

PRIMARY_PROBLEM_CLASS: STATUS_HEAP_CORRUPTION

BUGCHECK_STR: APPLICATION_FAULT_STATUS_HEAP_CORRUPTION

STACK_TEXT:

000000007790d1cd ntdll! ?? ::FNODOBFM::string'+0x123b4

00000000`777a2c7a kernel32!HeapFree+0xa

000007fe`fc590ad0 comctl32!DSA_Destroy+0x34

000007fe`fa03b6f8 EXPLORERFRAME!DSA_Destroy+0x38

000007fefa01d1b5 EXPLORERFRAME!CPerfTrackProvider::scalar deleting destructor'+0x85

000007fe`fa01d11b EXPLORERFRAME!CPerfTrackProvider::Release+0x22

000007fe`fa01d98a EXPLORERFRAME!CShellBrowser::~CShellBrowser+0x360

000007fefa01d618 EXPLORERFRAME!CShellBrowser::scalar deleting destructor'+0x14

000007fe`fa01d1f3 EXPLORERFRAME!CShellBrowser::Release+0x25

000007fe`fa01c43a EXPLORERFRAME!CBrowserHost::_Cleanup+0xb6

000007fe`fa01cfa0 EXPLORERFRAME!CBrowserHost::OnBrowserClosed+0x20

000007fe`fa01ca49 EXPLORERFRAME!CShellBrowser::_OnConfirmedClose+0x1f1

000007fe`fa01c8ab EXPLORERFRAME!CShellBrowser::OnClose+0xea

000007fe`fa01c7c2 EXPLORERFRAME!CBrowserHost::OnClose+0x26

000007fe`fa01c783 EXPLORERFRAME!CExplorerFrame::_OnClose+0x84

000007fe`fa01e166 EXPLORERFRAME!CExplorerFrame::v_WndProc+0x106

000007fe`f9fe1368 EXPLORERFRAME!CImpWndProc::s_WndProc+0x91

00000000`7769c3c1 user32!UserCallWinProcCheckWow+0x1ad

00000000`7769a01b user32!DispatchClientMessage+0xc3

00000000`7769a061 user32!_fnDWORD+0x2d

00000000`778efdf5 ntdll!KiUserCallbackDispatcherContinue+0x0

00000000`7769a08a user32!ZwUserMessageCall+0xa

00000000`7769a389 user32!RealDefWindowProcWorker+0xa4

00000000`7769a332 user32!RealDefWindowProcW+0x5a

000007fe`fc25795a uxtheme!DoMsgDefault+0x2a

000007fe`fc27637a uxtheme!OnDwpSysCommand+0x50

000007fe`fc25168e uxtheme!_ThemeDefWindowProc+0x209

000007fe`fc251445 uxtheme!ThemeDefWindowProcW+0x11

00000000`7769b643 user32!DefWindowProcW+0xe6

000007fe`f9ff0971 EXPLORERFRAME!CExplorerFrame::v_WndProc+0xa42

000007fe`f9fe1368 EXPLORERFRAME!CImpWndProc::s_WndProc+0x91

00000000`7769b601 user32!UserCallWinProcCheckWow+0x163

Heap corruptions are very difficult to debug :(

I've listed all loaded files and can't see any shellextension form other software creators.

Please check your RAM (with memtext86+), if the RAM is ok, contact the MS support and create a PSS Entry and send the dump.

André

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

2009-12-23T17:54:46+00:00

I doubt it is an issue with the RAM because I ran Vista for over a year on that Laptop with 0 (zero!) issues with Explorer crashing. The crashes started the day I did the Clean Install to Windows 7.

What is a PSS Entry and who do I send the dump file to? Is that something that requires a Cost to me for availing of Microsoft Support?

Thanks.

K. Chahal
Was this answer helpful?

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