Windows Explorer in Windows 7 keeps crashing and restarting

Anonymous
2009-11-26T02:42:50+00:00

It happens at random times...but conveniently after a Windows update. I'll be looking up a file...or trying to delete a file, then all of a sudden, i see the little progress bar thing and it's closing Explorer, then that goes away and another one shows up saying "Restarting Windows Explorer"...I've ran a few virus scans in case it's a virus...but I don't think that's the case.

Oh and I noticed that a lot of the problems reported were from people that upgraded to Windows 7...my laptop is a new computer that came pre-loaded with Windows 7.

Anyone else in my shoes? Does anyone know if Microsoft is working on this issue?

*original title - Windows Explorer in Windows 7 keeps crashing...then trying to restart...anyone else have that problem? Anyone know if Microsoft is working on an update or something to fix it?*

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

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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Anonymous
2010-01-15T17:15:30+00:00

Just in case you haven't fixed this issue yet. I had the exact same problem and found a pretty fast and painless solution. I can't tell you why it was happening, but the fix worked. And it didn't involve disabling my video card drivers (make NO sense, doing this would pretty much make your video card useless...not an option for me when I bought a $600 video card).

Navigate to this folder (assuming your Windows is installed on your C:\ drive):

C:\Windows <- Inside this folder you should find the file "explorer.exe". Select that and press "CTRL+C" (this will copy the file, do NOT cut, just copy).

Then paste the copied file into:

C:\Windows\System32

And like magic, no more explorer crashing :). Hope that helps!

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Anonymous
2009-11-27T01:08:13+00:00

Hi SonyBoy_Fusion,Welcome to Microsoft Windows 7 Answers Forum! 

Method 1

Please check whether you face the same issue while working in the safe mode.

Step 1 Safe Mode

  1. Restart your computer.
  2. When the computer starts you will see your computer's hardware being listed. When you see this information start to gently tap the F8 key on your keyboard repeatedly until you are presented with the Windows 7 Advanced Boot Options screen.
  3. Using the arrow keys, select the Safe Mode option you want.
  4. Then press the enter key on your keyboard to boot into Windows 7 Safe Mode.
  5. When Windows starts you will be at a typical logon screen. Logon to your computer and Windows 7 will enter Safe mode.
  6. Do whatever tasks you require, and when you are done, reboot to go back into normal mode.

Steps 2. Clean Boot

If the issue existed in Safe Mode perform Clean Boot troubleshooting to find the root cause of  the issue:

Clean Boot Troubleshooting:

  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.

If the issue is resolved check which third party is causing the problem, referring the link given below:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135

  1. Also you need to uninstall and reinstall the problem software on your computer.

Reset the computer to start as usual  

  1. After you have finished troubleshooting, follow these steps to reset the computer to start as usual:

Click Start, type msconfig.exe in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER. 

  1. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Continue. On the General tab, click the Normal Startup option, and then click OK.  
  2. When you are prompted to restart the computer, click Restart.

**Method 2.**I would also recommend you to run online Virus Scan to remove any infections, if present.

Follow the link below to run the free online scan:

http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htm

The following thread discusses about removing viruses and malware online:

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistasecurity/thread/ba80504b-61f1-4d71-960f-b561798b7b42

Hope it helps. 

Thanks and Regards:

**Shekhar S - Microsoft Support.**Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-12-05T16:41:45+00:00

    Great solution it worked for me .....

             I disabled nvidia's experience service and problem solved :D

    @ Microsoft 

            Please give pictorial solution ... we are not PhD in computers ( i am instrumentation engg) .... thank you for windows 7 ...

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-11-11T14:42:26+00:00

    Ok, I've done a lot over the last couple of days.  I didn't want to post until I had succeeded in some manner or another.  I went to the Microsoft Techs and have been trying things with them.

    Something I've been doing a lot of lately is downloading and working with various media files through RealPlayer.  I did some checking into the "Reliability Logs" in the 'Action Center', which can be found in the 'Control Panel'.  You go to the 'Maintenance" section and click on 'View Reliability History'.  The next screen you come to has a graph with vertical sections for the days.  You can see any or none of 3 icons - a red circle with an X (for 'Critical Events', a yellow triangle with an exclamation point (for "Warnings"), and a blue circle with an "i" in it (for Informational Events).  Choose the day that things have been going on, the restarts or shut downs or whatever.  Click to highlight the vertical column corresponding with the day and look down in the box below.  It will list the events that have occurred in order.  Click on "View Technical Details" to get the tech stuff.  Glance through it.  Even if you can't understand most of it, something might stand out to you.  In my case, it was "Real Player".  I started checking the history from other days and found the same errors.  Therefore, it had to be related to the Real Player.

    I installed, uninstalled, reinstalled, updated, petted and cooed at the Real Player program trying to get it to work right.  No luck.  I sent the tech info to the lady who was helping at Microsoft, and she confirmed that it was the Real Player.  I finally gave up and sent her a report back as to whether the uninstall and install had worked, and asked if there was another media program that I could get that would do what Real Player does and that at this point, I'd be happy to pay for it.  I have yet to get a response; HOWEVER, I accidentally came across something else in my exploring!!

    I ran into a section of reports in "Control Panel" -- "Administrative Tools" --  "Event Viewer" in the "Summary of Administrative Events" window.  I did a right click on the "Warnings" section and chose "View All Instances of This Event".   I had to have sat here for an hour or so before my very slow brain started realizing a commonality. 

    Underneath the header "Source" I found the title "User Profile Service", the "Event ID" was '1530', and the 'Task Category' was 'None'.

    All of these made the same comments in regard to a registry error.  Registry leaked.  Or was still in use by other apps.  Here is a copy of the details on mine.

    """""""Windows detected your registry file is still in use by other applications or services. The file will be unloaded now. The applications or services that hold your registry file may not function properly afterwards. 

     DETAIL -

     5 user registry handles leaked from \Registry\User\S-1-5-21-956409622-4081334785-806588618-1000:

    Process 524 (\Device\HarddiskVolume2\Windows\System32\lsass.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-956409622-4081334785-806588618-1000

    Process 524 (\Device\HarddiskVolume2\Windows\System32\lsass.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-956409622-4081334785-806588618-1000

    Process 524 (\Device\HarddiskVolume2\Windows\System32\lsass.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-956409622-4081334785-806588618-1000\Software\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\My

    Process 524 (\Device\HarddiskVolume2\Windows\System32\lsass.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-956409622-4081334785-806588618-1000\Software\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\CA

    Process 524 (\Device\HarddiskVolume2\Windows\System32\lsass.exe) has opened key \REGISTRY\USER\S-1-5-21-956409622-4081334785-806588618-1000\Software\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\Disallowed   """""""

    I still don't really understand what most of it means, but it did say to me that something was going on with the registry.

    I've got TuneUp Utilities and it found no problems.  I wasn't satisfied.  The error reports were right there!

    I used to use Uniblue Registry Booster till I upgraded.  I figured TuneUp did the same thing so why have both?  So, I put Uniblue back on and ran it....it found 756 errors in the registry!!!  It ran its fix and...I haven't had any trouble since then!

    I've still got Real Player and I've been doing everything I could to get windows explorer to restart on me, but it hasn't done so!

    So...I'm not saying it's your registry, but I am saying take a look in those spots I outlined and see if anything is said about the registry or about a program you recognize.  If so, that should point you in the right direction and give you a much better idea as to what is really going on!!

    The 'Libraries' function correctly now...everything does.  It's at least worth a try!

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-11-11T10:32:47+00:00

    Oooh, sorry I didnt' get back.  I had visitors for ever, lol.

    WC000111, thanks for reply, hun.  I'm going to give that a try as this is still driving me mad.

    I ended up paying £23 for a bit of software that said it could fix it and did it?  Nope!  Ripped off, again, lol.

    I'm a bit concerned about shifting things around as I'm still not used to this system, but will give it a go later anyway.  In for a penny and all that.....

    Will make a note of your link too, xerosx.  Thanks for that.

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