There are multiple instances of explorer.exe running in task manager (currently 7), each one using between 10-40MB of memory.

Anonymous
2009-11-03T00:15:23+00:00

Different explorer.exe processes are using cpu resources at different times.  I remember reading a while back that this could be a sign of a virus, but I've done a full scan with NIS 2010 and nothing showed up.  Can anyone give me pointers where to start investigating?

I did a clean install of Windows 7 last Friday -formatted HDD and all, so there hasn't been much time for anything bad to happen!

<Original title - There are multiple instances of explorer.exe running in task manager (currently 7), each one using between 10-40MB of memory.  I've never seen this in any previous version, and it doesn't look right to me. >

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Anonymous
2010-10-02T01:12:12+00:00

I found out what is causing the explorer.exe's to hang... If you give ANY arguments to explorer.exe in your shortcut/properties, to try to change the default directory from Libraries, it will hang.  For example, simply using "explorer.exe C:" will cause explorer task to hang whent you close it... by hang, i mean the window closes, but the process remains in memory.  I had 15 explorer.exe's tonight....  There are tips on the net about how to get explorer to default to My Computer (which I was using this tip -- i HATE it defaulting to Libraries which i NEVER use)..... so edit your shortcut, and take off any arguments to explorer.exe.  See if this fixes it!

As expected , the tech support is clueless on this I see.

PS -- I just figured out how to default Explorer to My Computer... Its weird, but it works...  Rightclick drag your My Computer icon on the desktop over to a blank space.  Create a shortcut....  Now unpin any Windows Explorer you have from your Taskbar... Now, left-click drag your My Computer shortcut to the taskbar.    Now, if you just click this, you go to Libraries.... BUT -- if instead you right-click it, you will see the My Computer shortcut, and select this, and it goes to My Computer.... and there are never any EXTRA explorer.exe's hanging around!

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-09-01T15:36:47+00:00

    There is a bug in Firefox - when you tell firefox to open containing folder of a file in the download directory, it spins a new instance of explorer.exe -

    James

    There are many applications that, like Firefox, give you the option of opening a directory used by them. These will always spawn a new instance of explorer.exe.

    For the most part, each instance will terminate shortly after the corresponding window is closed. The problem at hand is that once in awhile, an instance refuses to close, and is even non-stoppable using the usual mechanisms one would use to terminate a process. Also, explorer.exe is not the only process that occasionally hangs.

    What gets me, is that even though people have been complaining about hung processes for a couple of years in various posts, I started to have this problem only in the last week or so. Maybe it's time to roll back and see what I install/change that triggers this problem.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-04-17T01:27:00+00:00

     I found out what is causing the explorer.exe's to hang... If you give ANY arguments to explorer.exe in your shortcut/properties, to try to change the default directory from Libraries, it will hang... See if this fixes it!

    PS -- I just figured out how to default Explorer to My Computer... and there are never any EXTRA explorer.exe's hanging around!  

    I had to come back here to the forum this evening after reading it this morning. I created an account -- just to thank you for the solution to this problem. So -- thanks!

    I used to have a single explorer.exe running; then I began using C:\ as a command line argument because I hated defaulting to Libraries since I rarely if ever use it, but I never made the connection.

    So now I laugh!  because plain ole Computer does the what I want, a nice clean Explorer (just plain Computer, not your way). Been using PCs since 1981, Windows since 1985 and didn't realize what Computer was good for. Duh...

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-12-18T17:26:31+00:00

    This worked for me too. Finally a solution.

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  4. Anonymous
    2009-11-04T01:39:05+00:00

    Hello Lynnd1971

    Welcome to Microsoft Answers Forum!

    The multiple explorer.exe which are visible in your taskbar manager. It  is not a sign of virus. There are programs which are running in the background, once you close any program it disappears by default.

    Difference between explorer exe and iexplorer.exe

    The explorer frame is capable of browsing the file system (My Computer, c:, etc) as well as the Internet.  iexplore.exe starts Internet Explorer, which is the explorer frame browsing the Internet, with all the correct buttons and other UI elements.  explore.exe starts the shell the first time it is run.  If you run explorer.exe again, by doing something like Start->Run->explorer.exe->OK, it launches a file system view with all the corresponding buttons and widgets. 

    You may also run an online virus scan on the computer to improve your system performance. Please refer the link below:

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

    For additional information about system performance, please refer to the links below:

    http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Improve-performance-by-defragmenting-your-hard-disk

    http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Start-Disk-Cleanup

    I hope that this information helps. Please get back to us if you have any more questions about this issue.

    Thanks and Regards

    Mir - Microsoft Answers Support EngineerVisit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think

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