Windows 8 Explorer.exe keeps crashing and restarting

Hi Sankaranand,

Thank you for the post. I am sorry to hear that explorer.exe keeps crashing and restarting on Windows 8 Pro.

I can imagine the inconvenience you have experienced. I will definitely help you with this.

I would suggest you to try these steps and check if it helps.

Disconnect all the external devices (printers, scanner, USB (universal serial bus) drives, etc...) except mouse and the keyboard and then boot up.

Method 1: Safe Mode

Let’s boot from the Windows 8 DVD and login in Safe Mode

a. Boot from Windows 8 Release Preview DVD.

b. After you see a Choose an Option, click on ‘Troubleshoot’.

c. Now click on **‘Advanced Options’**and then on ‘Windows Startup Settings’.

d. Use your arrow keys to go to ‘Safe Mode’ and hit enter.

Check if you face the same issue in safe mode. If the issue doesn’t persists in safe mode, the place the computer in clean boot and check.

Step 1: Clean Boot

a.       Press the ‘Windows + R’ key on the keyboard.

b.      In the ‘Run’ windows type ’MSCONFIG’ and click ‘Ok’.

c.       Click the ‘Boot’ tab and uncheck ‘Safe Boot’ option.

d.      On the ‘General’ tab, click to select the option ‘Selective startup’, and then click to clear the option Load startup items check box.

e.       On the ‘Services’ tab, click to select the ‘Hide all Microsoft services’ check box, and then click ‘Disable all’.

f.       On the ‘StartUp’ tab, click ‘Open Task Manager’. In the Task Manager windowunder startup tab, right click on each startup item which are enabled and select ‘Disable’.

g.       Click ‘OK’, and then click Restart.

Step 2: Enable half of the services

**a.**Follow steps 1a and 1b to start the System Configuration utility.

b.      Click the Services tab, and then click to select the Hide all Microsoft services check box.

c.       Click to select half of the check boxes in the Service list.

d.      Click OK, and then click Restart.

Step 3: Determine whether the problem returns

If the problem still occurs, repeat step 1 and step 2. In step 2, click to clear half of the check boxes that you originally selected in the Service list.

If the problem does not occur, repeat step 1 and step 2. In step 2, select only half of the remaining check boxes that are cleared in the Service list. Repeat these steps until you have selected all the check boxes.

If only one service is selected in the Service list, and you still experience the problem, the selected service causes the problem. Go to step 6. If no service causes this problem, go to step 4.

Step 4: Enable half of the Startup items

If no startup item causes this problem, a Microsoft service most likely causes the problem. To determine which Microsoft service may be causing the problem, repeat step 1 and step 2 without selecting the Hide all Microsoft services check box in either step.

Step 5: Determine whether the problem returns

If the problem still occurs, repeat step 1 and step 4. In step 4, click to clear half of the check boxes that you originally selected in the Startup Item list.

If the problem does not occur, repeat step 1 and step 4. In step 4, select only half of the remaining check boxes that are cleared in the Startup Item list. Repeat these steps until you have selected all the check boxes.

If only one startup item is selected in the Startup Item list, and you still experience the problem, the startup item that is selected in the list is the service that is causing the problem. Go to step 6.

If no startup item causes this problem, a Microsoft service most likely causes the problem. To determine which Microsoft service may be causing the problem, repeat step 1 and step 2 without selecting the Hide all Microsoft services check box in either step.

Step 6: Resolve the problem

After you determine the startup item or the service that causes the problem, contact the program manufacturer to determine whether the problem can be resolved. Or, run the System Configuration utility, and then click to clear the check box for the problem item.

Step 7:

Note: After you have finished troubleshooting, follow these steps to boot to normal startup.

1.      Press the ‘Windows + R’ key on the keyboard.

2.      In the ‘Run’ windows type ’MSCONFIG’ and click ‘Ok’.

3.      On the ‘General’ tab, click the ‘Normal Startup’ option, and then click ‘OK’.

4.      When you are prompted to restart the computer, click ‘Restart’.

For more information, visit the following link.

Windows hangs or freezes

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2681286

Hope it helps. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to let us know. We will be glad to help you further.

Thank you.