Explorer.exe closes down with .flv

[Socialoutcast]

Hi this is my first post and I've done a search but couldn't find the solution. I have XP home edition Version 2002 SP2.

I have a problem with .flv files basically they keep shutting down either explorer.exe or the application I'm using to search through them. I've done a bit of checking and I think this has something to do with thumbnails as when I deal with .flv's in tiles or list view I can at least go into the folder I keep them in without explorer.exe closing. Playing them is fine too (VLC works) except I can't search "My videos" using any media player as I keep the .flv's in a sub folder there and the media player will close down kind of like the way explorer.exe does? I'd really like to convert some of these FLV's so I can burn them to disc and play them on my DVD player (nothing is copyrighted) but the program I try to use seems to have the same problem and shuts down when I try to search for an .flv file to open




If you need any more details let me know but I'm not very good with computers so try not to be too technical please?

 

[Rollin' Rog]

If it's a thumbnail issue, go to Folder Options > View and temporarily enable the display of protected system files.

Now return to the folders where this is a problem and look for a thumbs.db file and delete it.

This will clear the thumbnail cache and cause it to be rebuilt once you re-open the folder.

However, be advised that Windows does not actually display thumbnail views for .flv files -- they should be just displayed with their associated application to open them.

There is no default viewer for .flv files in Windows, you must have something like VLC to run them in.

If all the .flv files are in a single folder, try creating a new folder for them, and copy or move them there.

Make sure your .flv files are associated with VLC, you should see the VLC icon for them in any folder. To do this, right click on one and select Properties > Change and browse to VLC to select it as the application to always open these files with.

 

[Socialoutcast]

thanks for the quick reply


There's no thumbnail.db file. I stopped XP making those a while back because they wouldn't update properly (displaying old thumbnails on new files with same name etc...) I've tried creating new folders for the files in the past but with no success.

If XP isn't meant to try to make thumbnails for .flv's (but I've seen it actually do that) could it be treating these files in the wrong way? Like they Were video files or something? Is there a fix for that?

 

[Rollin' Rog]

When I see .flv files in a folder that displays thumbnails, I just see the VLC icon with which I have the .flv file type associated as the thumbnail.

Windows should do nothing with this on its own. But I would make sure the file type as a fixed association.

In any case if you can view and copy and paste these files without enabling thumbnails, it shouldn't prevent you from converting them, provided the converter can handle the job.

 

[Socialoutcast]

Strange I'm sure I've seen my XP show a couple of thumbnails on the .flv files before explorer shuts down? Anyway I've looked at the file association by right clicking on a file and choosing "open with" and then selevting VLC it shows that little orange cone thing on each file though I've noted that for .flv's it shows a smaller icon than say for AVI's that I also play on VLC?

As for converting them I've tried but it doesn't work when I go to the open option in the drop down menu in the converter (it's the same for opening these in a media player) it will now open up the folder with all the .flv's in it and the default for that window is thumbnails so the converter shuts downwithin a second or two and then sometimes explorer.exe follows too. and I don't know if I can change it to always open in list or icons view?
To get an .flv to play at all I have to go to the actual folder and right click on the one I want and open it that way which can be a pain if I've already got VLC open.

 

[Rollin' Rog]

I've used this utility sucessfully to do .flv conversions.

You need only drag and drop or copy/paste the file into its open window.

http://www.afterdawn.com/software/video_software/video_encoders/super.cfm

You don't have to go through a folder view process separate from that of Explorer itself.

 

[Socialoutcast]

Thanks for suggesting Super I've tried it in the past however I don't meet the minimum requirements to use it. My screen resolution is too low so apparently I can't see all the buttons. It Kind of makes me wonder why someone would design a program that can't fit the screen of the PC it's installed on?

Anyway I guess I'll look for another converter that has the drag and drop feature and see if that works.

 

[Rollin' Rog]

Neither do I as far as drive space is concerned, but it works anyway on most files and you can disable the startup message from the right click menu.

What is your screen resolution? You really should be able to use it at 800x600, which is fairly low.

 

[Socialoutcast]

My resolution is 800x600 but I see no way to start the conversion. Anyway I got rid of it and installed Xilisoft YouTube Video Converter. It has an option to convert .flv's and using that has made me think that I'm on the wrong track...
I converted a few .flv's without a problem and played one or two of them without a hitch I even emailed two to a mate and he's not had any trouble with them. But I went back and played one of them again and suddenly XP tells me the file is corrupt and my media player (VLC) closes down.I try playing the same file again by going to the folder and actually clicking on the file and it works so I clicked on another file I'd tried before and get the corrupt message again and explorer.exe shuts down. Obviously the thumbnail view problem is just a symptom of something else, My XP is not only having problems with .flv's but files (in this case AVI's) that were converted from them.

I looked in the event viewer for XP and there's nothing strange there I'd of thought if explorer.exe or a media player encountered a problem it'd show up there so I've no idea how to figure out what's going on. I'm wondering if it's a faulty codec somewhere but how could that effect Explorer.exe and I've reinstalled VLC twice since this problem started way back when I saved my first .flv to my hard drive. Even Google doesn't know the solution to this so it seems it could be a one off. BTW I use McAfee security centre and keep everything up to date and sweep my HD weekly so if it's a virus causing this it's a rather insidious and specific .flv hating one ???

 

[Rollin' Rog]

Try running chkdsk /r on the drive. And use a different directory or meda for maintaining these files.

I've had a lot of similar issues with files stored on a USB drive -- and I never count on those without backing them up on another source as well.

 

[Socialoutcast]

I ran chkdsk /r. Still having the same problems though both .flv's and video files converted from them cause either explorer.exe or the media player to shut down. The only difference is the corrupt error message I get when playing the converted files. One thing I did note was that I converted an .flv to MP3 as it was only an old radio broadcast and it works perfectly.

As for saving the .flv's to a disk or other storage device, well I see no reason why that would make any difference in this case as explorer.exe and a media player would still be involved when I wanted to play them on my PC?

 

[Socialoutcast]

Well it's been a while but I think I have finally found the solution I was really frustrated with this problem earlier today so I did a few more google searches mixing keywords etc... and I finally came across someone with a similar problem involving .avi files. The solution he found was to stop XP from trying to provide a preview of the video file in the details box I always thought it had something to do with thumbnail creation but the theme I was using until recently never had the bar on the left that shows the details box so I was kinda right I guess lol. Anyway here is the solution for anyone who needs it or even cares


To remove media preview, type and hit enter
regsvr32 /u shmedia.dll

To readd media preview, type and hit enter
regsvr32 shmedia.dll



I just spent 20 minutes looking through my .flv and other video files and haven't had a problem with the file corupt message or explorer.exe closing. I can even open the files via the media player's open file option because XP no longer tries to create an image thumbnail preview at all. Fingers crossed this is the end of my problem I'm just hoping I haven't jinxed myself by writing this lol.


Thanks for your help Rollin' Rog

 

[Rollin' Rog]

Interesting solution; thanks for the update.

Aren't all other previews affected by that unregister command as well though?

You might try reregistering it and see if the problem returns; sometimes reregistering is a fix.

 

[Socialoutcast]

I tried the previews again and had the same problem but I'm not too worried as losing the small preview pic isn't that big a deal for me because I usually remember what's in a file from the name I give it. I'm not sure of xp's exact definition of "media" but it seems to have only effected video and flash files on my PC. Images are still showing the little preview in the left sidebar when not in thumbnail view.

I looked up the page where I found this as there was also a way to remove the preview for images but I haven't tried it so can't say if it works?

1) Open a command window (Start->Run, type in 'cmd' hit enter)
2) To remove image preview, type and hit enter
regsvr32 /u shimgvw.dll
3) To readd image preview, type and hit enter
regsvr32 shimgvw.dll
4) To remove media preview, type and hit enter
regsvr32 /u shmedia.dll
5) To readd media preview, type and hit enter
regsvr32 shmedia.dll

 

[Rollin' Rog]

Try it -- can't hurt.

The second part (media preview) would probably be the most relevant if deleting the thumbs.db cache had no effect.