Windows Explorer crash error

[wtlinc]

Hi,
Randomly and intermittently, several times per day, I get this popup error message:

"Windows Explorer had encountered a problem and needs to close"
(see attached picture of error message)

I hit debug. The error message disappears, but returns later in the day.

Q: I have tried many ways to fix this error, except uninstalling/reinistalling windows explorer (explorer.exe). Please advise if I am able to do without blowing up my PC.

OS: Windows XP Pro

I have more details on the error message if requested. Thanks for any help.

WTL

 

[devil_himself]

Click Start, click Run, type eventvwr.msc in the Open box, and then press Enter.
Click the Application category.

Look For Recent Errors > Double Click on them > Another Windows Will open > On the Right Side use the Double Notepad icon to copy the error paste them here

 

[wtlinc]

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Application Error
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1000
Date: 4/4/2008
Time: 3:42:21 PM
User: N/A
Computer: TECRA
Description:
Faulting application explorer.exe, version 6.0.2900.3156, faulting module unknown, version 0.0.0.0, fault address 0x07024680.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 41 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 Applicat
0008: 69 6f 6e 20 46 61 69 6c ion Fail
0010: 75 72 65 20 20 65 78 70 ure exp
0018: 6c 6f 72 65 72 2e 65 78 lorer.ex
0020: 65 20 36 2e 30 2e 32 39 e 6.0.29
0028: 30 30 2e 33 31 35 36 20 00.3156
0030: 69 6e 20 75 6e 6b 6e 6f in unkno
0038: 77 6e 20 30 2e 30 2e 30 wn 0.0.0
0040: 2e 30 20 61 74 20 6f 66 .0 at of
0048: 66 73 65 74 20 30 37 30 fset 070
0050: 32 34 36 38 30 0d 0a 24680..

 

[devil_himself]

Any Other Error Messages !

Does Explorer Crashes Randomly Or While Doing Specific Things Like

1.Right Clicking
2.Opening A Folder
3.Browsing A Folder
4.While Using XP Search

Or ..

 

[wtlinc]

For two weeks I tracked what I did before the error message appeared. Most of the time, not always, the error occurred when I accessed WE. Now my WE icon doesn't respond at all when I click on it.

Error popup occurs about 6 times per day ... then I click debug or close and I can resume working. A few times, my whole desktop blanked and I had to reboot.

fwiw, attached are pics of error messages associated with the popup.

Q: are there other versions of WE? my version is 6.0.2900.3156

Thanks for the help of any kind. This is infuriating.

 

[ACA529]

I think the majority of windows users have experienced this problem in the past...

 

[devil_himself]

Most of the time, not always, the error occurred when I accessed WE. Now my WE icon doesn't respond at all when I click on it.

What Do You Mean By Access WE - Windows Explorer ? Explain ... Explorer.exe Always Keep Running ! .. You Mean To Say That It Crashes When You Open My Computer On Any Folder ?

 

[wtlinc]

Thanks for the clarification. Since explorer.exe is always running, that explains the frequency and randomness of the error message.

The error message pops up "on its own" and sometimes (not always) when I open a WE and click on any folder.

Thanks for any help.

 

[gyrgrls]

To keep it from hanging your system, please do the following:

From an Explorer window (LOL), click on Tools | Folder Options.
Open the View tab.

Scroll down in the options, and make sure
"Launch folder windows in a separate process" is checked
(It is unchecked by default).

This writes a key to the registry, putting explorer in apartment
threading mode, making it a whole lot more stable.

Many other applications spawn explorer process, even though
you don't see an explorer window, per se. They hook into shell32.dll,
which requires explorer.exe.

If you do this, then, when a process dies, it will take down explorer
gracefully, without crashing your system, since explorer is spawned
multiple times, in apartment threading mode. The child process
will simply die, without affecting the GUI shell, as it does by default,
unless you expressly divorce the windows explorer subroutines
from the parent processes, user.exe and user32.dll.

Here is what you gotta have (I use Windows 2000; XP is similar):

 

[gyrgrls]

Addendum:
I just found this reference...
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/142676>