Puzzling explorer.exe crash

I normally never come across anything that I can't solve myself--I run my own computer repair business--but this just has me completely stumped.

Starting last night, whenever I right click on the desktop or in any folder (to open the folder context menu) or try to use the Search feature, explorer.exe crashes and drwatson may or may not crash with it. Sometimes drwatson crashes but Windows doesn't realize it, so I have to end the task manually. The crash also occurs when pasting a file, for some strange reason. The crash occurs 100% of the time, and says that explorer.exe had a fault in user32.dll.

I've searched all over the Internet and most solutions seem to revolve around a few things:

a) Disable Windows File Protection (didn't work).
b) Its a broken shell extension, like Dr. Divx (don't have any of the ones they listed, and I tried disabling all shell extensions with ShellExView, and that didn't work.

Most people seem to have the problem with right clicking on a file, which clearly implies a bad shell extension. But I only have the problem when going to search, pasting, and right clicking in a folder window or on the desktop.

The problem still exists in Safe Mode in the same form. A Kaspersky virus scan yields nothing.

Any ideas?

 

Here is the appcompat data from the error report:

<?xml version= "1.0" encoding= "UTF-16 "?>
<DATABASE>
<EXE NAME= "SYSTEM INFO" FILTER= "GRABMI_FILTER_SYSTEM ">
<MATCHING_FILE NAME= "advapi32.dll" SIZE= "616960" CHECKSUM= "0x8E9BCF02" BIN_FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180" BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180" PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180" FILE_DESCRIPTION= "Advanced Windows 32 Base API" COMPANY_NAME= "Microsoft Corporation" PRODUCT_NAME= "Microsoft® Windows® Operating System" FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)" ORIGINAL_FILENAME= "advapi32.dll" INTERNAL_NAME= "advapi32.dll" LEGAL_COPYRIGHT= "© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved." VERFILEDATEHI= "0x0" VERFILEDATELO= "0x0" VERFILEOS= "0x40004" VERFILETYPE= "0x2" MODULE_TYPE= "WIN32" PE_CHECKSUM= "0xA0DE4" LINKER_VERSION= "0x50001" UPTO_BIN_FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180" UPTO_BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180" LINK_DATE= "08/04/2004 07:56:23" UPTO_LINK_DATE= "08/04/2004 07:56:23" VER_LANGUAGE= "English (United States) [0x409]" />
<MATCHING_FILE NAME= "gdi32.dll" SIZE= "281600" CHECKSUM= "0x7B698D53" BIN_FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099" BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099" PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099" FILE_DESCRIPTION= "GDI Client DLL" COMPANY_NAME= "Microsoft Corporation" PRODUCT_NAME= "Microsoft® Windows® Operating System" FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099 (xpsp_sp2_gdr.070308-0222)" ORIGINAL_FILENAME= "gdi32" INTERNAL_NAME= "gdi32" LEGAL_COPYRIGHT= "© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved." VERFILEDATEHI= "0x0" VERFILEDATELO= "0x0" VERFILEOS= "0x40004" VERFILETYPE= "0x2" MODULE_TYPE= "WIN32" PE_CHECKSUM= "0x47DA0" LINKER_VERSION= "0x50001" UPTO_BIN_FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099" UPTO_BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099" LINK_DATE= "03/08/2007 15:36:28" UPTO_LINK_DATE= "03/08/2007 15:36:28" VER_LANGUAGE= "English (United States) [0x409]" />
<MATCHING_FILE NAME= "kernel32.dll" SIZE= "984064" CHECKSUM= "0xF12E1D4A" BIN_FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2945" BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2945" PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2945" FILE_DESCRIPTION= "Windows NT BASE API Client DLL" COMPANY_NAME= "Microsoft Corporation" PRODUCT_NAME= "Microsoft® Windows® Operating System" FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2945 (xpsp_sp2_gdr.060704-2349)" ORIGINAL_FILENAME= "kernel32" INTERNAL_NAME= "kernel32" LEGAL_COPYRIGHT= "© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved." VERFILEDATEHI= "0x0" VERFILEDATELO= "0x0" VERFILEOS= "0x40004" VERFILETYPE= "0x2" MODULE_TYPE= "WIN32" PE_CHECKSUM= "0xF724D" LINKER_VERSION= "0x50001" UPTO_BIN_FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2945" UPTO_BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2945" LINK_DATE= "07/05/2006 10:55:00" UPTO_LINK_DATE= "07/05/2006 10:55:00" VER_LANGUAGE= "English (United States) [0x409]" />
<MATCHING_FILE NAME= "ntdll.dll" SIZE= "708096" CHECKSUM= "0x9D20568" BIN_FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180" BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180" PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180" FILE_DESCRIPTION= "NT Layer DLL" COMPANY_NAME= "Microsoft Corporation" PRODUCT_NAME= "Microsoft® Windows® Operating System" FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)" ORIGINAL_FILENAME= "ntdll.dll" INTERNAL_NAME= "ntdll.dll" LEGAL_COPYRIGHT= "© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved." VERFILEDATEHI= "0x0" VERFILEDATELO= "0x0" VERFILEOS= "0x40004" VERFILETYPE= "0x2" MODULE_TYPE= "WIN32" PE_CHECKSUM= "0xAF2F7" LINKER_VERSION= "0x50001" UPTO_BIN_FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180" UPTO_BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180" LINK_DATE= "08/04/2004 07:56:36" UPTO_LINK_DATE= "08/04/2004 07:56:36" VER_LANGUAGE= "English (United States) [0x409]" />
<MATCHING_FILE NAME= "ole32.dll" SIZE= "1285120" CHECKSUM= "0xA38DDD0E" BIN_FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2726" BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2726" PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2726" FILE_DESCRIPTION= "Microsoft OLE for Windows" COMPANY_NAME= "Microsoft Corporation" PRODUCT_NAME= "Microsoft® Windows® Operating System" FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2726 (xpsp_sp2_gdr.050725-1528)" ORIGINAL_FILENAME= "OLE32.DLL" INTERNAL_NAME= "OLE32.DLL" LEGAL_COPYRIGHT= "© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved." VERFILEDATEHI= "0x0" VERFILEDATELO= "0x0" VERFILEOS= "0x40004" VERFILETYPE= "0x2" MODULE_TYPE= "WIN32" PE_CHECKSUM= "0x13DC6B" LINKER_VERSION= "0x50001" UPTO_BIN_FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2726" UPTO_BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2726" LINK_DATE= "07/26/2005 04:39:47" UPTO_LINK_DATE= "07/26/2005 04:39:47" VER_LANGUAGE= "English (United States) [0x409]" />
<MATCHING_FILE NAME= "oleaut32.dll" SIZE= "553472" CHECKSUM= "0x4155D7D" BIN_FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180" BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180" PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180" COMPANY_NAME= "Microsoft Corporation" FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180" INTERNAL_NAME= "OLEAUT32.DLL" LEGAL_COPYRIGHT= "Copyright © Microsoft Corp. 1993-2001." VERFILEDATEHI= "0x0" VERFILEDATELO= "0x0" VERFILEOS= "0x40004" VERFILETYPE= "0x2" MODULE_TYPE= "WIN32" PE_CHECKSUM= "0x96957" LINKER_VERSION= "0x50001" UPTO_BIN_FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180" UPTO_BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.2180" LINK_DATE= "08/04/2004 07:57:39" UPTO_LINK_DATE= "08/04/2004 07:57:39" VER_LANGUAGE= "English (United States) [0x409]" />
<MATCHING_FILE NAME= "shell32.dll" SIZE= "8453632" CHECKSUM= "0x77D7C763" BIN_FILE_VERSION= "6.0.2900.3051" BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "6.0.2900.3051" PRODUCT_VERSION= "6.00.2900.3051" FILE_DESCRIPTION= "Windows Shell Common Dll" COMPANY_NAME= "Microsoft Corporation" PRODUCT_NAME= "Microsoft® Windows® Operating System" FILE_VERSION= "6.00.2900.3051 (xpsp_sp2_gdr.061219-0316)" ORIGINAL_FILENAME= "SHELL32.DLL" INTERNAL_NAME= "SHELL32" LEGAL_COPYRIGHT= "© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved." VERFILEDATEHI= "0x0" VERFILEDATELO= "0x0" VERFILEOS= "0x40004" VERFILETYPE= "0x2" MODULE_TYPE= "WIN32" PE_CHECKSUM= "0x817025" LINKER_VERSION= "0x50001" UPTO_BIN_FILE_VERSION= "6.0.2900.3051" UPTO_BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "6.0.2900.3051" LINK_DATE= "12/19/2006 21:52:11" UPTO_LINK_DATE= "12/19/2006 21:52:11" VER_LANGUAGE= "English (United States) [0x409]" />
<MATCHING_FILE NAME= "user32.dll" SIZE= "577536" CHECKSUM= "0x1AB40203" BIN_FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099" BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099" PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099" FILE_DESCRIPTION= "Windows XP USER API Client DLL" COMPANY_NAME= "Microsoft Corporation" PRODUCT_NAME= "Microsoft® Windows® Operating System" FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099 (xpsp_sp2_gdr.070308-0222)" ORIGINAL_FILENAME= "user32" INTERNAL_NAME= "user32" LEGAL_COPYRIGHT= "© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved." VERFILEDATEHI= "0x0" VERFILEDATELO= "0x0" VERFILEOS= "0x40004" VERFILETYPE= "0x2" MODULE_TYPE= "WIN32" PE_CHECKSUM= "0x940E1" LINKER_VERSION= "0x50001" UPTO_BIN_FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099" UPTO_BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099" LINK_DATE= "03/08/2007 15:36:28" UPTO_LINK_DATE= "03/08/2007 15:36:28" VER_LANGUAGE= "English (United States) [0x409]" />
<MATCHING_FILE NAME= "wininet.dll" SIZE= "822784" CHECKSUM= "0x66022A00" BIN_FILE_VERSION= "7.0.6000.16414" BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "7.0.6000.16414" PRODUCT_VERSION= "7.00.6000.16414" FILE_DESCRIPTION= "Internet Extensions for Win32" COMPANY_NAME= "Microsoft Corporation" PRODUCT_NAME= "Windows® Internet Explorer" FILE_VERSION= "7.00.6000.16414 (vista_gdr.070108-1520)" ORIGINAL_FILENAME= "wininet.dll" INTERNAL_NAME= "wininet.dll" LEGAL_COPYRIGHT= "© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved." VERFILEDATEHI= "0x0" VERFILEDATELO= "0x0" VERFILEOS= "0x40004" VERFILETYPE= "0x2" MODULE_TYPE= "WIN32" PE_CHECKSUM= "0xCF778" LINKER_VERSION= "0x60000" UPTO_BIN_FILE_VERSION= "7.0.6000.16414" UPTO_BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "7.0.6000.16414" LINK_DATE= "01/12/2007 17:27:40" UPTO_LINK_DATE= "01/12/2007 17:27:40" VER_LANGUAGE= "English (United States) [0x409]" />
<MATCHING_FILE NAME= "winsock.dll" SIZE= "2864" CHECKSUM= "0x73AE8088" BIN_FILE_VERSION= "3.10.0.103" BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "3.10.0.103" PRODUCT_VERSION= "3.10" FILE_DESCRIPTION= "Windows Socket 16-Bit DLL" COMPANY_NAME= "Microsoft Corporation" PRODUCT_NAME= "Microsoft® Windows(TM) Operating System" FILE_VERSION= "3.10" ORIGINAL_FILENAME= "WINSOCK.DLL" INTERNAL_NAME= "WINSOCK" LEGAL_COPYRIGHT= "Copyright © Microsoft Corp. 1981-1996" VERFILEDATEHI= "0x0" VERFILEDATELO= "0x0" VERFILEOS= "0x10001" VERFILETYPE= "0x2" MODULE_TYPE= "WIN16" S16BIT_DESCRIPTION= "BSD Socket API for Windows" S16BIT_MODULE_NAME= "WINSOCK" UPTO_BIN_FILE_VERSION= "3.10.0.103" UPTO_BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "3.10.0.103" VER_LANGUAGE= "English (United States) [0x409]" />
</EXE>
<EXE NAME= "USER32.dll" FILTER= "GRABMI_FILTER_THISFILEONLY ">
<MATCHING_FILE NAME= "user32.dll" SIZE= "577536" CHECKSUM= "0x1AB40203" BIN_FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099" BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099" PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099" FILE_DESCRIPTION= "Windows XP USER API Client DLL" COMPANY_NAME= "Microsoft Corporation" PRODUCT_NAME= "Microsoft® Windows® Operating System" FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099 (xpsp_sp2_gdr.070308-0222)" ORIGINAL_FILENAME= "user32" INTERNAL_NAME= "user32" LEGAL_COPYRIGHT= "© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved." VERFILEDATEHI= "0x0" VERFILEDATELO= "0x0" VERFILEOS= "0x40004" VERFILETYPE= "0x2" MODULE_TYPE= "WIN32" PE_CHECKSUM= "0x940E1" LINKER_VERSION= "0x50001" UPTO_BIN_FILE_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099" UPTO_BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION= "5.1.2600.3099" LINK_DATE= "03/08/2007 15:36:28" UPTO_LINK_DATE= "03/08/2007 15:36:28" VER_LANGUAGE= "English (United States) [0x409]" />
</EXE>
</DATABASE>

 

Have you tried rolling back to IE6? You'd need to get that out of the mix before doing much else.

 

Well I never actually use Internet Explorer, it just came with Windows Update. Why would internet explorer (iexplore.exe) affect explorer.exe if it isn't running?

 

I actually have System Restore disabled, as I've never found it useful in the past

Additionally, I cannot pinpoint anything I've installed around the time the problem began; I don't think I've installed anything in a while. The problem seems to have come out of nowhere.

 

shell extension action alterations for internet explorer do couple through to explorer.exe if the filetype is .htm (seen on IE6/Win98, sorry I have no IE7)

if I add on another editor to IE, it turns up in the context menu of Windows Explorer

Starting with Windows Explorer: if you directly replace the RH pane (ie the files) with a web page from the folder you were just in, the toolbar changes to resemble IE; point it now at the internet and Kerio blocks it as explorer.exe (?!phew) - I let explorer.exe have the LAN; iexplore.exe gets the internet as well as the LAN

not sure how relevant to your particular hassle - but you were wondering about iexplore.exe "things" influencing the behaviour of explorer.exe; sometimes the distinction is quite blurred strange (I hit permit)


hope you get it sussed - best wishes, HJ

 

* Download and install the Debugging Tools for Windows from Microsoft
* Download our DebugWizard tool
* Extract the debugwiz.exe file, and place it anywhere on your system (the desktop will be fine)
* Click the Browse button next to the Dump file to be analyzed box
* Depending on the cause of the crash & how your system is setup, the dump file will most likely be located in \Windows\Minidump\. Do a search for *.dmp if that fails. Look for a date/time on the dump that corresponds with the latest crash.

There are no *.dmp files in /Windows/Minidump. As far as I know, Windows doesn't produce them unless there's a system failure; and explorer.exe crashing doesn't seem to count as one. I assume there is a .dmp file that is sent as part of the error report; where can I find that? I can't search for it... because search crashes. I could load up Cygwin and search using ls recursively and pipe it to grep, but that would be horrible.

Oh, and if I right click in the window in the dump program where you pick the dump, it crashes too.

 

Read my original post:

It can't be a shell extension anyways, because I'm right clicking on the desktop or an empty window; right clicking on a file does NOT cause a crash. But I disabled them all with ShellExView anyways and the crashes were not affected.

 

Sometimes merely disabling the items will not repair the system glitch.

Please see.

Since you say this problem "came out of the blue" I'd lean toward some MS hotfix as being the culprit. Perhaps Google for the recent ones by number to see if any others are reporting a similar problem. As an extreme measure, roll them back via uninstalling in reverse order.

IE7 is still suspect even though you don't use it. There is some tight integration and shared usages of dll's that cause IE to affect Windows Explorer.exe.

Have you tried sfc /scannow?

I'm sorry I can't offer anything more specific.

 

I can't find any option to uninstall Internet Explorer 7.

What do you suggest; delete all the shell extensions manually out of the registry and see what happens?

 

How to uninstall IE7

 

Neither method listed works. There is no IE7 folder in c:\windows, and there is no listing in add/remove programs.

 

I was assuming you had IE7 successfully installed based on the data from your error report. That said, it should be listed, as MS indicated, in the add/remove programs (assuming you have checked the box to show updates) and also in the $uninstall$ file in the IE7 folder.
If the installation failed it should have rendered an error and you would likely known of it. Does the browser IE > Help > About IE indicate that it's ver. 7?

If the IE7 install failed, you may consider running it again to see if it has any bearing on your problem. I hate to go off on a tangent like this and end up being wrong but it's better than ignoring any possibilities when you have nothing else to grasp.

Anyway, lets see if you do in fact have IE7 and go from there.

 

No, I have show hidden folders and files on, always.

The folder simply is not there. Internet explorer is version 7. I'm not stupid.

Oh, and though show hidden folders is on, if I go to change the setting in folder options, that crashes too.

 

The IE7 folder is apparently not needed except for uninstalling the browser. I dumped it on my "test dummy" XP and it had no ill effect - the browser still works fine. It contained some 95 dll's that had been changed and > 800 other files.

Then when I tried to uninstall IE7 I got an error report that said it may already be uninstalled and would I like to delete it from the Add/Remove list. I'll have to get the folder from the trash bin - I wish you could do that.

I would suspect something untoward happened on your install of IE7 given that you don't have that folder nor any entries in the Add/Remove area.

You may be faced with a Repair Install. The catch there from what I hear is that you need to uninstall IE7 before doing the reinstall. Now there's a bit of a problem for you I'd say.

I mentioned running SFC /SCANNOW earlier. That's still worth a shot if you haven't tried it.