Under various versions of Windows, Windows Explorer may repeatedly crash either when certain actions are taken (e.g. right-clicking an item), after several minutes of use, or immediately after the system starts up. In some cases, the following error messages are displayed:
- “Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close”
The first thing you need to do, if this problem occurs as soon as your system starts up or whenever you click on any file or try to perform any other action, is download a copy of Universal Explorer, an alternative file viewer. This will at least allow you access to the system so that you can make changes and begin troubleshooting.
Next, begin with the following potential fixes:
Turn off DEP In some cases, Data Execution Prevention may be causing the crashes to occur. Turning this option off for Windows Explorer may leave your system more vulnerable to viruses and other malware, but may allow your system to function properly until you can find another workaround. To turn off DEP for Windows Explorer, follow these steps:
- Click the Start button
- Open the Control Panel
- Open System
- Select the “Advanced” tab
- Under “Performance,” choose Settings.
- Select the “Data Execution Prevention” tab.
- Select the option “Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select.”
- Click “Add…”
- Find Windows Explorer, which is generally located in c:\windows\explorer.exe and select it.
- Restart your system and check for persistence of the issue
Note that if Windows Explorer keeps crashing during the above steps, you can open the command line and type bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOff and accomplish the same effect.
Disable Shell extensions The site HelpWithWindows suggests that errant shell extensions may be to blame for Windows Explorer crashes, especially in cases wherein the issue occurs upon right-clicking certain files.
Download and install the tool ShellExView. It will show the description, as well as version details, company information, location, file name and more of any installed shell extensions and allow you to disable them.
Start by disabling all third-party shell extensions, then restarting your computer. If Windows Explorer doesn’t continue crashing, you know that a shell extension is to blame. Start re-enabling them one-by-one or in groups until you identify the culprit, then leave it disabled.
Switch antivirus software As we have noted, the presence of two overlapping antivirus or antimalware/spyware/firewall tools can cause various conflicts. Users should install one (and only one) strong anti-virus package and make sure it’s up-to-date.
In addition, certain antivirus packages can conflict with installed system software while other antivirus packages are not.
If you have already tried the aforementioned workarounds, completely remove or disable all antivirus/spyware software (Norton 360, ZoneAlarm, AVG, etc.). In fact, you may need to uninstall the packages–simply disabling may not work.
Next, re-install one and only one solid antivirus/spyware tool. If the crashes still occur, uninstall that package and try a different one.
Filed under Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP by on Jun 23rd, 2009. 1 Comment. 
Today, Microsoft released the first Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC1) [Download here]. Many users are likely to encounter a variety of issues, such as startup problems, application crashes, performance hiccups and more, after the update. Here’s a run-down of the best methods for preventing these issues and making your update experience a smooth one:
Backup First and foremost, a full backup should be performed prior to any major system update. Your best bet is to use a tool that can create a complete, bootable backup of your primary volume. If major problems ensue post-update, you will have working copy of your current applications and documents that can be put into use immediately. Acronis True Image is one such tool. Alternatively, you can use Windows Vista’s built-in backup tools.
Make sure your system meets requirements Requirements for Windows 7 are as follows:
- 1 GHz processor (32- or 64-bit)
- 1 GB RAM (32-bit); 2 GB of RAM (64-bit)
- 16 GB of available disk space (32-bit); 20 GB of avaiable disk space (64-bit)
- DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
Check for spyware Next, eliminate any spyware or malware that might interfere with the update process or create conflicts after your system is updated. Various free or inexpensive tools, including Ad-Aware and Spybot are available for this purpose.
Disable antivirus software until after installation After you’ve made sure that your system doesn’t have any viruses or spyware, you will actually want to disable antivirus software until after you’ve completed the Windows 7 upgrade. Some antivirus programs can cause conflicts with Windows 7–for instance, Kaspersky may cause a BSOD.
Kill any unnecessary startup processes Eliminating any unnecessary startup processes, or removing all third-party startup processes, can reduce compatibility headaches that often follow major system updates. Launch the System Configuration utility by clicking “Windows” then entering “System Configuration” in the search bar and pressing return. Click on the “Startup” tab and remove any unnecessary items, then restart.
Disable non-essential services Many freezes after Windows upgrades are the result of problematic third-party system services. Follow our guide for disabling non-essential services before running the Windows 7 upgrade.
Update drivers Check manufacturers’ websites for the latest driver editions for any third-party devices that are connected to your system. Many manufacturers have already updated their drivers for basic compatibility with Windows 7.
Disconnect any unnecessary devices Aside from your keyboard, mouse, monitor and network connectivity, virtually all external device should be disconnected from your system right before you install Windows 7. Disconnecting these devices can preclude a variety of issues. Once the update is applied, you can reconnect the devices one by one and check for compatibility issues.
Get your devices working Perhaps the biggest challenge facing Windows 7 upgraders involves hardware incompatibility. Many devices will be rendered temporarily unusable by the new OS or exhibit compatibility problems that will make them not worth using. See our guide to getting devices to work with the new OS.
If installation fails You may encounter in which Windows 7 installation fails at the very end of the process, with the system rebooting automatically as soon as the Windows 7 splash screen appears. The system then displays a message indicating that it was not shut down properly. A fix for this issue can be found here.
Windows 7 may also fail to install, giving the error message “Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. See the Setup log files for more information.” Generally this error occurs in situations in which multiple disks are connected to the system.
In order to eliminate this issue, disconnect any disks that are formatted as “dynamic disks.” Dynamic disk volumes cannot be changed back to partitions, causing the Windows 7 installation process to fail. Simply disconnect any external or internal hard disks that are formatted as dynamic disks then re-attempt installation.
If you are upgrading from a previous pre-release build of Windows 7 If you are using a previous pre-release build of Windows 7, such as build 7100, you will not be able to directly update to the RC. Instead, you will need to follow a series of steps provided by Microsoft to bypass the normal upgrade routine.
Feedback? info@windowsfixup.com.
Filed under Windows 7 by on May 5th, 2009. Comment.
As we have noted, the presence of two overlapping antivirus or antimalware/spyware/firewall tools can cause various conflicts. Users should install one (and only one) strong anti-virus package and make sure it’s up-to-date.
One problem that can result from the presence of conflicting protection tools is an inability to connect to the Internet. This issue is typified by a persistent or sporadic inability to load web pages, generally accompanied by a never-ending “Connecting…” message in any given Web browser.
To resolve this issue, completely remove or disable all antivirus/spyware software (Norton 360, ZoneAlarm, AVG, etc.). In fact, you may need to uninstall the packages–simply disabling may not work.
Next, re-install one and only one competent antivirus/spyware tool and check for Internet connectivity.
Filed under Internet Explorer 8, Viruses/Malware, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP by on Apr 6th, 2009. 1 Comment.
Windows 7 will sport enhanced security measures that should partially eliminate the need for some anti-spyware and antivirus software, but users are still encouraged to run at least one protection mechanism. Users testing pre-release builds of Windows 7 have found that some current antivirus packages are incompatible or cause problems with the new OS, while others function flawlessly in their current iterations.
Here’s a preliminary compatibility index based on early reports:
- Kaspersky Anti-Virus beta for Windows 7 Compatible; however, may cause problems with pages loading slowly in Internet Explorer 8
- ESET NOD32 Antivirus Compatible; however, may cause performance issues
- Sunbelt Software Vipre Compatible; no major problems reported
Anything to add to the list? Let us know.
Filed under Internet Explorer 8, Windows 7 by on Mar 26th, 2009. 1 Comment.
Several users have reported significantly slower performance under Internet Explorer 8, particularly when the browser is first launched or when navigating to new pages. Delays of up to 30 seconds or more have been reported.
The problem, in most cases, is the presence of IE restricted sites and enhanced security configuration zones, which are generally created automatically by spyware removal software, such as Spybot and IESpyAd. Traditionally, the presence of these entries has been hugely beneficial, offering protection against malicious software. However, Internet Explorer 8 includes new security measures that may obviate the need for these entries, and the browser can suffer a tremendous speed hit in their presence.
The fastest and easiest way to remove these entries and dramatically increase Internet Explorer 8′s speed is to use the DelDomains package. Right click on this link and save the file to your desktop. Next, right-click on the downloaded file (DelDomains.inf) and select “Install.” The package will remove all Internet Explorer restricted sites, enhanced security configuration zones and trusted sites.
Alternatively, or in addition to the above fix, you can try registering actxprxy.dll, a process that has improved Internet Explorer 8′s performance for a handful of users.
Click the Start button then search for “CMD.” Right-click cmd.exe and select “Run as Administrator,” then type regsvr32 actxprxy.dll and press return. Quit then re-launch Internet Explorer 8 and check for improved performance.
Feedback? info@windowsfixup.com
Filed under Internet Explorer 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP by on Mar 24th, 2009. 77 Comments.