explorer.exe crashes, overloads memory and cpu, etc

[Guest]

hi everyone,

i'm having a huge problem with explorer.exe (not internet explorer.)

let me start from the beginning. i start my computer, and eventually
explorer.exe (the process; lately i've been keeping task manager open so i
can monitor my computer stats) starts jumping up and down the list of
processes, when set to sort by cpu usage. it will go to like 30, 60+ percent
of usage, and basically cause the cpu usage graph to look like a cardiogram.
the more programs i use (something like video editing, or playing a game
[which used to be easy] becomes impossible) the slower the computer gets (but
much much more than it ever had before) until eventually, after the internet
connection bumping me off of AIM, MSN etc several times, and my USB mouse
dropping off every so often, i get this message:

http://www.chivesthebutler.org/tim/explorercrash.PNG

and then, after i click ok a bunch of times, explorer.exe crashes and closes
all of my windows and the whole process starts over again.

you can see more detailed reports of my problems at www.majorgeeks.com,
where the guys over there basically helped verify for me that it wasnt a
virus or spyware.

here is the first thread:

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?p=499995#post499995

here is the second thread:

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?p=505538#post505538

if you guys could help me out (the information, pictures etc are all in that
thing) that would be great. i'm feeling like i need to reformat (for my many
years in computing, i've never actually thought i had to.. ifinally do) but
my computer has a lot of weird things and drivers (its a media center pc) so
i'm worried...

thanks!

tim

 

[Guest]

hi again... i just tried something...

my memory usage was way up there, so i ended the explorer process and then
went to new task and typed in explorer.exe... and it came back, but this is
what teh CPU looked like, after i had restarted it:

http://www.chivesthebutler.org/tim/explorerexeafterrestart.PNG

hope that helps

 

[Alex Nichol]

i'm having a huge problem with explorer.exe (not internet explorer.)

let me start from the beginning. i start my computer, and eventually
explorer.exe (the process; lately i've been keeping task manager open so i
can monitor my computer stats) starts jumping up and down the list of
processes, when set to sort by cpu usage.

That sounds like a parasitic infection. See
http://aumha.org/a/parasite.htm
and
http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm