Explorer Application Error, desktop crash

[MAG]

Hi folks-

I've got an IBM T30 running XP PRo SP1 (currently up to date with
drivers and fixes up to / not including SP2).

About 4 months ago, it started an annoying habit of Explorer crashing at
random times, usually when opening a folder or when changing focus from
an application back to the desktop.

I'll get an Application Error message from Explorer, or sometimes
Sysfade.exe, then the desktop gets rebuilt. But several applications in
the system tray area, such as power monitoring, don't show back up.

In rare cases, this will happen at time of logon which causes a BSOD,
requiring reboot. At othe times, it's "harmless but annoying" other
than the loss of the tray apps.

This did start happening after a flurry of MS software updates in late
spring, but I've never been able to track it down.

I'm not able to go up to SP2 yet, due to work restrictions, and I'd
rather not reinstall an old system image due to the effort needed to get
back to where I am now. I'm not sure I'd not get the problem back.

Any thoughts as to how to track down what might be causing this? Any
good diagnostics I can run that might watch for the problem and report
the problem?

Note that I keep my registry Run branches pretty clean. I'm virus and
malware free, according to McAfee, Lavasoft, and Spybot.

Marc

 

[Malke]

Hi folks-

I've got an IBM T30 running XP PRo SP1 (currently up to date with
drivers and fixes up to / not including SP2).

About 4 months ago, it started an annoying habit of Explorer crashing
at random times, usually when opening a folder or when changing focus
from an application back to the desktop.

I'll get an Application Error message from Explorer, or sometimes
Sysfade.exe, then the desktop gets rebuilt. But several applications
in the system tray area, such as power monitoring, don't show back up.

In rare cases, this will happen at time of logon which causes a BSOD,
requiring reboot. At othe times, it's "harmless but annoying" other
than the loss of the tray apps.

This did start happening after a flurry of MS software updates in late
spring, but I've never been able to track it down.

I'm not able to go up to SP2 yet, due to work restrictions, and I'd
rather not reinstall an old system image due to the effort needed to
get
back to where I am now. I'm not sure I'd not get the problem back.

Any thoughts as to how to track down what might be causing this? Any
good diagnostics I can run that might watch for the problem and report
the problem?

Note that I keep my registry Run branches pretty clean. I'm virus and
malware free, according to McAfee, Lavasoft, and Spybot.

Marc

See if IBM has some hardware diagnostic programs. It sounds to me like
that is where your problem lies rather than in software. My X31 has got
a blue IBM Access button to push when starting the system - the
diagnostic utilties might be there if your T30 has the same. You might
also want to call IBM tech support - they are excellent.

Malke

 

[MAG]

Subject: Re: Explorer Application Error, desktop crash
From: MAG <[email protected]>

See if IBM has some hardware diagnostic programs. It sounds to me like
that is where your problem lies rather than in software. My X31 has got
a blue IBM Access button to push when starting the system - the
diagnostic utilties might be there if your T30 has the same. You might
also want to call IBM tech support - they are excellent.

Malke

Hi Malke-

Thanks for the idea. RAM and everything else I've tried check out.
Since it happened right after a bunch of updates (noticed it within a
few days), I'm pretty sure it's a software thing. I really wish I hadn't
ignored it when it first showed up, but I thought it was a random thing.
IT took a few days before I realized there was a real problem, then I
was traveling and had no time to deal with it, yadda yadda yadda it's
fall.

Marc

 

[Malke]

Subject: Re: Explorer Application Error, desktop crash
From: MAG <[email protected]>


Hi Malke-

Thanks for the idea. RAM and everything else I've tried check out.
Since it happened right after a bunch of updates (noticed it within a
few days), I'm pretty sure it's a software thing. I really wish I
hadn't ignored it when it first showed up, but I thought it was a
random thing. IT took a few days before I realized there was a real
problem, then I was traveling and had no time to deal with it, yadda
yadda yadda it's fall.

Marc

I did a Google for "Sysfade" and it asked me if I really meant
"Sysfader" which brought up more productive links. Here are some
related postings in a Wilders Security forum:

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=24363

Various Google links give different results (you can check with Google
yourself), but it seems a consensus that Sysfader.exe causes problems
and you can disable it with msconfig. I think I'd try that.

Malke