Explorer crashing/Control Panel

[Ray]

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have a problem that I am hoping you can help me
with.

OS is RC2 x86, it's been running very well until today, when trying to
access the Control Panel, I keep getting the message the "Windows Explorer
has stopped working", yada, yada, yada.

I can get to all of the "tools" from C:\Windows\System32, or if I go
toStart-Computer and then hit the down arrow for Control Panel I can get to
and use all of them *except* for Network and Sharing. If I try and bring up
that window it will crash. I changed the view to display as a menu and when
I hover the cursor over the icon for CP (I don't even have to click) it
crashes.
The same thing if I put it on the desktop as a shortcut.

It seems to me to be someway linked to Network and Sharing, but for the life
of me I don't know what or how. I'm open to any and all ideas

Ray

 

[Chad Harris]

Ray--

1) You can usually access Network and Sharing on the Start Menu.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/921070/en-us

2) Type control panel in help and when it comes up just click in the address
bar to the right of control panel and you should be able to access it and
click it.

CH

 

[Ray]

Thanks Chad, I never tried that way to get there, but I have a feeling that
wouldn't have worked either.

I did fix it though, I went looking in the Event logs and found references
to Explorer errors and a module ALSNDMGR.CPL (why can't you copy from those
windows).
Google told me it was a component of RealTek drivers, Bingo, I had recently
updated those drivers to try and fix a sound problem that actually turned
out to be a problem with video drivers, go figure.
I removed the Realtek drivers, rebooted and let Vista do it's thing. It
found the hardware, installed drivers and away I go.

Ray