Explorer Error - My Observations and Solution - Read this one

[Mike]

My explorer observations -

There is one thing I have finally found I can do to reproduce an explorer
crash every single time with the error below

"Data execution Prevention - Microsoft Windows" <== this is the key
"To help protect your computer, Windows has closed this program"
Name: Windows Explorer

I have a solution that works for me - though I don't know how "unsafe" or
wise it is.

First how to reproduce the error:
In my media folder I have some very large media files, esp. my video
captures for projects - several over a Gig, one that is 9 Gig. I have to
keep my media folder views in detail mode, never thumbnail or I crash with
the error. If I single click or right click on the larger files (over a
Gig - haven't found the exact threshold) the preview does not display in the
folder sidebar and then I get the explorer error. The preview image in the
sidebar never shows up. The filesize etc. does. There seems to be an issue
handling large files in something that on file access. If I ignore the error
and don't click close - I can navigate normally and even run the file.
These are good files, not corrupt, I've ran them and used them in editing..
So far it seems to be a constant issue on any file that big.

Don't know if that is related to the other explorer issues I have read in
here or something else entirely. But the issue seems to be in the Data
Execution Prevention (DEP). If you right click on "My Computer" and go to
Properties, or go to the control panel and open up "System", go to the
Advanced tab, then the Data Execution Prevention tab - there are two
options - "Turn on DEP for essential Windows programs and services only"
(default setting). The other option is "Turn on DEP for all programs and
services except those I select" I changed the setting to the second one,
Windows Explorer appeared as a program to exclude from DEP, I checked it.
After a reboot - I no longer get the error doing the above. The only issue
now is that DEP is now on for all programs, and if this is the culprit, am I
going to have to add every program that misbehaves with DEP as the errors
occur?

Now this is the kicker - in the "Help and Support Center" on DEP - there is
this line:
"In cases where a program does not run correctly with DEP turned on, you can
reduce security risks by getting a DEP-compatible version of the program
from the software publisher."

OK, I'll bite - how do I ask Microsoft for a DEP compatible version of
Explorer.exe??

I have SP2 and all the latest patches, updates for Windows and my mb bios
(MSI K8N Neo2) and mb drivers.

Mike
Okana Cox.net

 

[Richard Urban]

It seems that you have caught Microsoft in a "gotcha".


--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

If you knew as much as you thought you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Steve N.]

My explorer observations -

There is one thing I have finally found I can do to reproduce an explorer
crash every single time with the error below

"Data execution Prevention - Microsoft Windows" <== this is the key
"To help protect your computer, Windows has closed this program"
Name: Windows Explorer

I have a solution that works for me - though I don't know how "unsafe" or
wise it is.

First how to reproduce the error:
In my media folder I have some very large media files, esp. my video
captures for projects - several over a Gig, one that is 9 Gig. I have to
keep my media folder views in detail mode, never thumbnail or I crash with
the error. If I single click or right click on the larger files (over a
Gig - haven't found the exact threshold) the preview does not display in the
folder sidebar and then I get the explorer error. The preview image in the
sidebar never shows up. The filesize etc. does. There seems to be an issue
handling large files in something that on file access. If I ignore the error
and don't click close - I can navigate normally and even run the file.
These are good files, not corrupt, I've ran them and used them in editing..
So far it seems to be a constant issue on any file that big.

Don't know if that is related to the other explorer issues I have read in
here or something else entirely. But the issue seems to be in the Data
Execution Prevention (DEP). If you right click on "My Computer" and go to
Properties, or go to the control panel and open up "System", go to the
Advanced tab, then the Data Execution Prevention tab - there are two
options - "Turn on DEP for essential Windows programs and services only"
(default setting). The other option is "Turn on DEP for all programs and
services except those I select" I changed the setting to the second one,
Windows Explorer appeared as a program to exclude from DEP, I checked it.
After a reboot - I no longer get the error doing the above. The only issue
now is that DEP is now on for all programs, and if this is the culprit, am I
going to have to add every program that misbehaves with DEP as the errors
occur?

Now this is the kicker - in the "Help and Support Center" on DEP - there is
this line:
"In cases where a program does not run correctly with DEP turned on, you can
reduce security risks by getting a DEP-compatible version of the program
from the software publisher."

OK, I'll bite - how do I ask Microsoft for a DEP compatible version of
Explorer.exe??

I have SP2 and all the latest patches, updates for Windows and my mb bios
(MSI K8N Neo2) and mb drivers.

Mike
Okana Cox.net

Do you have any 3rd party media programs installed? If so, they might be
the culprit and Windows Explorer might only be appearing as the source
of the problem, since all windowing programs must utilize Explorer.exe.
If that is the case then the 3rd party apps/add-ons are failing to
report to the OS the true source of the problem and DEP incompatibility
would lie with them, not with Explorer.exe.

Steve

 

[Mike]

That is a possibility, there is one picture viewer (Vueprint) that I had to
remove after all that because of DEP failure, it was old but served it's
purposes, it hasn't been updated by the developer in years - but the files I
was accessing are associated with Windows Media player - ?? they are basic
but very large AVI files

Now that the other program has been removed I will put the default setting
back and see what happens and post the results.

Mike

 

[Mike]

That seems to have done it - changed DEP back to the default, reboot and no
errors now - I thought of that same thing too after I hit the issues with
Vueprint - and I really liked that program for basic simple slideshow
viewing, too bad - I guess that is a good troubleshooting technique to keep
in the back pocket when explorer does crash due to DEP error remove explorer
from getting errors and then see what app(s) does error out that have file
associations attached to them.

Thanks Steve -

 

[Steve N.]

That seems to have done it - changed DEP back to the default, reboot and no
errors now - I thought of that same thing too after I hit the issues with
Vueprint - and I really liked that program for basic simple slideshow
viewing, too bad - I guess that is a good troubleshooting technique to keep
in the back pocket when explorer does crash due to DEP error remove explorer
from getting errors and then see what app(s) does error out that have file
associations attached to them.

Thanks Steve -

Glad to hear you got got it solved, and thank you for the follow-up.

Steve