explorer.exe application error

[Jim White]

One of our PCs came up with this error today and,
naturally, Microsft has no helpful info on it's website.

The dialog box opens after you reach the desktop.
Top line is: explorer.exe application error
The dialog itself contains: The instruction
at "0x017679f9" referenced memory at "0x00000030". The
memory could not be read.

Click OK to terminate (which clears the desktop and the
world stops)
Click to Cancel (which opens another dialog box indicating
an error log is being created, it closes, and the original
error appears again)

Any ideas as to just what's happening here?

Thank you,
Jim White
State Street Corp.

 

[Pat [MSFT]]

It means that something (possibly spyware) is loading into explorer and
causing a crash. Explorer plays host to a lot of other applications, and it
is likely one of them that is having the problem.

Also, what OS are you running?

Suggestions:
1) Run Windows Update to make sure you have the latest fixes.
2) Run a spyware checker (Ad-Aware, etc.) and make sure that you are clean.
AV Software doesn't (as a rule) detect spyware b/c they technically aren't
virii.
3) Check to see if a User.dmp file was created in the \windows\ directory
with a time stamp that matches one of the Explorer.exe failures. If it was,
we may be able to identify the culprit directly.


Pat