explorer.exe problem

[forked]

Running XP Pro SP1.

All of a sudden explorer.exe does not shut down when I either turn off
or reboot. This causes me to end up with a black screen after the
reboot finishes, leaving me without a desktop.

I know it is an explorer.exe problem because I reproduced it by going
into taskmanager and shutting the explorer.exe process down and I get
the same black screen without a desktop.

To get the PC to reboot correctly I have to actually take the power
cord out for a few seconds and then the system reboots fine.

Any ideas on fixing this. I haven't changed anything in the system
making this harder for figure out why this just started to happen.

I did a complete virus/trojan scan, nothing found.

TIA for any replies!!

 

[Malke]

Running XP Pro SP1.

All of a sudden explorer.exe does not shut down when I either turn off
or reboot. This causes me to end up with a black screen after the
reboot finishes, leaving me without a desktop.

I know it is an explorer.exe problem because I reproduced it by going
into taskmanager and shutting the explorer.exe process down and I get
the same black screen without a desktop.

To get the PC to reboot correctly I have to actually take the power
cord out for a few seconds and then the system reboots fine.

Any ideas on fixing this. I haven't changed anything in the system
making this harder for figure out why this just started to happen.

I did a complete virus/trojan scan, nothing found.

TIA for any replies!!

Unfortunately, this isn't enough information to get a specific answer.
Explorer.exe is the Windows graphical user interface. Assuming your av
program is a current version and the definitions are updated, I would
also scan for spyware. Another thing to check is what programs and
processes are running with Task Manager. Since we don't know what they
are, you'll have to Sherlock that yourself. You may also be having
hardware problems. There is just no way of telling from your post. Here
are some generic troubleshooting steps:

A. For software issues - 1) scan with current antivirus ("current" means
a version not earlier than 2002 but using updated virus definitions);
2) remove spyware with Spybot Search & Destroy
(www.safer-networking.org) and Ad-aware (www.lavasoftusa.com). These
programs are free, so use them both since they complement each other.
You may also want to run CWShredder and HijackThis from
http://aumha.org/freeware.htm. Although CWShredder is no longer being
updated, it will still clean older variants of the CoolWebSearch
malware. Always read the instructions before running a spyware removal
tool. Be sure to update these programs before running, and it is a good
idea to do virus/spyware scans in Safe Mode; 3) delete temporary and
Temporary Internet Files; 4) stop unnecessary services/programs from
starting with Windows - see www.blackviper.com for services info and
www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_index.htm for programs info; 5) look in
Event Viewer for clues; 6) make sure you've visited Windows Update and
applied all security patches. Do not install driver updates from
Windows Update; 7) run a firewall.

B. For hardware issues - 1) open the computer and run it open, cleaning
out all dust bunnies and observing all fans (overheating will cause
system freezing); 2) test the RAM - I like Memtest86 from
www.memtest86.com - let the test run for an extended (like overnight)
period of time - unless errors are seen immediately; 3) test the hard
drive with a diagnostic utility from the mftr.; 4) the power supply may
be going bad or be inadequate for the devices you have in the system;
5) test the motherboard with something like TuffTest from
www.tufftest.com. Testing hardware failures often involves swapping out
suspected parts with known-good parts. If you can't do the testing
yourself and/or are uncomfortable opening your computer, take the
machine to a good local computer repair shop (not a CompUSA or Best Buy
type of store).

If, after trying some of the suggestions above, you are still having
problems, please repost. Include information about your computer specs
and what you've discovered from your troubleshooting.

Malke

 

[forked]

Unfortunately, this isn't enough information to get a specific answer.
Explorer.exe is the Windows graphical user interface. Assuming your av
program is a current version and the definitions are updated, I would
also scan for spyware. Another thing to check is what programs and
processes are running with Task Manager. Since we don't know what they
are, you'll have to Sherlock that yourself. You may also be having
hardware problems. There is just no way of telling from your post. Here
are some generic troubleshooting steps:

A. For software issues - 1) scan with current antivirus ("current" means
a version not earlier than 2002 but using updated virus definitions);
2) remove spyware with Spybot Search & Destroy
(www.safer-networking.org) and Ad-aware (www.lavasoftusa.com). These
programs are free, so use them both since they complement each other.
You may also want to run CWShredder and HijackThis from
http://aumha.org/freeware.htm. Although CWShredder is no longer being
updated, it will still clean older variants of the CoolWebSearch
malware. Always read the instructions before running a spyware removal
tool. Be sure to update these programs before running, and it is a good
idea to do virus/spyware scans in Safe Mode; 3) delete temporary and
Temporary Internet Files; 4) stop unnecessary services/programs from
starting with Windows - see www.blackviper.com for services info and
www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_index.htm for programs info; 5) look in
Event Viewer for clues; 6) make sure you've visited Windows Update and
applied all security patches. Do not install driver updates from
Windows Update; 7) run a firewall.

B. For hardware issues - 1) open the computer and run it open, cleaning
out all dust bunnies and observing all fans (overheating will cause
system freezing); 2) test the RAM - I like Memtest86 from
www.memtest86.com - let the test run for an extended (like overnight)
period of time - unless errors are seen immediately; 3) test the hard
drive with a diagnostic utility from the mftr.; 4) the power supply may
be going bad or be inadequate for the devices you have in the system;
5) test the motherboard with something like TuffTest from
www.tufftest.com. Testing hardware failures often involves swapping out
suspected parts with known-good parts. If you can't do the testing
yourself and/or are uncomfortable opening your computer, take the
machine to a good local computer repair shop (not a CompUSA or Best Buy
type of store).

If, after trying some of the suggestions above, you are still having
problems, please repost. Include information about your computer specs
and what you've discovered from your troubleshooting.

Malke

Thanks for the detailed reply.

What I did first was roll-back my video drivers and it seems to have
been the problem. I had recently installed the latest NVIDIA drivers
and up to now I have not had the problem since rolling back, so I am
hoping that was the cause.

Thanks again for that reply!

 

[Malke]

forked wrote:

Thanks for the detailed reply.

What I did first was roll-back my video drivers and it seems to have
been the problem. I had recently installed the latest NVIDIA drivers
and up to now I have not had the problem since rolling back, so I am
hoping that was the cause.

Thanks again for that reply!

Cool! I'm glad you got it sorted. Thanks for letting me know.

Cheers,

Malke