Explorer.exe shoots to 97% CPU usage

[Simon]

hello all:
When I click on some Windows (XP pro) explorer.exe shoots
all the way to 97% CPU usage and system basically hangs
until I end the process). The history:
While browsing some suspicious sites a couple of weeks
ago, some spyware and adware was installed on my system.
One of them was optimize.exe (although I'm not sure this
is the culprit.)
Anyways I ran few spyware utilities and CW shredder and
removed all that was found. Still the problem persists.
The problem doesn't occurr in Safe Mode, yet if I run
Windows using the diagnostics startup (which actually
disables all applications and services except Remote
Procedure Call) the problem doesn't go away.
So please, I'm looking for ideas before I resort to
formatting.
by the way I had restore disabled (grrrrr)

Thanks in advance

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

A Program Stops Performing a Task or Explorer.exe Uses 100 Percent
of the CPU When You Right-Click an Item in Windows Explorer
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;819946

Windows Stops Responding When You Click a Large AVI File in Windows Explorer
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;822430&Product=winxp

The only way to obtain this patch is to contact Microsoft as outlined in the article.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services
to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone
numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

NOTE: In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may
be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update
will resolve your problem. The typical support costs will apply to additional support
questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


| hello all:
| When I click on some Windows (XP pro) explorer.exe shoots
| all the way to 97% CPU usage and system basically hangs
| until I end the process). The history:
| While browsing some suspicious sites a couple of weeks
| ago, some spyware and adware was installed on my system.
| One of them was optimize.exe (although I'm not sure this
| is the culprit.)
| Anyways I ran few spyware utilities and CW shredder and
| removed all that was found. Still the problem persists.
| The problem doesn't occurr in Safe Mode, yet if I run
| Windows using the diagnostics startup (which actually
| disables all applications and services except Remote
| Procedure Call) the problem doesn't go away.
| So please, I'm looking for ideas before I resort to
| formatting.
| by the way I had restore disabled (grrrrr)
|
| Thanks in advance

 

[Paul G]

The problem is explorer.exe itself. Refer to KB 819946,
but the workarounds in here are not complete. If
you "show details" in folders you will also get the
problem, if you happen to browse to folders with the wrong
combination of media files...

You can kill the process, log off and log back on to get
your systems performance up to scratch. Clearly not a
fix, but at least we can keep working while MS sort out
the fix.

One of the MVPs says a fix is available from MS but you
have to contact them directly. I'm waiting to hear back
from them as we speak.