File explorer problem....

[Alan Moorman]

Windows Home XP with all updates and service packs.


I've routinely, when I want to move files around, opened two file
explorer windows.

This has never created any problem, except recently.

Frequently, when I open the second window, and click on the FOLDERS
mode button, the window freezes.

Then, if I close the window:
-- by clicking on the X
-- or by doing CNTRL-ALT-DEL and getting the task quitting menu and
quitting that particular, frozen, explorer window

The desktop disappears, then the icons reappear slowly, and the tray
has to be rebuilt -- except that most of the windows aplets which are
usually in the tray (volume control, etc.) don't appear -- only the
program icons appear (Spy sweeper, Norton, etc.)

What the heck????


Alan
============================


I am TERRIBLY cruel to my cat. I tease him with a vine tendril
until he either jumps up in the air to bat at it or zooms around
in a circle until he gets too dizzy to stand up. What is cruel about
it is that I don't do it nearly as much as he wants me to.

=============================

 

[Malke]

Windows Home XP with all updates and service packs.


I've routinely, when I want to move files around, opened two file
explorer windows.

This has never created any problem, except recently.

Frequently, when I open the second window, and click on the FOLDERS
mode button, the window freezes.

Then, if I close the window:
-- by clicking on the X
-- or by doing CNTRL-ALT-DEL and getting the task quitting menu and
quitting that particular, frozen, explorer window

The desktop disappears, then the icons reappear slowly, and the tray
has to be rebuilt -- except that most of the windows aplets which are
usually in the tray (volume control, etc.) don't appear -- only the
program icons appear (Spy sweeper, Norton, etc.)

Is this the same computer on which you are having the Remote Desktop
problem? Here are some suggestions for both problems:

1. Stop the automatic rebooting so you can get a Stop Error (Blue Screen).
Write down the stop error and research it at the link below.

Control Panel>System>Advanced>Startup and Recovery>Settings and under System
Failure uncheck "Automatically Restart".

http://www.aumha.org/win5/kbestop.htm

2. There have been many posts from people having odd Explorer problems that
were traced to the latest version of SpySweeper. Try disabling SpySweeper
and see if that makes a difference. If that solves the issue, you have a
clear cause-and-effect. Contact SpySweeper tech support for workarounds
and/or solutions if this is the case.

3. Make sure the fan on your video card is working. The errors could also be
related to a failing video card but since I don't know anything about your
hardware that's as specific as I can get.

4. The First Question Of Troubleshooting: what changed between the time
things worked and the time they didn't? Did you update the video drivers?
If so, roll them back. If not, try updating them. Here is information about
updating drivers:

Never get drivers from Windows Update. Get them from:

1. The device mftr.'s website; OR
2. The motherboard mftr.'s website if hardware is onboard; OR
3. The OEM's website for your specific machine if you have an OEM computer
(HP, Dell, Sony, etc.).

Read the installation instructions on the website where you get the drivers.

To find out what hardware is in your computer:

1. Read any documentation you got when you bought the computer.
2. If the computer is OEM, go to the OEM's website for your specific model
machine and look at the specs (you'll be there to get the drivers anyway)
3. Download, install and run a free system inventory program like Belarc
Advisor. The older Aida32 is good for this, too.

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html - Belarc Advisor
http://www.aumha.org/free.htm - Aida32 (hosted on Jim Eshelman's site)

If you have installed drivers from Windows Update, you can roll them back:
How to Roll Back a Device Driver - http://tinyurl.com/86yb6

Malke

 

[Alan Moorman]

Thanks!

That gives me a lot go look at.

Yes, both problems are on the same computer.


Alan

 

[DanS]

Alan (e-mail address removed) wrote in 4ax.com:

Then, if I close the window:
-- by clicking on the X
-- or by doing CNTRL-ALT-DEL and getting the task quitting menu and
quitting that particular, frozen, explorer window

The desktop disappears, then the icons reappear slowly, and the tray
has to be rebuilt -- except that most of the windows aplets which are
usually in the tray (volume control, etc.) don't appear -- only the
program icons appear (Spy sweeper, Norton, etc.)

What the heck????


Alan

The desktop is provided by explorer.exe. When you kill the Explorer
process, windows will restart it automatically.

The reason all tray icons don't re-appear is because many applications are
not coded properly. When the shell restarts (explorer.exe in this case) it
broadcasts a message to all running processes... TASKBARCREATED. At this
point, any programs that provide a system tray icon are supposed to respond
to the shell with the info needed to put the icon there. Many do not.

Regards,

DanS

 

[Alan Moorman]

Alan (e-mail address removed) wrote in 4ax.com:


The desktop is provided by explorer.exe. When you kill the Explorer
process, windows will restart it automatically.

The reason all tray icons don't re-appear is because many applications are
not coded properly. When the shell restarts (explorer.exe in this case) it
broadcasts a message to all running processes... TASKBARCREATED. At this
point, any programs that provide a system tray icon are supposed to respond
to the shell with the info needed to put the icon there. Many do not.

Regards,

DanS

Thanks!


Alan

 

[Guest]

Windows Home XP with all updates and service packs.


I've routinely, when I want to move files around, opened two file
explorer windows.

This has never created any problem, except recently.

Frequently, when I open the second window, and click on the FOLDERS
mode button, the window freezes.

Then, if I close the window:
-- by clicking on the X
-- or by doing CNTRL-ALT-DEL and getting the task quitting menu and
quitting that particular, frozen, explorer window

The desktop disappears, then the icons reappear slowly, and the tray
has to be rebuilt -- except that most of the windows aplets which are
usually in the tray (volume control, etc.) don't appear -- only the
program icons appear (Spy sweeper, Norton, etc.)

What the heck????


Alan
============================


I am TERRIBLY cruel to my cat. I tease him with a vine tendril
until he either jumps up in the air to bat at it or zooms around
in a circle until he gets too dizzy to stand up. What is cruel about
it is that I don't do it nearly as much as he wants me to.

=============================

 

[NewScience]

Unless you have the option set to Launch Windows in a separate process,
killing the Explorer window in Task Manager in essence kills the kernel
shell Explorer.

If you set that option under Folder Options | View, you will get a separate
process from the kernel. When you open Task Manager, you should see
separate Explorer.exe apps running.

When you click 'X' Close, though, this should never happen (dealing with
starting TaskBar, ...).

See if setting this option also fixes the other problem.

 

[Alan Moorman]

Thanks.... I never knew any of that!

Alan

Unless you have the option set to Launch Windows in a separate process,
killing the Explorer window in Task Manager in essence kills the kernel
shell Explorer.

If you set that option under Folder Options | View, you will get a separate
process from the kernel. When you open Task Manager, you should see
separate Explorer.exe apps running.

When you click 'X' Close, though, this should never happen (dealing with
starting TaskBar, ...).

See if setting this option also fixes the other problem.

 

[Alan Moorman]

Well, this creates an unforeseen problem. I have a dozen icons on
my desktop, each for a folder that I open frequently. When I change
the option to open in a separate process, the windows I open don't
remember their previous size and position.

While this isn't a killer, it is inconvenient!

A side issue -- I think my problem went away with the hot weather,
and may be related to the video card running hot, as someone else
suggested.

For what that's all worth.....

Alan Moorman

 

[Alan Moorman]

Talking to myself, again...

Well, it seems that, once set, the windows remember their size and
position, in this mode, too.

Great!