Windows Explorer Crash - need help

[gecko]

Every time I click on certain files in Windows Explorer, it crashes
with the error window WINDOWS EXPLORER HAS ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM.

It usually happens with large avi files.
I am using XP SP2.
Can anyone help?

Thanks

Gecko

 

[RalfG]

Either those particular AVI files are corrupt or there is a compatibility
problem with the codec that is being used to render them. AVI files with
multiple language tracks can sometimes also cause this symptom.

Two tools worth keeping on the computer, GSPOT for examining video files
(identify codecs, problem files) and VLC(Videolan) player for playing video
file formats that WMP doesn't normally support and video files needing
codecs that you don't have installed.

 

[c.t.a.]

I have the same problem but with almost any video file and i just don't know
what to do. I don't think I haven't codecs because I have a big pack of
codecs. I'll try what RalfG suggested.

 

[gecko]

Either those particular AVI files are corrupt or there is a compatibility
problem with the codec that is being used to render them. AVI files with
multiple language tracks can sometimes also cause this symptom.

Two tools worth keeping on the computer, GSPOT for examining video files
(identify codecs, problem files) and VLC(Videolan) player for playing video
file formats that WMP doesn't normally support and video files needing
codecs that you don't have installed.

VLC plays the problem .avi clips just fine. When I open MediaPlayer
V6 though it also crashes with the same error statement except the
error is said to be in Media Player. Strange. VLC and MP both play
other .avi clips fine.

 

[RalfG]

VLC doesn't use the codecs installed in Windows to play the files, WMP does.
VLC also has audio, video and subtitle track switching built in while WMP
requires 3rd party splitters and other components to handle the same files.
Try installing the FFDSHOW filter and see what happens with the file in WMP.
It provides (selectable) decoder support for most CODECs you'll run into,
track splitting, subtitle support etc. etc.

 

[RalfG]

Codec packs can cause problems too, installing codecs with partial
compatibility and sometimes hacked codecs. For playback purposes FFDSHOW can
replace almost all of the codecs you'll find in codec packs.

 

[gecko]

VLC doesn't use the codecs installed in Windows to play the files, WMP does.
VLC also has audio, video and subtitle track switching built in while WMP
requires 3rd party splitters and other components to handle the same files.
Try installing the FFDSHOW filter and see what happens with the file in WMP.
It provides (selectable) decoder support for most CODECs you'll run into,
track splitting, subtitle support etc. etc.

Thanks for your response and info. I downloaded and installed
FFDSHOW, and things improved somewhat.

First, now I can execute WMP directly, and open in it the problem avi
file and WMP plays the file with no error indicated.
Second, when I double click on the problem .avi file in Windows
Explorer I still get the identical error in Windows Explorer, but now
the file plays on WMV fine. Before it didn't.

Gecko

 

[RalfG]

It sounds like the file is damaged somehow. If it is one of your own
creations, redo it. Opening the file in some video editor (VirtualDub,
MediaCoder etc.) then resaving without any changes (aka direct stream copy)
sometimes works to repair damaged or incorrect file header information.
That may be enough to fix the Explorer errors. VirtualDubMod can be used to
strip out extra language tracks (if any) that could be problematic. If the
file was downloaded you could try redownloading with file integrity checking
enabled (use the existing file to save on download time). If that doesn't
show/correct an error in the file then editing it or converting it are the
only other options I can think of short of finding a different copy of the
same video.

 

[c.t.a.]

thanks for the advise.. i uninstalled the codec pack and now I don't get any
more these errors

 

[gecko]

It sounds like the file is damaged somehow. If it is one of your own
creations, redo it. Opening the file in some video editor (VirtualDub,
MediaCoder etc.) then resaving without any changes (aka direct stream copy)
sometimes works to repair damaged or incorrect file header information.
That may be enough to fix the Explorer errors. VirtualDubMod can be used to
strip out extra language tracks (if any) that could be problematic. If the
file was downloaded you could try redownloading with file integrity checking
enabled (use the existing file to save on download time). If that doesn't
show/correct an error in the file then editing it or converting it are the
only other options I can think of short of finding a different copy of the
same video.

Thanks again for responses.

Since my last post, I have tried something. I downloaded three avi
movie clips. All three play just fine in VLC if I run VLC directly
and open the avi file. Ditto for Media Player for TWO of the avi
files. When I open the third avi file in MP, the error window about
having to restart Windows Explorer occurs, BUT it does play in MP.
When I run Windows Explorer directly, and click on the three files,
two files bring up MP automatically and play without indicating any
error, but the same third file blows Windows Explorer, and indicates
the SAME error, AND DOES NOT PLAY THE FILE.

Now then, I went to Command Prompt (DOS) and renamed the problem file
to its same name WITHOUT THE .AVI SUFFIX. When I returned to XP, the
problem file plays WITHOUT ANY error in MP (and VLC). Of course,
clicking on the file in Windows Explorer does nothing because there is
no AVI to associate. This leads me to believe that my problem is in
XP's file association. IOW, that the avi file association scheme is
broke. Do you have any idea how I can fix that? I'd like to try it
just for kicks.

Thanks for your patience.

Gecko

 

[RalfG]

Wrong guess, file association isn't broken. A file could concievably have
the wrong extension in the first place though. GSpot should indicate if the
file contents didn't match the extension. The problem is still the same as
before, those specific files that cause Explorer to crash are what's
damaged. For known media file types Explorer opens the file to extract
metadata information stored there and create thumbnail images. If there's
corruption in the data that it can't handle or ignore, Exporer crashes.
Renaming the file extension only stopped Explorer from trying to read the
data.

 

[gecko]

Wrong guess, file association isn't broken. A file could concievably have
the wrong extension in the first place though. GSpot should indicate if the
file contents didn't match the extension. The problem is still the same as
before, those specific files that cause Explorer to crash are what's
damaged. For known media file types Explorer opens the file to extract
metadata information stored there and create thumbnail images. If there's
corruption in the data that it can't handle or ignore, Exporer crashes.
Renaming the file extension only stopped Explorer from trying to read the
data.

I see your point. How is it then that Xilisoft will make a DVD from
the 'bad' avi clip, using is name with the suffix .avi? I tried demo
Xilisoft as a test and it worked fine. If the file were bad,
shouldn't Xilisoft have balked?

Gecko

 

[RalfG]

Apples and oranges. The apps are doing different jobs with different parts
of the file contents so you can't really compare them. You already knew that
the audio and video streams within the avi file were (probably) intact from
having played them.