F
Frank D. Nicodem, Jr.
Over time, I've had the normal problems with occasional Windows Explorer
crashes that plague everyone. However, starting today, something new is
happening. Now, I cannot run Windows Explorer *at all*. If I try (and I
normally use the Windows+E shortcut key to start Explorer), there's a brief
pause, then my desktop "crashes". It goes completely blank, and then
flashes, and then the icons are reinitiated. In the mean time, I get the
error box saying that Windows Explorer has crashed, and would I like to send
a log of the error to Microsoft.
Earlier today, while I was still able to run Explorer (occasionally), it
would crash every time I would right-click on a file. Now it's crashing ALL
the time. I cannot bring up an Explorer window. Internet Explorer seems to
run just fine, as does Outlook Express, both of which (I had thought) were
based on the same "core" structures.
I also tried running Explorer from the Start|Run menu option, and typing in
"explorer". A window opened to My Computer, and I could open any disk, and
any folder. I could even double-click on files and operate on them.
However, as soon as I right-clicked on any file, the same crash occurred.
Similarly, I *can* double-click on My Computer, and see all of my hard
drives. I can even open them (again, by double-clicking), and see the
folders in them. However, I can't typically go much beyond that. Once I
get to the file level, or try to right-click on anything in the window, it
crashes as before -- wiping out my desktop, and asking if I want to send a
log file to Microsoft.
I do not have a System Restore point that I can go back to. I do not have
the slightest idea of where to begin debugging this, or what the "fix" might
be. I have NOT yet installed SP2 (simply because I don't have the disk
space for it at the moment), but I do have all other Windows patches
up-to-date. I also run Norton AntiVirus, and ZoneLabs ZoneAlarm Pro, along
with SpyBot Search & Destroy, and one or two other spyware detectors. (All
this to say that I feel VERY confident that my system is "clean" of any
troublesome viruses, trojans, worms, etc.)
I've run CHKDSK on every one of my partitions. There are no errors. What
else can I do? I am effectively locked out of Windows Explorer!
crashes that plague everyone. However, starting today, something new is
happening. Now, I cannot run Windows Explorer *at all*. If I try (and I
normally use the Windows+E shortcut key to start Explorer), there's a brief
pause, then my desktop "crashes". It goes completely blank, and then
flashes, and then the icons are reinitiated. In the mean time, I get the
error box saying that Windows Explorer has crashed, and would I like to send
a log of the error to Microsoft.
Earlier today, while I was still able to run Explorer (occasionally), it
would crash every time I would right-click on a file. Now it's crashing ALL
the time. I cannot bring up an Explorer window. Internet Explorer seems to
run just fine, as does Outlook Express, both of which (I had thought) were
based on the same "core" structures.
I also tried running Explorer from the Start|Run menu option, and typing in
"explorer". A window opened to My Computer, and I could open any disk, and
any folder. I could even double-click on files and operate on them.
However, as soon as I right-clicked on any file, the same crash occurred.
Similarly, I *can* double-click on My Computer, and see all of my hard
drives. I can even open them (again, by double-clicking), and see the
folders in them. However, I can't typically go much beyond that. Once I
get to the file level, or try to right-click on anything in the window, it
crashes as before -- wiping out my desktop, and asking if I want to send a
log file to Microsoft.
I do not have a System Restore point that I can go back to. I do not have
the slightest idea of where to begin debugging this, or what the "fix" might
be. I have NOT yet installed SP2 (simply because I don't have the disk
space for it at the moment), but I do have all other Windows patches
up-to-date. I also run Norton AntiVirus, and ZoneLabs ZoneAlarm Pro, along
with SpyBot Search & Destroy, and one or two other spyware detectors. (All
this to say that I feel VERY confident that my system is "clean" of any
troublesome viruses, trojans, worms, etc.)
I've run CHKDSK on every one of my partitions. There are no errors. What
else can I do? I am effectively locked out of Windows Explorer!