Windows XP

I get messages from people having problems with Windows Explorer crashes on a regular basis. Mostly they go something like this: "When I right-click a file in Windows Explorer, I get a message that Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close" or "When I try to browse through the folders on my computer, I receive an error message that Windows Explorer needs to close."

In a lot of cases, these errors are caused by 3rd party shell extensions that are not functioning properly.

These shell extensions are responsible for creating the options you'll see on the menu when you right-click a file using Windows Explorer. Some 3rd party applications will add their own "action" to this menu, and this can cause problems.

If you look careful at the picture on the right, you'll see several non-standard additions to the right-click menu: "Send to Fax Recipient", "Scan with Norton Antivirus", "TextPad" and "Winzip".

To try and find if a 3rd party shell extension is causing your Windows Explorer to crash on certain actions, you'll need to download this handy (and free) utility: ShelExView. It will let you view & disable shell extensions.

After you downloaded & executed it, ShelExView will show all shell extensions installed on your system. You could sort the entries so that you'll have all non Microsoft shell extensions grouped together. Next, select all these non Microsoft shell extensions, and disable them. Try the sequence that would previously have resulted in Windows Explorer crashing (for example browsing a folder, or right-clicking a file). If no crash occurred, one of the shell extensions you disabled has been causing the crash. To find out which one, start enabling one shell extension at a time, each time testing to make sure you can still use Windows Explorer without it crashing, until you find the shell extension that would cause Windows Explorer to crash.

ShelExView gives you all additional information you need to know such as the product & company name of the shell extension, as well as the version number. If you would like to continue using the software of the 3rd party whose shell extension is causing the Explorer crash, contact the company responsible, and check to see if there is an updated version of the software you are trying to use.




Another cause of Windows Explorer crashes can also be attributed to the existence of viruses or spyware on the machine. To tackle this, start by running one or two on-line virus scans. I'd suggest the on-line scan from eTrust, Trend Micro's HouseCall, or the Online Scan from RAV.

To combat any spyware that might lurk on your machine, I'd suggest the following programs: Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware (Beta), Lavasoft's Ad-Aware, Rose City Software's Spyware Medic, or Spybot's Search & Distroy. As with Anti-virus scanners, run at least two different ones, they will detect different things!

If you need more help in fighting Spyware or Virus infections, start by reading these instructions on our WindowsBBS.com support forum, and post a message in the appropriate forum.




If after following the advice above, you are still getting crashes when opening/using Windows Explorer, we need to do some advanced troubleshooting (Windows 2000/XP/2003 only).

Please follow the following instructions carefully:

Download and install the Debugging Tools for Windows from Microsoft
Download our DebugWizard tool
Extract the debugwiz.exe file, and place it anywhere on your system (the desktop will be fine)
Click the Browse button next to the Dump file to be analyzed box
Depending on the cause of the crash & how your system is setup, the dump file will most likely be located in \Windows\Minidump\. Do a search for *.dmp if that fails. Look for a date/time on the dump that corresponds with the latest crash.
Select the most recent dump file, and click Generate Log
When the Command Prompt window closes, you should be able to locate the debuglog.txt file in C:\
Go to Microsoft Support Services, and select an option to "open" a support request
You can use the log file (debuglog.txt) generated to supply the needed information to start your support request



Below I have listed a number of Microsoft Knowledge Base Articles dealing with Windows Explorer crashes:

KB Art. # Title Applies to
188540 You receive an "Invalid page fault" error message when you try to view the contents of a folder or its subfolders by using Thumbnail view in Windows Explorer Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP
192315 "All Folders" pane missing or Windows Explorer is blank Windows 95, 98
221085 Error Message Typing Address in Address Box or in Open Box Internet Explorer 4.x, 5.x
227152 Error Message: Explorer Caused an Invalid Page Fault in Pdm.dll Windows 98 Second Edition
257675 Windows Explorer May Hang When Viewing Images Internet Explorer 5.x
266320 Error Message When You Use Windows Explorer to Search for Files or Folders Windows 2000
289799 Desktop Is White and Error Message Reports a Windows Explorer Error in Browseui.dll Windows Me
293174 Error Message: Explorer Caused an Invalid Page Fault in Module Browseui.dll Windows 98, 98 SE
306599 Error Message: Error Loading Explorer.exe You Must Reinstall Windows Windows 98, 98 SE, Millennium Edition
317250 Access Violation in Windows Explorer When You View Printer Properties in Active Directory Windows 2000
320563 Windows Explorer Quits When You View Contents of My Computer Windows XP
322857 Windows Explorer Quits and Generates an Error Message When You Try to Map a Network Drive Windows 2000, XP
326612 "Explorer.exe Has Generated Errors and Will Be Closed By Windows" Error Message When You Try to Install Service Pack 3 Windows 2000 SP3
329692 Explorer.exe may generate an application error when you close a folder Windows XP SP1
555177 Windows XP halts on desktop when loading Windows Explorer, after upgrading to Service Pack 2 Windows XP
810891 Access Violation Occurs in Windows Explorer When the My Computer Window Is Refreshed Windows 2000
811266 You receive a "Windows Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close" error message when you try to open My Network Places in Windows XP Windows XP
815240 Windows Explorer Stops Responding When You Try to Rotate a JPEG Image in Windows Picture and Fax Viewer Windows XP
817768 Windows Explorer Stops Responding When It Tries to Sort More Than 1 Million Objects on a RAID Controller Windows 2000
821403 Mipmapi.dll Error Message When You Point to "Send To" and Then Click "Mail Recipient" to Send a File in an E-mail Message Windows 2000, XP
824136 Error Message Occurs When File is Right-Clicked, or Problems Occur When Opening Certain Files in Autodesk or Discreet Products Windows 2000, XP
831938 My Computer and Windows Explorer unexpectedly quit when you try to open My Network Places or Shared Documents in Windows XP Windows XP
883791 Explorer.exe repeatedly quits unexpectedly in Windows XP Windows XP, XP SP1
925066 Windows Explorer may stop responding on a Windows XP-based client computer in a domain environment, and CPU usage is very high on the primary domain controller Windows XP Professional
930092 Windows Explorer stops responding on a Windows Vista-based computer when you try to open a file or a folder that resides on a Sony Ultra Portable universal serial bus drive Windows Vista
931702 Windows Explorer crashes when you try to remove the $WINDOWS.OLD folder from a computer that has been upgraded to Windows Vista Windows Vista

Thanks for the votes!
Windows XP: Clean the Start Menu
The Windows XP Start menu is "polluted" with a number of extra links courtesy of Microsoft. At the top there are links to the Internet and E-mail programs; these default to the Microsoft programs. We'll discuss changing those later.

Under those two shortcuts, we find the "Most frequently used" programs list. But when you start using other programs, you'll notice that Microsoft has given its own an apparent "head start", as they will be slow to disappear from the list.

It is, however, easy enough to remove a program from this list: just right-click on the program you want to remove, and from the menu select Remove from This List. When you right-click, you might also note that Pin to Start menu is an option. When you select that option, the shortcut will be moved to the top of the Start menu, directly below the E-mail link. You can also remove a program that was pinned to the Start menu by right-clicking, and choosing Unpin from Start menu (which will restore it to its position on the lower part of the start menu), or choosing Remove from This List, which will remove it completely from the Start menu.

Next you will notice a great number of links on the right side of the Start menu such as My Documents, My Recent Documents, My Pictures and My Music.

Well, I don't know about you, but that's nothing that I need there! Just right-click an empty space on the Start menu, click Properties, click Customize and select the Advanced tab.

Now you can customize the look & feel of your Start menu in whatever way you want! There are a number of items (Control Panel, My Computer, My Documents, My Music, and My Pictures) for which you have these three options:

Display as link
Display as menu
Don't display this item


It is especially useful to have the Control Panel as menu, as this will create faster access to the individual Control Panel applets.

There are another number of options... I suggest you check it out.

One other option I should mention is the Highlight newly installed programs. This is another annoyance you will want to switch off quickly! Not only will newly installed programs be listed with a yellowish highlight in the All Programs menu, you will also receive a pop-up when you open the start menu that tells you New programs installed.




On the General tab (after pressing Customize on the Taskbar and Start Menu properties), you can also change the Internet & E-mail programs listed on the Start menu. The drop-down boxes should contain all programs installed on your system.

Also you can change the number of shortcuts listed on the (left side) Start menu, as well as clear the whole list of programs in one shot.

On the Taskbar and Start Menu properties itself, you can also choose Classic Start menu. Choosing this option will make your start menu look like the Windows 2000 Start menu.