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.

Updates for today

Windows 2000 is Microsoft's "business OS", but fact is that more and more consumers are moving to this - the most stable - windows version.

If you need help with Windows 2000, browse to our Support.




Microsoft Windows Security Bulletin Summary for September, 2007



The security update for September 2007 includes one update for Microsoft Windows, and one for MSN Messenger/Windows Live Messenger.

Microsoft Windows Security Bulletin Summary for August, 2007



The security update for August 2007 includes five updates for Microsoft Windows, and two for Internet Explorer.

Microsoft Windows Security Bulletin Summary for July, 2007



The security update for July 2007 includes three updates for Microsoft Windows, and one for .NET Framework.

Microsoft Updates Malicious Software Removal Tool



Microsoft has updated the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool to help remove specific, prevalent malicious software from computers that are running Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista or Windows XP.

Microsoft Windows Security Bulletin Summary for May, 2007



The security update for May 2007 includes one update for Microsoft Windows and one for Internet Explorer.

Microsoft Windows Security Bulletin Summary for April, 2007



The security update for April 2007 includes five updates for Microsoft Windows.

Microsoft Windows Security Bulletin Summary for February, 2007



The security update for February 2007 includes seven updates for Microsoft Windows, and one update for Internet Explorer.

Microsoft Updates Malicious Software Removal Tool



Microsoft has updated the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool to help remove specific, prevalent malicious software from computers that are running Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Windows XP, or Microsoft Windows 2000.

Microsoft Windows Security Bulletin Summary for December, 2006



The security update for December 2006 includes four fixes for Microsoft Windows, one for Internet Explorer and one for Outlook Express.

Windows User State Migration Tool (USMT) version 3.0



Microsoft Windows User State Migration Tool (USMT) version 3.0 migrates user files and settings during deployments of Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista. You can use USMT to perform unattended migrations and to migrate files and settings for computers with multiple users. Also, with USMT you have the ability to encrypt and compress the store. USMT 3.0 is intended for administrators who are performing automated deployments.

2

Earth Day is in April 24 2009!!!
Have a great Earth Day!

New for vista

Windows® Vista™ is Microsoft's next generation operating system, formerly known by its code-name Longhorn.
Originally announced in 2001, and officially unveiled at Microsoft's 2003 developers' conference, Windows Vista faced numerous delays; with Microsoft scaling back some of its features in order to help get it out the door within the stated target of 2006. Windows Vista was released in November 2006 for business customers, and for consumers in January 2007.
On this portal page you will find information about Windows Vista.
Index:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Troubleshooting Windows Vista
Windows Vista How To's
Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate 1
27 January 2009, 20:30 GMT
Yesterday Microsoft announced the release of Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate 1 (RC1). This release is the first update sice the public Beta 2 release last August.
Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Public Beta
13 December 2008, 14:05 GMT
Early this month Microsoft released a Beta of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 via their Customer Preview Program (CPP). The beta was released in five languages: English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish.
Update for Windows Vista (KB956774)
2 October 2008, 19:30 GMT
Microsoft released an update for Windows Vista & Windows Vista x64 Edition to resolve the scenario where a Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) client cannot handle files that have paths that contain the volume GUID in Windows Vista Service Pack 1.
Update for Windows Vista (KB957055)
5 September 2008, 13:55 GMT
Microsoft released an update for Windows Vista & Windows Vista x64 Edition to resolve a known application compatibility issue when using Real Networks Real Player11 with a Beta version of Internet Explorer 8 on Windows Vista Service Pack 1.
Update for Windows Vista (KB951725)
5 September 2008, 13:55 GMT
Microsoft released an update for Windows Vista & Windows Vista x64 Edition for Microsoft Management Console snap-in context Help topics.
Update for Windows Vista (KB948473)
5 September 2008, 13:55 GMT
Microsoft released an update for Windows Vista & Windows Vista x64 Edition to resolve an issue in which WHQL test does not finish successfully on a system that is running Windows Vista with multiple display adapters in a Linked Display Adapter configuration
Update for Windows Vista (KB953026)
5 September 2008, 13:55 GMT
Microsoft released an update for Windows Vista & Windows Vista x64 Edition to resolve an issue where Dxgkrnl.sys may crash your windows-based operating system.
Update for Windows Vista (KB954708)
5 September 2008, 13:55 GMT
Microsoft released an update for Windows Vista & Windows Vista x64 Edition to enable XMP metadata with complex data types to be stored using Windows Imaging Component.
Microsoft to Launch Vista Ad Campaign
26 July 2008, 10:30 GMT
Windows Vista may have been on the market for a good year and a half now, but Microsoft finally thought it would be necessary to launch a multi-million dollar ad campaign. The aim of this campaign is to remove doubts & misconceptions about the OS.
Update for Windows Vista (KB950888)
24 July 2008, 12:50 GMT
Microsoft released an update for Windows Vista & Windows Vista x64 Edition to resolve the issue in which users cannot create multiple Rights Management Services client sessions per user context.
Update for Windows Vista (KB952664)
14 July 2008, 08:50 GMT
Microsoft released an update for Windows Vista & Windows Vista x64 Edition to resolve the issue in which the Crimson service stops responding when a remote subscription disconnects while a client is being delivered events.
Update for Windows Vista (KB951072)
7 July 2008, 15:55 GMT
Microsoft released an update for Windows Vista & Windows Vista x64 Edition to resolve an issue that is caused by revised daylight saving time laws in many countries
Windows Vista Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
December 21, 2006 - 10:50 GMT
Frequently asked questions and general information about Windows Vista.
Slipstream Windows Vista Service Pack 1
12 May 2008, 17:25 GMT
Slipstreaming a Service Pack, is the process to integrate the Service Pack into the installation so that with every new installation the Operating System and Service Pack are installed at the same time.
Windows Vista: Which Edition Should You Get?
November 10, 2006 - 16:30 GMT
With the release of Windows Vista, Microsoft is offering users a choice of six product versions, not counting the 'special' versions for the European Union and Korea (the so-called N and K editions), so which version should you get?
Other Windows Vista articles:
Choose from dropdown list---------------------------------Windows NT Backup - Restore UtilityWhat's New in Windows Vista Service Pack 1Windows Vista UpdatesMicrosoft Releases Windows Vista Service Pack 1Microsoft Announces Windows Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3 BetaVista Reliability, Compatibility and Performance UpdatesWindows Vista ReviewUpgrading To Windows VistaMicrosoft Offers Windows Vista Family DiscountMicrosoft Launches Windows Vista to ConsumersWindows Vista Service Pack 1?Windows Vista Ultimate, what's in it for you?Windows User State Migration Tool (USMT) version 3.0Microsoft Announces Windows Vista Hardware RequirementsWindows Vista Availability: January 2007Microsoft Unveils Windows Vista Product LineupWindows Vista's Least-privilege User Account (LUA)Microsoft Unveils Official Name for "Longhorn": Windows Vista
If you can't find the Information you are looking for, you can post a message on our Support BBS.
Please do not send questions by e-mail, they will go unanswered! We get many mails asking the same things, so that's one of the reasons we've set up the BBS. Read through the posts, and if you don't find an answer to your problem, post a message. This will benefit everyone in a similar situation (and while you are there, why not answer some of the questions you know the answer to!).
Vista Home Premium (SP1) upgrade
USA (USD $117.99) UK (GBP 65.53)
Vista Business (SP1) upgrade
USA (USD $187.89) UK (GBP 158.58)
Vista Ultimate (SP1) upgrade
USA (USD $185.99) UK (GBP 160.07)
Ads by google
Fix Windows XPTop 2009 Windows Errors Remover Fix XP Now - 100% Free Download!Windows-XP-Cleaner.com
Recommended DownloadFree Registry Scan, Fix Errors & Improve Performance - 5 Star Rated
www.PCTools.com

Upadtes For April 3rd

A Windows 97 TechFile 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 Give your comments on this article. E-mail This Page Last Updated: April 3 2009 640-861 exams of Microsoft certification are very comprehensively providing guidelines for those individuals who want to enhance their evaluative capability for the advancement of information technology. 642-522 exams of Microsoft certification are very important for the propagation of the modern technology with the latest tools and applications to broaden the vision of IT professionals marvelously. XK0-002 exams o f Microsoft certification are very fantastic sources of developing the knowledge and understanding of IT professionals splendidly about the perfect manipulation of Linux operating systems with good prospects of the great career as excellent operator of Linux system. PMI-001, project management professional is also very advantageous to boost up the outstanding characteristics of IT professionals who want to get start their career as project manager in IT field. 70-315 exams of Microsoft certification are very considerably providing the great opportunities of practicability for IT professionals who desire to be proficient in IT field.
Exlusive!

Ads By Google
Fix Windows VistaTop 2009 Windows Errors Remover Fix Vista Now - 100% Free Download!Clean-Windows-Vista.com

Vista Updates & FixMicrosoft Windows Vista Updates & Fix Tool 100% Free Scan! RecommendedMicrosoft.Updates.ErrorFix.com