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re: Windows Explorer Errors
Sunday, July 11, 2004 at 1:59 pm
Windows Me Annoyances Discussion Forum
Posted by Joe DeLisa
(4 messages posted)
,
Thanks for the help. I wouldn't have thought of IE - had no idea there were significant
shared files between this and Windows Explorer (as opposed to the browser, IE). Anyway,
decided to try your suggestion to "repair" IE. Received a message that it couldn't
be repaired, as a long list of files weren't "high enough" versions (one of which
was the SHLWAPI.dll that has come up many times). I was offered the opportunity to
re-install IE6 instead. Did so. At the conclusion of the re-installation, after the
computer had re-started and Windows had "updated settings", I began testing Windows
Explorer. I was able to right-click on every folder in sight without a problem. I
opened Windows Explorer and began right-clicking on folders in there - again, everything
was fine. Shut down the computer and went to bed, thinking the problem had been solved.
Got up today, re-started the computer, and we're back to the same old same old. The
first right-click on a folder is fine, the next causes Explorer to close. The next
is fine, the next causes Explorer to close. Inside Windows Explorer, selecting a
folder (NOT a file) and even trying the keyboard shortcut to access a context menu
item (like properties) still causes Explorer to close.
I had made a restoration point before closing and after the IE re-installation. I
restored to that point. Windows went through the restoration, but produced a message
at the end saying that there had been no changes. Sure enough, the restoration did
nothing. Still having the problem.
Haven't had the opportunity to try the memory check suggestion. However, would a
hardware problem be 1) this focused on a particular task and 2) this consistent?
As I think about it, the fact that Explorer is OK the first time it is used after
starting the computer, then not OK the next (but that causes it to close, so it is
"re-set" before the next test, when it then does work again) seems to point the idea
that something "changes" once Explorer.exe has been used, and closing it puts it
back in its initial, OK state. Or am I hopelessly off-base?
I do have NortonAV2004 and Webroot's SpySweeper. Incidentally, (should have mentioined
this before), a little history: until recently, I had an older version of Norton
& no anti-spyware software. Then picked up some Spyware (believe it was CoolWebSearch,
or some version thereof). Tried to remove it myself, during which I also restored
the system to an earlier point. That was when I got into trouble, as Norton had done
an update in between the time I did the restoration and the restore point, so that
the new (update) files were there but not properly dated or accounted for. Couldn't
re-start the computer, as the Virus Definitions DB engine couldn't initialize. Managed
to by-pass this problem by doing a step-by-step Windows startup, and found on the
Norton website what the problem was. Their proposed fixes didn't work, and since
my subscription to the current software was due to expire in two weeks anyway, I
opted to uninstall the old version and install a new version as the simplest way
out. Then installed SpySweeper, which found all kinds of garbage on the initial sweep.
Seemed to remove everything successfully, and have found mainly cookies on subsequent
sweeps, although yesterday it found something called CWS_NS3, which it said it removed.
However, I just did another sweep, and it was there again, and it now says it has
removed it (again). Sounds like another version of CoolWebSearch? However, it was
about this time (when I first had the SpyWare & loaded the new AntiVirus & anti-spyware
software) that my problems with Explorer.exe began.
I would be grateful for any further suggestions. Should I be suspicious that some
spyware hasn't been completely removed is causing this problem? Should I think about
trying to re-install explorer.exe? Thanks!!
On Saturday, July 10, 2004 at 11:25 pm, Jack Gulley wrote:
>Strange problem, that sounds more like a corrupted program file or a hardware
>problem. Might still be a Adware/Virus problem, but I assume you have ran a full
>update virus scan and AdAware or SpyBot S&D scans.
> First, check your system memory for soft or cold boot errors. A bad memory module
>could do this to you. You need to let the system set and cool off (overnight) and
>then boot it directly into a standalone memory test like MEMTEST86 v3 and let it
>run and see if it picks up any memory errors.
> If that works OK, then you could try a repair of IE (assumes you have done the
>IE service pack updates). To REPAIR IE 6.0, go to Control Panel, Add/Remove icon,
>and select (highlight) the entry for "Microsoft Internet Explorer ... and Internet
>Tools" and then click the Add/Remove button at the bottom of the window. On the
options
>window, select the "Repair Internet Explorer" option and click OK. When it is done
>reboot the system. This should detect and repair the common IE and Explorer files
>that may be part of your problem if it is a corrupted program file.
> See:
>
>border="0"> for links to standalone memory tests.
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