Tip: Run a free scan for common Windows errors ad

re: Windows Explorer Errors Saturday, July 10, 2004 at 11:25 pm Posted by Jack Gulley (5917 messages posted) 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: for links to standalone memory tests. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Windows Explorer Errors Sunday, July 11, 2004 at 1:59 pm 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. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Windows Explorer Errors Sunday, July 11, 2004 at 9:03 pm Posted by Joe DeLisa (4 messages posted) Hi, Here is the latest. I downloaded CWS Shredder, since SpySweeper kept coming up with bits of CW_NS3 which it kept claiming to remove, only to have them show up again. CWS Shredder did find some traces, which it removed, and a subsequent scan by SpySweeper was clean, except for a handful of cookies, which I removed. At that point, use of Explorer seemed to be problem-free, but since this has happened before, only to have the problem recur on re-start, I re-started the computer. Explorer is once again unhappy, only now it seems clearer as to what it is unhappy about: it generally gives errors in SHLWAPI.dll. Since I believed that was a file that was installed with Internet Explorer during that re-installation, I once more re-installed Internet Explorer. No dice. The problem is still there. I ran Dr. Watson and replicated the problem. Here is Watson's take on it: Shell Light-weight Utility Library performed an invalid memory access. Module Name: SHLWAPI.DLL Description: Shell Light-weight Utility Library Version: 6.00.2800.1400 Product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation Application Name: Explorer.exe Description: Windows Explorer Version: 5.50.4134.100 Product: Microsoft(R) Windows (R) 2000 Operating System Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation At this point, since virus and spyware scans are coming up empty handed, I am left with: corrupted file (but isn't this one that is updated by IE?), or conflict with NortonAntiVirus2004 or SpySweeper, both of which were installed around the time the problem started. Anyone with suggestions? I am thinking of trying to manually replace the SHLWAPI.dll file (is that a good idea?), or uninstall both Norton and SpySweeper. If the latter works, I would then re-install one at a time to see when the problem recurs. Seems like a lot of work...Anyone have any suggestions on what to try first? Thanks! On Sunday, July 11, 2004 at 1:59 pm, Joe DeLisa wrote: >, >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!! > > > > [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Windows Explorer Errors Monday, July 12, 2004 at 10:53 am Posted by MajDuty (4 messages posted) I've had similar problems which I posted in another thread. I too have done countless virus and spyware scans to no avail. I'm posting here to hopefully draw more attention to a problem that seems to be spreading and has recently come up. My issues started when I'd try to launch IE, which still does not work even after attempted reinstalls and fixes, and has since spread to that right-clicking problem you have, Joe. The error I always get, though, is 'unknown', and then Windows Explorer will close. I however can continue to use the computer,... for now. This all seemed to start after a fairly recent Windows update, but that may just be a coincedence. Perhaps it has something to do with a new, undected virus or some form of new spyware that current programs aren't yet aware of, or maybe those evil little bastards at M$ have secretly corrupted our Win ME in an attempt to force us to spend more money on their newer OS. ;-) Maybe time to go to Linux or something. I've considered a reformat and reinstall, but if the problem returns again, I'll really be pissed. If I fix my problem, I'll post again in an attempt to help you out. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Windows Explorer Errors Wednesday, August 18, 2004 at 6:05 pm Posted by Dave Houghton (1 messages posted) I've been following this thread and think I've got it sorted. Hands up who has/ has had Webroot spy sweeper installed ?? Excellent program but go to options and turn off the right click context menu option. The code to provide the shell extension is buggy. You only need to hover over the Webroot scan on the right click menu of any folder and explorer will bomb out. I permanently removed the context menu entry by registry editing before I found the option in Spysweeper. Ive had no problems now for over 10 hours with numerous (deliberate) reboots. I'd be interested to know if this solves anyone elses problem. On Monday, July 12, 2004 at 10:53 am, MajDuty wrote: >I've had similar problems which I posted in another thread. I too have done countless >virus and spyware scans to no avail. > > I'm posting here to hopefully draw more attention to a problem that seems to be >spreading and has recently come up. > >My issues started when I'd try to launch IE, which still does not work even after >attempted reinstalls and fixes, and has since spread to that right-clicking problem >you have, Joe. The error I always get, though, is 'unknown', and then Windows Explorer >will close. I however can continue to use the computer,... for now. > >This all seemed to start after a fairly recent Windows update, but that may just >be a coincedence. Perhaps it has something to do with a new, undected virus or some >form of new spyware that current programs aren't yet aware of, or maybe those evil >little bastards at M$ have secretly corrupted our Win ME in an attempt to force us >to spend more money on their newer OS. ;-) > >Maybe time to go to Linux or something. > >I've considered a reformat and reinstall, but if the problem returns again, I'll >really be pissed. > >If I fix my problem, I'll post again in an attempt to help you out. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Windows Explorer Errors Thursday, August 19, 2004 at 7:47 am Posted by Anni Poulsen (1 messages posted) I had a similar problem with both Win. Explorer and IE, but I don't have Webroot spy sweeper installed. I finally seem to have solved the problem (fingers crossed). I had certain offline files set to synchronize, and for some reason Win. Explorer couldn't handle that. I have now stopped synchronizing those files (win. explorer > tool> synchronize), and have now been working for 5 hours without any problems. Hope that solves your problem too. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Windows Explorer Errors Wednesday, August 25, 2004 at 11:27 am Posted by philosopher_dog (3 messages posted) Nice thread here. I've also been having the problem with context menu clicks causing explorer.exe to crash. I did a thorough memory test, which actually turned up a bum module, but that wasn't the problem. I also ran spinrite and found problems with my HD, but that didn't solve it either. I started uninstalling all programs with things added to the context menu. I didn't uninstall spysweeper, but I'm going to give that a shot. I would say to the person who noticed problems after NAV and spysweeper to uninstall those program and test your machine. Make sure stuff is removed from the context menu. Generally NAV is the source of most inexplicable problems, one reason I've switched to f-secure. Anyhow, this is an annoying problem. Thanx for posting. Steven On Thursday, August 19, 2004 at 7:47 am, Anni Poulsen wrote: >I had a similar problem with both Win. Explorer and IE, but I don't have Webroot >spy sweeper installed. >I finally seem to have solved the problem (fingers crossed). I had certain offline >files set to synchronize, and for some reason Win. Explorer couldn't handle that. >I have now stopped synchronizing those files (win. explorer > tool> synchronize), >and have now been working for 5 hours without any problems. >Hope that solves your problem too. [Reply or follow-up to this message] re: Windows Explorer Errors Saturday, August 28, 2004 at 10:42 am Posted by philosopher_dog (3 messages posted) Well, I'm happy to report that disabling the context menu for Spy Sweeper seems to have cured my explorer.exe problem, though I'm running w2k and not ME. So, thanx to the poster who suggested this. I've been bugged by this problem for a while, or should I say annoyed! Steven On Wednesday, August 25, 2004 at 11:27 am, philosopher_dog wrote: > > >Nice thread here. I've also been having the problem with context menu clicks causing >explorer.exe to crash. I did a thorough memory test, which actually turned up a bum >module, but that wasn't the problem. I also ran spinrite and found problems with >my HD, but that didn't solve it either. I started uninstalling all programs with >things added to the context menu. I didn't uninstall spysweeper, but I'm going to >give that a shot. I would say to the person who noticed problems after NAV and spysweeper >to uninstall those program and test your machine. Make sure stuff is removed from >the context menu. Generally NAV is the source of most inexplicable problems, one >reason I've switched to f-secure. Anyhow, this is an annoying problem. Thanx for >posting. >Steven > > [Reply or follow-up to this message] Tip: Use one of the [Reply or follow-up to this message] links above to add a message to this thread Search this forum Start a new thread on a different subject Report abuse of the forum Return to the Windows Me Discussion Forum