Explorer.exe Constantly crashes

[leesmithg]

I have the same exact issue with Windows 7 Ultimate x64. I'm gonna do a format tomorrow. Seems to be the only way to fix this annoying problem.

Makes me really disappointed in Windows 7 :/ ITS EVEN WORSE THAN VISTA. Atleast my Vista installs last more than 4 months :/

Just reinstall it from the desktop, sorted out my b.s.o.d and explorer crashes I kept getting.

Since the re-install, I had to re-enter product key and re-activate (no problem) and remove my security (NIS2010) and re-install it without a hitch.

Thats what I did.

[sullysnet]

I have more than 1 DMP file so I will attach them via MegaUpload if thats ok with everyone. I can also attach them via RapidShare and send you the links.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=AH8A45AL

Anon do you have a software list that you have installed. Maybe even just screen shot your add and remove Window.

Would like to see if we have anything loaded that is similar.

thanks

Looks like eldgoat in that thread may have helped identify what's corrupting memory(?). I'd bet that if it was MS side, the FF devs could get in touch with MS to straighten out anything aberrant.

@Anon: Now that it looks like Sully is moving forward, how are you doing? :)

I think or I feel that anyone wanting to test it out by installing this extension https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/9517

on FF 3.55 and make sure to turn on the option to have in private enabled on starting of browser. This way it is on all the time and I would imagine after using it for a few hours or so of closing the browser and right clicking the desktop or just using Explorer will make any x64 machine crash. Not sure who's issue it is to be honest but it seems like either Win7 is extra sensitive to what is going on when closing from an in private session or there is a bug there even in x32 but it harder to recreate.

[Preppy Veteran]

This way it is on all the time and I would imagine after using it for a few hours or so of closing the browser and right clicking the desktop or just using Explorer will make any x64 machine crash. Not sure who's issue it is to be honest but it seems like either Win7 is extra sensitive to what is going on when closing from an in private session or there is a bug there even in x32 but it harder to recreate.

That seems like you have a great repro for the Mozilla team to look at then.

There's no "extra sensitive" here: it's "memory corruption". The Mozilla peeps can likely most easily figure out what's going on with the magic of having their source code + symbols. :)

[Anonymous_101]

Anon do you have a software list that you have installed. Maybe even just screen shot your add and remove Window.

Would like to see if we have anything loaded that is similar.

thanks

I think or I feel that anyone wanting to test it out by installing this extension https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/9517

on FF 3.55 and make sure to turn on the option to have in private enabled on starting of browser. This way it is on all the time and I would imagine after using it for a few hours or so of closing the browser and right clicking the desktop or just using Explorer will make any x64 machine crash. Not sure who's issue it is to be honest but it seems like either Win7 is extra sensitive to what is going on when closing from an in private session or there is a bug there even in x32 but it harder to recreate.

I have the latest firefox always run in private browsing mode.

[JustGeorge]

I haven"t read this whole thread so forgive me. Has anyone with explorer crashes tried creating a new user profile? I've heard that may resolve it for some....

[Anonymous_101]

I haven"t read this whole thread so forgive me. Has anyone with explorer crashes tried creating a new user profile? I've heard that may resolve it for some....

That wouldnt do anything as the extensions in explorer would still be causing the crash. Thanks for your input though.

[Eric Veteran]

I just tried turning on Private Browsing with that extension then right-clicked on the desktop... *boom* Explorer crashed. :p

[sullysnet]

I just tried turning on Private Browsing with that extension then right-clicked on the desktop... *boom* Explorer crashed. :p

see :) it is not really the extension (or maybe) but it seems like something to do with the in-private mode dumping the data that is stored in memory and not on the disk.

Reason I said sensitive is the fact that is has never shown up till Win7 but most likely was always an issue with FF and their in private mode.

Anon what about testing like me not using the in-private mode of Firefox (latest version) for a few days and see if you still get the crash? I removed the extension and instead opted for this instead https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5364

It is not the same at all but it allows me to clear the history when I feel like clearing it (at the click of the button) and allows me to wait till there is a fix (if ever).

Let us know the results

I also liked having that in-private mode so I could use FF as a sort of no history browser, then use Opera for my day to day surfing.

[Xerxes]

Same thing happens to me also (Win7 Ultimate x64) :/ doesn't happen that often though, however, I think I've found the cause for my case though. As when it does happen it's usually when I try to show my desktop icons (using Stardock Fences) so I suspect that might be the cause for me (haven't tested that theory yet though).

[sullysnet]

so far I have seen many reasons and not all being shell extensions. I actually think most if not all that I have seen did not or do not involved shell extensions.

Interesting stuff :)

[sullysnet]

for the hell of it I decided to post my findings on Firefox forum and see if they want to test it and recreate the crash. I would love to see what they say or what they find.

Here is the link https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/forum/1/503088?

[Anonymous_101]

anything new on the explorer.exe crashing front?

[MagicAndre1981]

@Anonymous_101

provide a dump with PageHeap enabled, so that we can look at it.

[Guest]

I've only ever had this problem persistently once and it was a virus..

[rageagainstmachine]

actually, i always have privacy mode enabled when using FF. And my explorer frequently crashes on right clicks. some times even on a left click!

withourt trailing back through this thread, have we concluded that FF is the problem?

actually scrap that i dont! i just set it up so it clears all history on firefox close.

[sullysnet]

actually, i always have privacy mode enabled when using FF. And my explorer frequently crashes on right clicks. some times even on a left click!

withourt trailing back through this thread, have we concluded that FF is the problem?

actually scrap that i dont! i just set it up so it clears all history on firefox close.

I think many that have tested this can confirm that it is Firefox 3.55 in Private mode browsing. I have now been running since

Saturday without this issue (knock on wood). I have moved ahead reinstalling almost all my apps but a few plugins. So it's the

same machine I had first came to this post with minus the fact that Private Browsing is not set to auto and I do not use the feature

at all.

Hope that helps you out

[JT1985]

Yep will confirm that turning off private mode browsing in Firefox seems (hopefully) to have cured this for me after having a few annoying weeks!

[Anonymous_101]

I think many that have tested this can confirm that it is Firefox 3.55 in Private mode browsing. I have now been running since

Saturday without this issue (knock on wood). I have moved ahead reinstalling almost all my apps but a few plugins. So it's the

same machine I had first came to this post with minus the fact that Private Browsing is not set to auto and I do not use the feature

at all.

Hope that helps you out

I concur number one. The issue is Private browsing, hopefully the ninja crack team at Mozilla will be able to solve this issue. Can we all confirm that this is a bug then? If you turn on the private browsing or the "Remember Nothing" setting it causes Windows 7 64-bit to CRASH. If you leave it on custom settings or have it remember, the issue wont happen.

[rageagainstmachine]

guys, i dont use private browsing and mine crashes like a mofo unless of course "dont remember my history" setting is inlcuded in this?

[Anonymous_101]

guys, i dont use private browsing and mine crashes like a mofo unless of course "dont remember my history" setting is inlcuded in this?

Yes it does include that.

[sullysnet]

guys, i dont use private browsing and mine crashes like a mofo unless of course "dont remember my history" setting is inlcuded in this?

Well I imagine if no History is set then it is stored in memory and I am thinking it is the dumping of what is in memory of Firefox to a conflict with Windows 7 x64. Maybe they are dumping the memory incorrectly or there is a bug in the dumping of it.

If you really want to know if it is a Mozilla driven bug then stop using Mozilla for a few days and see if you receive any crashes.

I would also bet there are other issues causing the crash for others and most of those maybe related to driver issues or shell extensions. Easy way to rule that out is either remove all the third party apps that have shell extensions or disable them in Shellxview.

I ruled all my shell extensions out by doing both. First disabling extensions for third party and then removing the applications completely. It's a pain but it is the only way to complete troubleshoot it.

[rageagainstmachine]

right, i reformatted last night, only things i have installed are drivers and kaspersky. Wont install FF either. I will report back in a few days.

[Anonymous_101]

right, i reformatted last night, only things i have installed are drivers and kaspersky. Wont install FF either. I will report back in a few days.

Roger that.

[freeza]

I have so much stuff installed and have had Windows 7 Professional x64 installed since July, and not a single explorer crash here lol.

[briangw]

Yeah, I'm getting the same issues on two different machines (both running Windows 7 x64 Pro) and I am not using FireFox. It hasn't happened on my work laptop yet (knock on wood), but it is a very frustrating bug. Almost moreso, almost everytime I power on my personal laptop, I would say 75 percent of the time, it logs me ino a temp profile and then Explorer crashes. If it doesn't log me into a temp profile, Explorer may crash about 60 percent of the time once I log into my profile. This just started hapening twice on my home desktop, but that's currently down until I replace the PSU because the fan is off kilter and hitting the walls of the PSU.

I was thinking WinRar might be the culprit as I have both installed and it uses the shell extensions, but my work laptop does as well and it hasn't crashed yet. And, this only happens to me if I'm cold booting from a powered off state. I'm glad I saw this thread today; I'm going to keep an eye on it. I don't know what to do with the temp profile issue, but I read somewhere a couple of weeks back that others were having issues in Win7 and Vista x64 versions.

Edited November 22, 2009 by briangw