Windows explorer fault.

botheredbothered Manchester UK
edited June 2010 in Science & Tech
The kids PC has developed a strange fault. You can get the internet on, you can play games, you can do almost anything except use windows explorer. If you have it open and click on any drive or folder to see what's in it, the PC freezes up. The only way out is the reset button. If I look at the drives\folders from my PC, under network places, I can open them all.
How can I repair Windows explorer?

Comments

  • lemonlimelemonlime Canada Member
    edited April 2005
    You could attempt the reinstallation of the last service pack. That usually replaces quite a few windows system files, and I find that it sometimes fixes odd issues like that..
  • botheredbothered Manchester UK
    edited April 2005
    You mean reinstall SP2?
  • lemonlimelemonlime Canada Member
    edited April 2005
    bothered wrote:
    You mean reinstall SP2?

    Yep, worth a shot.. make sure you use the 'IT professional' full install version. Should be able to download it from microsoft.com when you search for 'XP SP2'.

    Another thought: You may want to run a chkdsk /r from the command prompt, just incase there are NTFS filesystem problems causing issues with windows explorer.
  • botheredbothered Manchester UK
    edited April 2005
    Did chkdsk, it doesn't seem as bad but it's still not right. If you click on a folder it opens on the right and left, if you click on the + it freezes up. I tried to get sp2 but it crashed on download so I'm getting it on mine and saving it over.
    Cheers lemonlime, I'll post how it goes.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited April 2005
    What's it like in Safe Mode? You might check and see if they have saved any large video files in the root of the drive. The thumbnail preview has been known to stall many a computer.

    Should I mention SVT? :hiding:
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited April 2005
    Repair install should fix it. If it doesn't, you may have a memory problem ;)

    www.memtest.org
  • botheredbothered Manchester UK
    edited April 2005
    Repair install is down for tomorrow morning. I installed SP2, (I had to do that in safe mode or it would crash in the middle) it didn't fix it but it's odd. If I have windows explorer open I can click on a drive or folder and it opens and shows the contents. I can click on the - to minimise it back but if I click on the + it locks up.
    My youngest is trying to import some audio into a macromedia project he's playing with but has the same problem, he can't select files.
    Repair it is then.

    Ignorance mode, Prof, what's SVT?
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited April 2005
    bothered wrote:
    ...Prof, what's SVT?
    Spyware/Virus/Trojan

    I have a long memory for these things. :D

    You mentioned it was your kids computer. With a daughter of my own and six nieces & nephews, it's the first thing I check when one of their computers goes whacko.
  • botheredbothered Manchester UK
    edited April 2005
    It was the first thing I looked at as well prof, it does get stuff downloaded into it :mad: .
    Anyhow, nice suprise, my 18 year old son who likes staying up late (ie all night) has looked up repair installs and fixed it :) . He likes using the PC but doesn't usually get into how they work or anything. Everything is working fine now :thumbsup:
    Thanks for help guys.
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited April 2005
    Go Matt! :D
  • botheredbothered Manchester UK
    edited April 2005
    Hmmmm, I wonder if he'd like to learn how the lawn mower works?
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited April 2005
    Umm...... I think you are hoping there buddy ;D
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited April 2005
    ;D;D
  • ofsoccer2128ofsoccer2128
    edited April 2005
    HEY!!! i have the same problem as you do....can you tell me how you son happened to fix your problem??? any help would be much appreciated!!!
  • ofsoccer2128ofsoccer2128
    edited April 2005
    Also, one more thing, whenever i try to close programs or look at running applicatiosn via ctrl+alt+del, the windows task manager opens and then quickly closes before i can do anything with it....hmmmmm.... :scratch:
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited April 2005
    ofsoccer2128 wrote:
    Also, one more thing, whenever i try to close programs or look at running applicatiosn via ctrl+alt+del, the windows task manager opens and then quickly closes before i can do anything with it....hmmmmm.... :scratch:
    That is a classic symptom of a virus, or some type of Spyware. Head over to our Security Forum and start a new thread. There will be instructions on how to get help at the top of the screen. :)
  • ofsoccer2128ofsoccer2128
    edited April 2005
    i just noticed your from westlake ohio, i'm from olmsted falls....how 'small' the web is...haha.... :thumbsup:
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited April 2005
    If our Internet connection goes out we could just open the windows and holler to each other. ;D
  • ofsoccer2128ofsoccer2128
    edited April 2005
    practically, just a short trip down down dover
  • botheredbothered Manchester UK
    edited April 2005
    ofsoccer2128 wrote:
    HEY!!! i have the same problem as you do....can you tell me how you son happened to fix your problem??? any help would be much appreciated!!!
    Well as I said he did a repair install of XP, but I'd follow profs advice before doing anything else.
  • Arthur-HC-WilliamsArthur-HC-Williams
    edited June 2010
    For some time, I have had trouble with Win XP Home Explorer (SP3?). It refuses to function after the computer has been on for a while, so that I need to either click on My Computer (Eratosthenes 3 in my case), or Restart . What causes this, I do not know.
    I have read various ‘cures’ on the internet, but none have worked for me.
    Today, I did a search in C:\Windows for explorer to see if I could find another copy of explorer.exe . One Search Result gave the shortcut:
    C:\WINDOWS\system32\config\systemprofile\Start Menu\Programs\ Accessories\Windows Explorer .
    This is:
    %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe .
    My shortcuts for Numerous drives and DVD ROMs have now been changed, so that the shortcut:
    C:\Windows\explorer.exe /n,/e, J:\
    now becomes
    %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n,/e, J:\ .

    Time will tell if there is further trouble from Windows Explorer, but it's been running for hours with no trouble
    .
    <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p>
    Arthur HC
    <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p>
    [FONT=&quot]Sunday, 13 June 2010[/FONT]
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