Windows explorer has stopped working - windows 7

Tar.Aldarion

I get this error dialogue upon bootup, the desktop crashes, I restart windows explorer and it works for about 10 seconds, then it crash and gives the dialogue again. Any clue how to fix this? I cant browse my computer at all.

It happened right after my comp overheated and went off earlier

It happens in safe mode

I have tried the registry solution I see floating about google to no avail.

any help would be great, cheers

itmonkey

Hey,

Have you tried running a system restore?
Have you tried disabling all other programs that start up (using msconfig)

I would probably try them first and see if they work.

Let me know if you get it sorted.

I.T. Monkey
www.itmonkey.ie

Skerries

does it work when you press the windows button and E?

Tar.Aldarion

itmonkey wrote: »

Hey,

Have you tried running a system restore?
Have you tried disabling all other programs that start up (using msconfig)

I would probably try them first and see if they work.

Let me know if you get it sorted.

I.T. Monkey
www.itmonkey.ie

System restore does not work, meant to say.
I have removed a lot of software yesterday and will continue to do so today, all that is left that starts up atm is daemon tools and msn messenger.

Skerries wrote: »

does it work when you press the windows button and E?

No, however I am able to browse by opening task manager and making a new task along the lines of C:\Program Files
When the explorer crashes this window will not crash and i can browse mostly, however I often have to restart explorer for the folder I click to open.

Paulj

I had a similar problem... my solution was simple:
http://www.ubuntulinux.org/

Haven't looked back since.

Tar.Aldarion

I am on ubuntu right now, however it is happening on my pc for gaming, it needs windows.

RolandIRL

do you restart explorer by Task Manager -> New Task -> Explorer.exe ?
what's the dialogue box saying when explorer crashes? is it just the standard win7 one "explorer closed unexpectedly..." or something like that?

Tar.Aldarion

ye i tried that but it still gives the crash dialogue over and over.


I ran the SFC /SCANNOW Command and it says some errors were fixed and some were not able to be, it generates a huge log file.

http://telcontar.net/store/archive/CrashGallery/images/crash/vista/2007-02-05%20Windows%20Explorer%20has%20stopped%20working.png
it's like that, well without the debug part

bhickey

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

It happened right after my comp overheated and went off earlier

I think it all sounds messy enough that you should think about re-installing rather than trying to fix this. One thing first though - why did the computer overheat?

Tar.Aldarion

reinstall would be such a pain to take stuff off a terrabyte drive ugh. Especially as sooooo many people have had this problem and fixed it in various ways. My computer overheats after its been on ages and I play intensive games for a few hours, happens a lot, usually no ill affect,I just wait a bit for it the psu to cool down

bhickey

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

reinstall would be such a pain to take stuff off a terrabyte drive ugh. Especially as sooooo many people have had this problem and fixed it in various ways. My computer overheats after its been on ages and I play intensive games for a few hours, happens a lot, usually no ill affect,I just wait a bit for it the psu to cool down

Fair enough if the machine is otherwise (apart from the Windows Explorer problem that is) in fighting fit form. Another option might be to just move the existing drive to another drive letter and re-install on a new hard drive. That overheating thing sounds like good crack

Tar.Aldarion

Ye its perfect apart from that, can still browse and play games etc as it stands, just cant browse my files easily. Might have to get another drive and do that...should be easy to fix sigh. Overheating is annoying, damn cheap psu

chin_grin

Weird, just got this update in my RSS.

http://lifehacker.com/5645847/errorgoblin-dishes-the-dirt-on-windows-mac-and-http-errors

Would it be any use to you? (didn't read if you got an error or not!)

Blowfish

First step would be to actually see what event viewer says.

Kick off 'eventvwr.msc' the crashes should be logged in the Windows Logs->Application bit along with error code and brief description.

[edit] Just spotted the post about SFC. Since that has errors too, check the Windows Logs->System section in event viewer too as hdd issues will quite often show there.

yoyo

Had this problem a while back, was to do with video codecs, uninstall any video codecs/codec packs you have installed and install a new install of the k-lite standard codecs,

Nick

Tar.Aldarion

Blowfish wrote: »

First step would be to actually see what event viewer says.

Kick off 'eventvwr.msc' the crashes should be logged in the Windows Logs->Application bit along with error code and brief description.

[edit] Just spotted the post about SFC. Since that has errors too, check the Windows Logs->System section in event viewer too as hdd issues will quite often show there.

Was away from my computer for a few days!

Thje system part just has information, no warnings or errors, I'll attach screen shots of the errors in the application section.

Tar.Aldarion

bump, back using this comp, anybody seen something like this or know how to help from the log?

Blowfish

Missed your last update, but by the looks of it I presume you are using 3g or have 3g software installed?

If so, strip and reinstall it.

Tar.Aldarion

No I have nothing 3gish installed? I can't figure out what to uninstall heh

Blowfish

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

No I have nothing 3gish installed? I can't figure out what to uninstall heh

That's odd, the dll listed is part of the Mobile Broadband API.

Do you have any other software installed that relates to any wireless device you use on the machine? How about phone software?

Tar.Aldarion

It has no wireless hardware or software. I use my mp3 player, ipod. No phone s/w hmm

Blowfish

Ok, it's a long shot, but check your services (Start->Services.msc). wwan autoconfig should be listed. If it's started, stop it and if it's stopped, start it. See if that makes a difference.

Tar.Aldarion

i started it and same thing happened, it was on manual start and off. thanks for suggestion though

Tar.Aldarion

Here is the log for SFC /SCANNOW which says it could not fix all files. The part relating to wwanapi.dll is pasted into the file. says hashes differ and could not fix. can I just download it and replace?

Blowfish

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Here is the log for SFC /SCANNOW which says it could not fix all files. The part relating to wwanapi.dll is pasted into the file. says hashes differ and could not fix. can I just download it and replace?

Go for it, though make sure you replace it with the exact same version (Right click->Properties->Details->File Version) or you may run into other issues.

p.s. You can just use the version in the WinSxS folder to replace it, no need to download it.

Capt'n Midnight

Blowfish wrote: »

Go for it, though make sure you replace it with the exact same version (Right click->Properties->Details->File Version) or you may run into other issues.

p.s. You can just use the version in the WinSxS folder to replace it, no need to download it.

actually better off not downloading it unless it comes form microsoft.com

Tar.Aldarion

Blowfish wrote: »

Go for it, though make sure you replace it with the exact same version (Right click->Properties->Details->File Version) or you may run into other issues.

p.s. You can just use the version in the WinSxS folder to replace it, no need to download it.

same thing happens with this version, dammmmmn

Nehaxak

Might be that you're computer has been infected with a virus/malware and as such is patching (probably a rootkit) itself in part in that wwanapi.dll or indeed another .dll file or otherwise that it needs in order for it to function.

Tar.Aldarion

I've just ran avg and malware bytes on it agesago, tehy found things but it still happens. I'll try some more software

ressem

In case it helps...
I've windows 7 pro. The computer is fully patched, and that file is unchanged since install time so there should be only one version of the file for windows 7 floating around.

wwanapi.dll
It's an integral part of windows, not a 3rd party add-on and can't be disabled from autoruns.
360 KB (368,640 bytes)
version 6.1.7600.16385
Created 14/7/2009

MD5 (generated from winmd5.com program)
c02aa67276fee0c15cc4d6d616bde95e
284672 bytes

I'd guess that it's more likely down to a hard disk bad sector than a virus changing the value, so would run a chkdsk /B running overnight (1TB could take a while) if it was me.

Tar.Aldarion

Will try that thanks, and will have a look at the version, mine wasn't updated since 2009 either
I've bought a new hdd in case

ressem

D'oh. I'm wrong, there's two versions of the file. 32bit and 64bit, and both will be installed on a 64bit Windows install.

MD5 I gave you was for the 32bit version as the MD5 generating program was 32 bit, and windows swaps them depending on who/what is asking..

The 360 K version is the 64 bit version, the 32 bit version is the 284672 byte file.

Nehaxak

The thing is, that file failing can actually be a symptom of another number of system files it relies on failing so it's not necessarily that file itself that's at fault.
I personally wouldn't rely on AVG as your anti virus, even the Microsoft security essentials AV is better then that imho (actually mcrosofts AV is pretty decent in fairness).
Run some recognised and dependable rootkit removal scans not just AV scans, possibly also in safe mode to be sure. You'd be surprised how much crap AVG can miss.

Tar.Aldarion

Any suggestions? I've changed AVG to Nod32 atm and am looking for a good rootkit scanner. Sophos? GMER? Rootrepeal?

Nehaxak

F-Secure's Blacklight rootkit eliminator is pretty decent - you can download it direct via this link...

ftp://ftp.f-secure.com/anti-virus/tools/fsbl.exe

Could also boot into safe mode and run Nod32 as it's probably one of the best AV's out there and at the very least should find any rootkit installed, whether or not it can remove it afterwards if it does find any I don't know.

At the end of all this, if you find nothing then at least you've ruled a virus or rootkit out as the problem (and gotten yourself more secure anyway).

Overheal

Tar for all the time you've spent on this problem, I think it's high time to reformat the drive, it sounds like something is corrupt somewhere, or infected, and you could be at it for a year and not find it. Just reformat, it takes about an hour or two once you've backed up your files. Not nearly as bad nowadays at it was with XP and Win2k, once Vista/7 have the internet connection they are pretty autopilot.

As for your PC overheating,

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

reinstall would be such a pain to take stuff off a terrabyte drive ugh. Especially as sooooo many people have had this problem and fixed it in various ways. My computer overheats after its been on ages and I play intensive games for a few hours, happens a lot, usually no ill affect,I just wait a bit for it the psu to cool down

That simply shouldn't be happening. We aren't even talking about Florida or somewhere the ambient temperature is high, theres just no reason for it. Either the system has accumulated too much dust or you have a crippling airflow problem that you need to investigate. If the Power Supply is the culprit then you are putting it under more load than it's been rated for, which could be really bad when it fails and fries the entire PC in a blaze of glory.

Tar.Aldarion

nod32 and rootkit removers did **** all, apart from one infected file in temporary files.
I just like to find out what is wrong but yep I've been trying to reinstall for ages by getting win7 off msdn bu their dl keeps failing and well it would just be easier to pirate it at this stage(also would dl 10 times faster)

I've replaced the PSU since I wrote that, you are right.

Overheal

you've tried ccleaner though right?

Tar.Aldarion

yei used that, would really like to know now but will just install w7 on a new hdd