Windows explorer keeps crashing

This has been going on for some time now. Windows explorer keeps crashing. I'm running XP professional service pack 3.
Any ideas?
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I should mention that windows has directed me to the DivX website a few times, but according to the site, I have the most up to date software.

Hi PB.

What is shown in Event Viewer around the time these failures occur?

See here: > How to use Event Viewer, Windows Made Easy

Thanks for the prompt response!
This is what I see in event viewer at the time of the last crash:

Description:
Faulting application explorer.exe, version 6.0.2900.5512, faulting module unknown, version 0.0.0.0, fault address 0x04709290.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 41 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 Applicat
0008: 69 6f 6e 20 46 61 69 6c ion Fail
0010: 75 72 65 20 20 65 78 70 ure exp
0018: 6c 6f 72 65 72 2e 65 78 lorer.ex
0020: 65 20 36 2e 30 2e 32 39 e 6.0.29
0028: 30 30 2e 35 35 31 32 20 00.5512
0030: 69 6e 20 75 6e 6b 6e 6f in unkno
0038: 77 6e 20 30 2e 30 2e 30 wn 0.0.0
0040: 2e 30 20 61 74 20 6f 66 .0 at of
0048: 66 73 65 74 20 30 34 37 fset 047
0050: 30 39 32 39 30 0d 0a 09290..


Event Type: Error
Event Source: Application Error
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1001
Date: 12/1/2010
Time: 9:38:59 PM
User: N/A
Computer: JB
Description:
Fault bucket 1803970792.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 42 75 63 6b 65 74 3a 20 Bucket:
0008: 31 38 30 33 39 37 30 37 18039707
0010: 39 32 0d 0a 92..

I don't see much that helps there unfortunately. Are there any mini dump files? Look in C:\windows\Minidump. If not there, search for any file with a file extension of .dmp (search for *.dmp).

📎errors.txt Well there were no dmp files anywhere, but there were more errors in event viewer for the last crash

Sorry, nothing there that gives me a clue either.

Do you have a XP Install CD? If so, try running System File checker as follows:

Click on Start then Run, type sfc /scannow and press Enter or click GO.
You will be prompted for the XP CD if there area any corrupted or missing system files.
Let it run to completion, can take an hour or more. When done there is no report, it
just ends.

See here: How to analyze the log file entries that the Microsoft Windows Resource Checker (SFC.exe) program generates in Windows Vista for how to look at what sfc found.

I'm afraid I don't have the installation CD. I got this computer used with XP professional preloaded on it. I have an XP home service pack 1 disc, but I don't imagine that would work.

You said this has been going on for some time now. How long? Weeks, months? Is there a System Restore point that was created before this problem started happening? Does the explorer crash happen only in certain folders or while looking at folders that contain movies (avi, mpeg, etc.)?

It's been happening for months. I tried doing a system restore, but it didn't fix the problem. Typically I use explorer while watching avi files. Sometimes the crash will happen as I double click on the file to open it (with Windows Media Player), other times, just clicking on the file to drag it to another folder causes it to crash.

I'm afraid I don't have the installation CD.

Not having the disc is no great problem for running SFC.

Its always worth running the System file Checker as recommended by Ztruker. It will take about 20 minutes or so on most systems.
These are the steps
1 Click on Start
2 Click on Run
3 In the white box type in:
sfc /scannow
Note the space twix "c" and "/" it needs to be there
4 Click on OK
a progress bar will start and it may ask you to insert the Win XP installation disc so it can copy files to the .dll cache.

If it does not ask you to install the Win XP SP3 installation disc then it means one of 2 things:

1 SFC has run and found no problems with your protected system files (about 3.500 of them in a Win XP SP3 machine )
or
2 SFC has run, and has found problems with missing, damaged or misplaced protected system files, but has been able to correct the situation ( with the damaged or missing files) by copying across good copies from elsewhere on your computer.
In either event that is good news, but remember that SFC although a useful repair tool is not a "cure all" but is designed to help with problems connected with the 3500 or so files mentioned above.
If the original problem with your computer is unconnected with the 3500 or so protected system files then SFC will not resolve it, but will still be beneficial in ensuring that your operating System is running as best as it can under the circumstances.

If the SFC asks you to insert the Win XP installation disc, then it indicates that it has found problems with the protected files and there are no clean (undamaged) copies of the required files on your machine that it can access easily, so it is asking for the disc so it can copy across files to the .dlll cache.

In this situation it is Ok to borrow the required disc from a chum…. make sure it is a Win XP Pro version with SP3 on it (you may sometimes be in luck and get away with one with SP2 on it)
There are further workarounds if you have no chums with the required disc, but these involve some work and effort on your part , so borrowing the disc is by far and away the easiest to solution.
Regards
paws

Well I've looked around and unfortunately no one I know has an XP pro SP3 installation disc. When I tried to run the SFC, I was constantly prompted to install the disc, so I had to cancel it. If there's a way to work around not having the disc, I'd love to hear it.

unfortunately no one I know has an XP pro SP3 installation disc

As previously mentioned. you may be able to get away with an installation disc with only Service Pack 2 on it….. but if you really can't find someone to lend you their disc then you will need to either buy one
or follow the directions in the following link:
http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html
You may find the answer in your Service Pack files…scroll down to the bottom of the article and look also under " What about Windows update"
NOTEbefore editing your Registry back it up…making a mistake in the Registry could render your machine unusable.
Erunt is good for this, available from here:
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/
Now you can see why I recommend double checking with your chums to see if you can borrow their disc!
Regards
paws

Thankfully I've found someone who has the installation disc. I'll be getting it from him tomorrow and I'll try running the SFC. I'll let you know what happens.

It's been happening for months. I tried doing a system restore, but it didn't fix the problem. Typically I use explorer while watching avi files. Sometimes the crash will happen as I double click on the file to open it (with Windows Media Player), other times, just clicking on the file to drag it to another folder causes it to crash.

I'm assuming bad codecs or bad video files you are trying to watch. What codecs are you using at the moment? Could you try and remember if you installed/uninstalled some codecs right before you receive the errors? Do you get such errors when you just browse the internet or only when you watch/drag video files?

It's been happening for months. I tried doing a system restore, but it didn't fix the problem. Typically I use explorer while watching avi files. Sometimes the crash will happen as I double click on the file to open it (with Windows Media Player), other times, just clicking on the file to drag it to another folder causes it to crash.

I'm assuming bad codecs or bad video files you are trying to watch. What codecs are you using at the moment? Could you try and remember if you installed/uninstalled some codecs right before you receive the errors? Do you get such errors when you just browse the internet or only when you watch/drag video files?

It's not happening when I browse the internet, just when I watch or drag & drop video files. I use the DivX codec and Windows error reporting has indicated that the problem lies with that. Something to do with DivX not functioning properly. It sent me to the DivX website, but that says I have the latest software installed. I've tried removing and reinstalling DivX, but that hasn't helped.
The problem did seem to stop for a while. Shortly after that I upgraded my Blackberry desktop software from version 5 to version 6. Version 6 would not recognize my phone, so I had to uninstall version 6 and reinstall version 5 and I believe the crashing started again after that, but I'm not certain.