Windows Explorer Crashing!!

Anytime I try to click on an item in the start menu (except the items always on the right) it will say "Windows Explorer has stopped working..." then "Checking for a solution" then "Restarting Windows Explorer"
I have googled my eyes out and haven't found a solution to this problem. I can't remember when it started...Probably within the past month.
PLEASE HELP ME!
Thanks y'all

P.S. Really don't want to reinstall vista.

 

do you have a antivirus. what starts up with your computer? try to reinstall you gpu driver.

 

I have McAfee 8.5 antivirus, Zonealarm Firewall, Adaware scanned, thumbnail preview turned off...I'll try that.

 

So that didn't work...
Additionally I have tried registry defrag, disk defrag, ms defender scan

 

use msconfig and disable everything and restart and if the fixes it. disable the start up programs. also what OS are you using. i don't see it stated above.

 

I have zonealarm, McAfee, xfire, realtek hd audio, adaware free ed., synaptics, sidebar, and asus security protect manager running on startup. I'll try that, but what do you think I can disable? I am running Vista Home Premium 32bit

 

I don't use Vista but you should be able to do a repair install or, if it still exists in Vista, a SFC / Scannow.

 

When you do a repair does it uninstall everything? What is SFC/Scannow? Thanks

 

SFC /Scannow is the command to start the Windows System File Checker. What SFC does is it compares the critical system files on your machine. If it finds one that's different or corrupted, it offers to replace it with the original version.

More Info Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_File_Checker

 

SFC /scannow did not find anything...Does a system repair uninstall everything? I might try that next...

 

It leaves your stuff intact, just renews system files.

 

Try uninstalling zonealrm, McAfee, adware free ed, asus security protection manager. Multiple antiviruses on one computer will mess things up and sometimes the real time protection features will lock explorer up.

 

Zonealarm and adaware were installed today, so they are not the issue...

 

Any strange files? On my laptop flv files used to crash my explorer when they were associated with Realplayer - and disabling thumbnails didn't help - getting rid of the real player association did.

 

I don't think I have any strange files. I have scanned for viruses and spyware/adware numerous times now and I think it has to do with vista. Can I just reformat the vista partition and leave the data partition intact?

 

Well .flv files are flash video files - and it was real player that crashed the explorer...

about formatting C: while leaving D: - possible - but it would be better if you backed up your data on an external HDD.

 

Ok, so I definitely do not have flash video files on my lappy. I think I will try to reformat C: only, but if it can't then I will backup my data and do the whole thing. Thanks.

 

Do the backup first.

 

I have to backup to DVD as I have no external HD...which really sucks if you've ever backed up that way...

 

I had on my old Medion long time ago - then buy an external HDD - its worth it - and they are getting reasonably cheap compared to a few years ago.

 

With both Vista and Win7 I'm finding that a lot of cute/useful utilities that jam stuff into the right click/context menus are the cause of desktop/explorer crashes.

Go get a copy of the Nirsoft utility, ShellExView (Shell Extensions Viewer, current version v1.37). You'll be able to selectively disable shell extensions so aid in troubleshooting this issue. A reboot in between disable/enable tries will be necessary so unless you luck out and find the problem immediately, this will likely take a while and quite a few reboots.

One family of extensions that I've found to be troublesome are those that add an 'Open Command Prompt Here' item to the right click/context menu. If you have something like that on your machine, try disabling that first. Then go on to the other, non-Microsoft shell extensions.

Just be damned sure to set a system restore point before you go mucking about with anything at this level.

 

I have done the ShellEx view utility thing and it didn't work for me...Any other suggestions?

 

you tried to diasble all of the non-msft shell extensions and then bring them back 2-3 at a time? If you took a deliberate, slow approach to shell extensions then that path is a dead end.

 

I disabled them all and the problem still occurs so that is not the problem for me.