windows explorer has stopped working / windows is restarting

[nibblesandbits]

So I have a client laptop, I've tried everything I know.

I've run SuperAntiSpyware in safe mode.
I've run Malwarebytes in safe mode.
I've tried system restore.
I've tried chkdsk /f (which didn't find much of anything)
I've tried sfc /scannow as administrator which found nothing.

Short of a nuke and pave, I'm not sure how to fix this problem. Is it possible to copy a file like explorer.ex_ off of windows vista installation media? I know if I could do a repair option like XP's CDs had, this would be a breeze. But I know of no way to do the same thing that I used to do on XP, on Vista.

Help? This client is wanting their computer back yesterday.

Seems I've been getting a lot more "harder" fixes in my office here lately. Maybe I need to brush up on my knowledge, although I don't know how I'd have ever forgotten anything I knew since I do this every day, day in and day out.

 

[dannyd]

Check to see if service packs are installed this was a common vista problem before service pack 1

 

[xxsilk109xx]

Just as an FYI - Malwarebytes was created to be ran in a normal windows start up, not safe mode. I, like you, used to run it in safe mode thinking that it was better to do so, but I have read from some Admin members of the MBAM forums that it was designed to run in normal mode because it finds virus better when its active. Only time I run in safe mode, is a full scan, whenever a virus may be blocking mbam after I have gone through the manual removal procedure, then I usually follow up with a quick scan once it works in windows.


On another note, have you tried to do a recovery installation of windows? Not a nuke and pave, but just a reinstall of windows? Not sure the word Im looking for here, drawing a blank.

Have you tried pulling the hard drive out and running scans on it as an external drive?

I would say a recovery install of vista would be your best option.

 

[MobileTechie]

Surely running 5 automated apps isn't ALL you know?!

What do the logs say is happening?

What effect does a restricted startup have?

You can do a repair install with Vista but you have to be able to boot into it.

 

[nibblesandbits]

Check to see if service packs are installed this was a common vista problem before service pack 1

Will check... but it's kind of hard when explorer keeps shutting down every 5 seconds, literally. I don't have enough time to hit start and right click cmd to run as administrator. I'll see if I can't get siw or something to run.

Just as an FYI - Malwarebytes was created to be ran in a normal windows start up, not safe mode. I, like you, used to run it in safe mode thinking that it was better to do so, but I have read from some Admin members of the MBAM forums that it was designed to run in normal mode because it finds virus better when its active. Only time I run in safe mode, is a full scan, whenever a virus may be blocking mbam after I have gone through the manual removal procedure, then I usually follow up with a quick scan once it works in windows.


On another note, have you tried to do a recovery installation of windows? Not a nuke and pave, but just a reinstall of windows? Not sure the word Im looking for here, drawing a blank.

Have you tried pulling the hard drive out and running scans on it as an external drive?

I would say a recovery install of vista would be your best option.

I'll have to retry the MBAM in normal mode. IF I can get into the CD I have it on. I'm trying to use iexplore as it's my only way of getting into anything because otherwise it's explorer - which keeps crashing. It seems to be in an infinite loop of crash.

Recovery install of windows would be possible if I knew how to do it from a CD. It's not like the "r" option that was on the Windows XP CD. Do I just choose "upgrade" like I've read in a few places? At any rate. I'm backing up the user profile right now to make sure she loses no important documents. I've already been on the phone with her since my first post and she said a n&p is fine. I explained to her that backing up her user profile would NOT back up any programs, and she said she has the discs for them so it's no big deal to her. Her pictures were the main thing.

Also - I'm thinking about that company that repairs installs on the internet. It scans your computer and fixes them. I can't think of what it's called, but I think we get a special deal with the ACRBO. Going to look into it as well.

Surely running 5 automated apps isn't ALL you know?!

What do the logs say is happening?

What effect does a restricted startup have?

You can do a repair install with Vista but you have to be able to boot into it.

Nope, it's not all I know. It's just 9/10 times all it takes. But let's not tell people that because that'd cut my business down to about 1/58792489123 of what it is. It's hard to check logs or anything when explorer.exe is in an infinite crash loop and crashing so quickly.

UPDATE: OR NOT... all it took was a ctrl shift esc to get taskman and then eventvwr.msc. lol Not that hard. So I'm looking at the log and EVERY explorer.exe crash is in there. Looks like all the errors pertain to MSVCR80.dll as the "faulting module". Still researching.

 

[iisjman07]

I assume explorer functions correctly in safe mode, so I'd run Autoruns and check what .dll's are running when explorer is launched

 

[nibblesandbits]

I assume explorer functions correctly in safe mode, so I'd run Autoruns and check what .dll's are running when explorer is launched

Nope. It crashes in the loop in safe mode as well.

 

[MobileTechie]

That's the C runtime library.

What effect does a restricted startup have? Because if that library is implicated then maybe a startup app using it is the cause.

EDIT: just saw your latest post which negates that.

 

[nibblesandbits]

That's the C runtime library.

What effect does a restricted startup have? Because if that library is implicated then maybe a startup app using it is the cause.

EDIT: just saw your latest post which negates that.

If by restricted startup, you mean "safe mode" or everything disabled in msconfig including services (not any ms services) then... it still does the same thing. Thinking about trying to reload the dll and see what happens.

Edit: Has anybody used (successfully) reimage.com? I'm thinking about it. Quite a lot of money to be out if it doesn't fix anything.

 

[NeutronTech]

Just as an FYI - Malwarebytes was created to be ran in a normal windows start up, not safe mode.

That may be the case, but I've had better luck removing infections in safe mode. I've had infected machines that, in normal mode, MB wouldn't detect anything. Then ran again in safe mode, and found multiple infections. There was probably something resident in memory that was stealthing the infections, while in normal mode. In any case, when I clean a system, I always run a final scan in normal mode.

 

[meanderer]

On one of my family's computer it has random explorer crash, I checked the process list and saw one with random letters (clearly a virus). I removed that virus manually by removing the file and its startup entry and it stops crashing the explorer. I advised the owner to nuke and pave if problems come up again.

 

[nibblesandbits]

I just went ahead and backed up the user profile and n&p'ed. I'm sick of dealing with it. When I have 6 computers come in here in one day, I don't have time to spend more than 3 hours... and they don't have enough money to pay me to deal with it that long.

So it's a win-win situation.

 

[MobileTechie]

Probably the right thing to do.

I must get more into that mindset. I'm liable to spend way too long solving such problems, justifying it by thinking the experience will help me solve it double quick next time. But many problems are somewhat unique and so it often doesn't work out like that.

 

[nibblesandbits]

Probably the right thing to do.

I must get more into that mindset. I'm liable to spend way too long solving such problems, justifying it by thinking the experience will help me solve it double quick next time. But many problems are somewhat unique and so it often doesn't work out like that.

Very very true. and if they don't have more than 5-10 pieces of software including devices like printers, it's really not a big deal, even if they call you for support to help get that installed. LogMeIn...anybody?