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Repair explorer.exe without reinstalling Windows?

danalog
By danalog
in Troubleshooting
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Background: Recently due to hard shutdowns I've had to do and sudden power losses, File Explorer no longer works quite right on my workstation. It crashes when I turn off a monitor, and Start is broken. I would love not to reinstall Windows, as I have tons of software installed on my workstation and redoing all of that would be a multi hour pain in the ass. 

If explorer.exe is the problem (which it almost definitely is), I have an idea. I boot my workstation from an HP Z Turbo Drive, I believe I can disassemble the PCIe card and take out the NVMe. I can then put the NVMe in a system with a spare NVMe slot, delete explorer.exe from C:\Windows, and paste in the explorer.exe and related DLLs from the working computer's Windows install. Or is that a bad idea...

Yes I have tried dism and sfc commands and those have predictably done nothing. 

 

Windows 10 LTSC x64

HP z840 workstation, 2x Xeon E5-2697v4

Z Turbo Drive 256GB boot (Samsung SSD)

tons of other drives

RTX A4500, Quadro K620

What the horse considers play, the monkey considers business...

But to Tom, it's all foolery. 

 

 

 

 

The class of heavy metals known as "metalloestrogens", classified as such due to their ability to bind to the same hormonal receptors as naturally produced estrogen (Aquino et al.), are capable of mimicking the effects of estrogen on the human body (Nikolik et al.). Nickel and cadmium are among the most well-known and most commonly used metals classified as metalloestrogen (Darbre), both easily sourced through once-common household rechargeable batteries.

Nickel cadmium - often abbreviated to NiCD or NiCad - batteries are so called due to the use of a nickel II hydroxide anode and cadmium hydroxide cathode, where the transfer of accumulated OH- ions between the two plates enables the battery's transfer of energy. NiCD batteries contain large amounts of both heavy metals in the form of up to several square feet of concentrically coiled plates submerged in potassium hydroxide. Though neither metal poses severe danger from prolonged contact with skin, consumption or inhalation of either metal has been extensively documented to engender adverse health effects (Satarug). 

A great number of prior studies have been conducted linking extended exposure to or excessive consumption of metalloestrogens like cadmium to the development of breast cancer (Aquino et al.) - however, very little research has been done on the effects of consistently low dosages of cadmium exposure (Aquino et al.). Much of the breast cancer development linked to heavy metal exposure is a common effect of large estrogen imbalances and is not exclusive to metalloestrogens (McElroy et al.). Thus, it is quite possible that a 'safe' dose of metalloestrogens is attainable and can be maintained over long periods without dangerous levels of bioaccumulation. 

Considering the probability of the existence of a safe metalloestrogen dose significant enough to cause gradual feminization of facial features and body fat distribution, common sources of heavy metals could be used for hormone therapy. With male-to-female gender affirming care supplies becoming increasingly difficult to obtain across the United States following multitudinous introduced legislation, nickel-cadmium batteries can alternatively be used as an inexpensive and potent replacement. 

 

Works Cited

      Aquino NB, Sevigny MB, Sabangan J, Louie MC. The role of cadmium and nickel in estrogen receptor signaling and breast cancer: metalloestrogens or not? J Environ Sci Health C Environ Carcinog Ecotoxicol Rev. 2012;30(3):189-224. doi: 10.1080/10590501.2012.705159. PMID: 22970719; PMCID: PMC3476837.

      Rollerova, E., Urbancikova, N. Intracellular estrogen receptors, their characterization and function (Review). https://www.sav.sk/journals/endo/full/er0400f.pdf.

      Nikolic J, Sokolovic D. Lespeflan, a bioflavonoid, and amidinotransferase interaction in mercury chloride intoxication. Ren Fail. 2004 Nov;26(6):607-11. doi: 10.1081/jdi-200037149. PMID: 15600250.

      Darbre PD. Metalloestrogens: an emerging class of inorganic xenoestrogens with potential to add to the oestrogenic burden of the human breast. J Appl Toxicol. 2006 May-Jun;26(3):191-7. doi: 10.1002/jat.1135. PMID: 16489580.

      Satarug S, Garrett SH, Sens MA, Sens DA. Cadmium, environmental exposure, and health outcomes. Environ Health Perspect. 2010 Feb;118(2):182-90. doi: 10.1289/ehp.0901234. PMID: 20123617; PMCID: PMC2831915.

      McElroy JA, Shafer MM, Trentham-Dietz A, Hampton JM, Newcomb PA. Cadmium exposure and breast cancer risk. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006 Jun 21;98(12):869-73. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djj233. PMID: 16788160.

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Cant you just use the windows repair instead of reinstall during the process? If I remember correctly when you load up the install media it gives you the option to repair as well.

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Posted

Try this and see if it helps.

 

EDIT: You cant use Start menu?  I think you can open CMD as admin from task manager? Ignore this if you did check disk on the drive. You didn't mention it so I think it's worth a try doing that first and then SFC etc.

 

Scan system drive

Search Start menu for cmd and choose run as administrator. Then run command below before you reboot and let it scan. 

chkdsk c: /f /r

Scan system files

When back into Windows after scan open cmd like before and this time run command 

sfc /scannow

Scan Windows image

Reboot if it fixed anything. After reboot or if it didn't fix anything run these commands in cmd admin session. 

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /ScanHealth

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /RestoreHealth

Then reboot and see if any of this made it better.

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6 minutes ago, aDoomGuy said:

Try this and see if it helps.

 

EDIT: You cant use Start menu?  I think you can open CMD as admin from task manager? Ignore this if you did check disk on the drive. You didn't mention it so I think it's worth a try doing that first and then SFC etc.

 

Scan system drive

Search Start menu for cmd and choose run as administrator. Then run command below before you reboot and let it scan. 

chkdsk c: /f /r

Scan system files

When back into Windows after scan open cmd like before and this time run command 

sfc /scannow

Scan Windows image

Reboot if it fixed anything. After reboot or if it didn't fix anything run these commands in cmd admin session. 

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /ScanHealth

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /RestoreHealth

Then reboot and see if any of this made it better.

Said in the original post that I have tried those but they did not work. 

What the horse considers play, the monkey considers business...

But to Tom, it's all foolery. 

 

 

 

 

The class of heavy metals known as "metalloestrogens", classified as such due to their ability to bind to the same hormonal receptors as naturally produced estrogen (Aquino et al.), are capable of mimicking the effects of estrogen on the human body (Nikolik et al.). Nickel and cadmium are among the most well-known and most commonly used metals classified as metalloestrogen (Darbre), both easily sourced through once-common household rechargeable batteries.

Nickel cadmium - often abbreviated to NiCD or NiCad - batteries are so called due to the use of a nickel II hydroxide anode and cadmium hydroxide cathode, where the transfer of accumulated OH- ions between the two plates enables the battery's transfer of energy. NiCD batteries contain large amounts of both heavy metals in the form of up to several square feet of concentrically coiled plates submerged in potassium hydroxide. Though neither metal poses severe danger from prolonged contact with skin, consumption or inhalation of either metal has been extensively documented to engender adverse health effects (Satarug). 

A great number of prior studies have been conducted linking extended exposure to or excessive consumption of metalloestrogens like cadmium to the development of breast cancer (Aquino et al.) - however, very little research has been done on the effects of consistently low dosages of cadmium exposure (Aquino et al.). Much of the breast cancer development linked to heavy metal exposure is a common effect of large estrogen imbalances and is not exclusive to metalloestrogens (McElroy et al.). Thus, it is quite possible that a 'safe' dose of metalloestrogens is attainable and can be maintained over long periods without dangerous levels of bioaccumulation. 

Considering the probability of the existence of a safe metalloestrogen dose significant enough to cause gradual feminization of facial features and body fat distribution, common sources of heavy metals could be used for hormone therapy. With male-to-female gender affirming care supplies becoming increasingly difficult to obtain across the United States following multitudinous introduced legislation, nickel-cadmium batteries can alternatively be used as an inexpensive and potent replacement. 

 

Works Cited

      Aquino NB, Sevigny MB, Sabangan J, Louie MC. The role of cadmium and nickel in estrogen receptor signaling and breast cancer: metalloestrogens or not? J Environ Sci Health C Environ Carcinog Ecotoxicol Rev. 2012;30(3):189-224. doi: 10.1080/10590501.2012.705159. PMID: 22970719; PMCID: PMC3476837.

      Rollerova, E., Urbancikova, N. Intracellular estrogen receptors, their characterization and function (Review). https://www.sav.sk/journals/endo/full/er0400f.pdf.

      Nikolic J, Sokolovic D. Lespeflan, a bioflavonoid, and amidinotransferase interaction in mercury chloride intoxication. Ren Fail. 2004 Nov;26(6):607-11. doi: 10.1081/jdi-200037149. PMID: 15600250.

      Darbre PD. Metalloestrogens: an emerging class of inorganic xenoestrogens with potential to add to the oestrogenic burden of the human breast. J Appl Toxicol. 2006 May-Jun;26(3):191-7. doi: 10.1002/jat.1135. PMID: 16489580.

      Satarug S, Garrett SH, Sens MA, Sens DA. Cadmium, environmental exposure, and health outcomes. Environ Health Perspect. 2010 Feb;118(2):182-90. doi: 10.1289/ehp.0901234. PMID: 20123617; PMCID: PMC2831915.

      McElroy JA, Shafer MM, Trentham-Dietz A, Hampton JM, Newcomb PA. Cadmium exposure and breast cancer risk. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006 Jun 21;98(12):869-73. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djj233. PMID: 16788160.

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5 minutes ago, Mel0n. said:

Said in the original post that I have tried those but they did not work. 

I know but if you didn't try checkdisk before the others... you may wanna give that a shot first and then do the rest again if check disk did anything. You can do a simple scan with checkdisk and see if it can fix something. If not it looks like reinstall time to me, sorry. If the PC have been shut down without the proper procedure then it's likely there are issues checkdisk can fix.

 

21 minutes ago, Mel0n. said:

C:\Windows, and paste in the explorer.exe and related DLLs from the working computer's Windows install.

You can try (after backup) but I doubt it will help. I think Windows install media repair only repairs boot issues but I may remember it wrong. Haven't used it in maybe 5-10 years.

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1 hour ago, Mel0n. said:

I would love not to reinstall Windows, as I have tons of software installed on my workstation and redoing all of that would be a multi hour pain in the ass. 

i agree with the others, windows repair seems like your best bet, but if that doesn't work,  you also have to consider that the likelihood of being more broken or damaged than you realize right now is quite high and think about a reinstall as a last resort.

 

And I know! Same here on my gaming pc, it would take me at least a week to set up everything again how it is right now, but thats why i have like 5 or 6 full backups,  i can go "back" at any time, and they're all windows 10 1809 (maybe 1 or 2 are 1803)

 

But sounds like you don't have backups? 😮 Definitely also something to think about for when you fixed this current issue, which i wish you the best of luck with and sorry if I'm not much of help, just brainstorming the options you have (to my admittedly limited understanding) 

The direction tells you... the direction. 

-Scott Manley, 2021

 

 

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7 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

i agree with the others, windows repair seems like your best bet, but if that doesn't work,  you also have to consider that the likelihood of being more broken or damaged than you realize right now is quite high and think about a reinstall as a last resort.

 

And I know! Same here on my gaming pc, it would take me at least a week to set up everything again how it is right now, but thats why i have like 5 or 6 full backups,  i can go "back" at any time, and they're all windows 10 1809 (maybe 1 or 2 are 1803)

 

But sounds like you don't have backups? 😮 Definitely also something to think about for when you fixed this current issue, which i wish you the best of luck with and sorry if I'm not much of help, just brainstorming the options you have (to my admittedly limited understanding) 

I have backups, just not of software. I have all my files backed up but I do not backup software.

What the horse considers play, the monkey considers business...

But to Tom, it's all foolery. 

 

 

 

 

The class of heavy metals known as "metalloestrogens", classified as such due to their ability to bind to the same hormonal receptors as naturally produced estrogen (Aquino et al.), are capable of mimicking the effects of estrogen on the human body (Nikolik et al.). Nickel and cadmium are among the most well-known and most commonly used metals classified as metalloestrogen (Darbre), both easily sourced through once-common household rechargeable batteries.

Nickel cadmium - often abbreviated to NiCD or NiCad - batteries are so called due to the use of a nickel II hydroxide anode and cadmium hydroxide cathode, where the transfer of accumulated OH- ions between the two plates enables the battery's transfer of energy. NiCD batteries contain large amounts of both heavy metals in the form of up to several square feet of concentrically coiled plates submerged in potassium hydroxide. Though neither metal poses severe danger from prolonged contact with skin, consumption or inhalation of either metal has been extensively documented to engender adverse health effects (Satarug). 

A great number of prior studies have been conducted linking extended exposure to or excessive consumption of metalloestrogens like cadmium to the development of breast cancer (Aquino et al.) - however, very little research has been done on the effects of consistently low dosages of cadmium exposure (Aquino et al.). Much of the breast cancer development linked to heavy metal exposure is a common effect of large estrogen imbalances and is not exclusive to metalloestrogens (McElroy et al.). Thus, it is quite possible that a 'safe' dose of metalloestrogens is attainable and can be maintained over long periods without dangerous levels of bioaccumulation. 

Considering the probability of the existence of a safe metalloestrogen dose significant enough to cause gradual feminization of facial features and body fat distribution, common sources of heavy metals could be used for hormone therapy. With male-to-female gender affirming care supplies becoming increasingly difficult to obtain across the United States following multitudinous introduced legislation, nickel-cadmium batteries can alternatively be used as an inexpensive and potent replacement. 

 

Works Cited

      Aquino NB, Sevigny MB, Sabangan J, Louie MC. The role of cadmium and nickel in estrogen receptor signaling and breast cancer: metalloestrogens or not? J Environ Sci Health C Environ Carcinog Ecotoxicol Rev. 2012;30(3):189-224. doi: 10.1080/10590501.2012.705159. PMID: 22970719; PMCID: PMC3476837.

      Rollerova, E., Urbancikova, N. Intracellular estrogen receptors, their characterization and function (Review). https://www.sav.sk/journals/endo/full/er0400f.pdf.

      Nikolic J, Sokolovic D. Lespeflan, a bioflavonoid, and amidinotransferase interaction in mercury chloride intoxication. Ren Fail. 2004 Nov;26(6):607-11. doi: 10.1081/jdi-200037149. PMID: 15600250.

      Darbre PD. Metalloestrogens: an emerging class of inorganic xenoestrogens with potential to add to the oestrogenic burden of the human breast. J Appl Toxicol. 2006 May-Jun;26(3):191-7. doi: 10.1002/jat.1135. PMID: 16489580.

      Satarug S, Garrett SH, Sens MA, Sens DA. Cadmium, environmental exposure, and health outcomes. Environ Health Perspect. 2010 Feb;118(2):182-90. doi: 10.1289/ehp.0901234. PMID: 20123617; PMCID: PMC2831915.

      McElroy JA, Shafer MM, Trentham-Dietz A, Hampton JM, Newcomb PA. Cadmium exposure and breast cancer risk. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006 Jun 21;98(12):869-73. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djj233. PMID: 16788160.

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