Windows 7 explorer stops working after creating a new file. Help!

[OgiStan]

I'm running Windows 7 ultimate. Recently I noticed that sometimes when I create a new file with a program, windows explorer starts behaving strangely. It becomes unable to load any folder. Doesn't even load the My Computer data. All of the files can be opened with their respective programs, only the folder windows aren't showing anything. I scanned for viruses, deleted and replaced IconCache, ran system file checker and nothing proved effective.

 

Have some of you experienced anything like this before?

[homeap5]

Do you have connected any usb storage to your computer like pendrive, external hdd etc? Or maybe you have set put your HDD to sleep after some time of inactivity?

[OgiStan]

2 hours ago, homeap5 said:

Do you have connected any usb storage to your computer like pendrive, external hdd etc?

Yeah, it happened once when I connected my phone, but that wasn't the only time.

2 hours ago, homeap5 said:

Or maybe you have set put your HDD to sleep after some time of inactivity?

It can't be that because all of the files can be opened just fine with other programs, the thing is they are inaccessible through windows explorer.

[homeap5]

It's difficult problem to resolve. It may be some kind of virus (in worst scenario, but it's very unlikely), it may be some registry problem (I hope you don't use any registry cleaners that may broke more things than fix), AV software problem, but mostly hardware related problem (any program opens only one file from one location, explorer opens many things - all list of devices, thumbnails cache etc). Someone may give you advice to reinstall Windows - just don't. It not resolve any of your problems, it will be just workaround and waste of time and you will still not know what happens (and in most cases - problem returns). The same about all popular suggestions like "sfc /scannow" or other universal "please try" methods - this gives you no information what was wrong. It's fixing problems without knowing reason why something happens.

 

Instead I suggest you to check your hard disk - even if other programs can access files and open them, Explorer as I said perform more operations. Try also one of popular filemanagers (Directory Opus, Konvertor, File Voyager etc.) and check if they can perform operations faster without delay.

 

Sometimes problem is with shell extensions or menus: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shell_menu_view.html

But leave it to the end.

 

I still believe that some device makes that problem - Windows just wait for some device to complete requested operation (it may be creating directory or even internal explorer operation not triggered by user). Question is - how long you must wait for Explorer to un-freeze itself? That may give some useful information.

 

What you should do for sure is to check what happens with files using Procmon. It shows you if Explorer performs lot of file operations or just nothing happens with files and, for example, Explorer do something else (like read/writes hundred of stuff into registry or whatever). It shows you even if some other program accessing your files (like AV software). This should be your next step.

 

[OgiStan]

@homeap5  I started Procmon just as it happened again.

Basically nothing happens. There is process profiling once a second, and some antivirus activity every minute or so. It didn't do anything else on it's own.

Then I ran windirstat to see if it will load. It loaded everything just fine in about 3 minutes.

Then I tried to browse files from winrar window and didn't have any problems.

 

I should mention that I have an SSD and an HDD. If the issue was hardware it should affect both.

 

Also the explorer hasn't gone back to normal for 45 minutes now as I'm writing this post.

[homeap5]

By "hardware issue" i mean one hard drive issue (or ssd), so no - it should affect only one.

 

And for 45 minutes procmon do not report anything? No suspicious activity, no lot of reads/writes? Are you sure that you enable procmon to report whole activity? This program with filters disabled should made really crazy output even on idle.

 

I have no idea except two things:

1. this link - lot of "ideas", mostly "i don't know, but try". But some of them may be useful (skip all "sfc /scannow" and similar like "update your graphics driver", which may be replaced by "try everything, maybe problem magically resolves itself").

2. Someone report that he replaced "explorer.exe" from another one (different computer), so if you want - link is here and password is "hokuspokus" (it's file from my Win7 from c:\windows\ directory).

 

Good luck.

[OgiStan]

I filtered to only see explore.exe process. It is crazy with no filters but nothing suspicious. Only processes I know I have running.

When I kill the explorer from task manager and run it again I get "remote procedure call failed" message when I try to open folders.

 

Thank you for the file. I hope it's safe.

[homeap5]

I see no point to gives you not safe file. I want to help, not being banned.

ZIP and password was only for browser protection - some browsers hates download exe files. Welcome to 2018 paranoid protected world.

 

[OgiStan]

On 7/2/2018 at 3:05 PM, homeap5 said:

I have no idea except two things:

1. this link - lot of "ideas", mostly "i don't know, but try". But some of them may be useful (skip all "sfc /scannow" and similar like "update your graphics driver", which may be replaced by "try everything, maybe problem magically resolves itself").

2. Someone report that he replaced "explorer.exe" from another one (different computer), so if you want - link is here and password is "hokuspokus" (it's file from my Win7 from c:\windows\ directory).

 

Good luck.

I ended up doing system restore to last week. It doesn't seem to happen anymore. Couldn't find what caused the problem though.

[OgiStan]

6 minutes ago, OgiStan said:

It doesn't seem to happen anymore.

Nope, it happened again

[homeap5]

And, as I suppose, my file was not helpful?

 

Few more questions - do you have any card reader plug inside your computer?

Do you have any software to mount iso files? Some virtual CD?

Anything related to drives? Even phone plug by usb port?

 

What about folder options? If you turn on "always show icons, never thumbnails" - is it helps?

Uncheck "hide empty drives" - you'll see if any strange non-existing "G:" drive or whatever is mounted somehow.

 

What tools do you have installed that are related to files? Maybe just uninstall antivirus - just in case? You can always install it again if you must, but at least you'll be sure that is not AV related (you must uninstall AV completely - even disabled antivirus still working, just not scanning files, but still every file operation goes through AV; notice that AV disabled, not uninstalled, is the same slow as enabled).

 

Do you try some filemanagers? It may be cool alternative anyway to use something with more functions that Explorer (I know, it's not a solution, but still pretty nice workaround).

 

[OgiStan]

!!! IMPORTANT !!!   DO NOT PUT SYSTEM SHORTCUTS (My Computer, Recycle Bin, etc.) INTO STARDOCK FENCES BOXES. LEAVE THEM ON DESKTOP.

 

I think I figured it out. I uninstalled Stardock Fences (a desktop organizing tool) and the problem was solved.

At first I ignored it because I had it running for more than a year but the problems started only a few weeks ago. I used the base version which is free.

I put My Computer and Recycle Bin into boxes and that's what caused explorer to act crazy. I have yet to reinstall it but I'm pretty sure that was the problem.