Windows Explorer Hangs

[SLG]

Several times a day my Windows Explorer hangs for about a minute then starts up again. It happens very randomly. I could be typing a document, reading email, mapping a drive, or sometimes it happens when I'm not even using my computer. I know it happened because every time it happens any application I was using dies one me (Outlook, Quickbooks, etc). I then have to close and restart those applications and in many cases I have to kill the process before I reload the application.
My PC is Windows XP SP2 with all the the latest updates. I've also updated all my hardware drivers that were down level.
I should mention that all the other computers on the network are working fine.
Thanks!

 

[wolluf]

Usual question - when did this start/had you added/removed any hardware/software shortly before this?

Any clues in event log (run eventvwr.msc)?

Anti-virus & anti-spyware up to date (scans?)

May be a repair reinstall would fix it - but really need more clues. If its bad hardware, repair wouldn't help (but doesn't sound like bad hardware).

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341

 

[linney]

Do you have lots of pretty Red X's in your Event Viewer?

Anything could be causing Explorer to crash. You might consider recent updates. Also consider any other changes you have made. Corrupted files can cause this too.

To get further information about your errors look in your Event viewer.

Look in the System or Application folder. You can get to the Event Viewer via right click My Computer icon and select Manage.

Any errors logged in the Event Viewer can be expanded by double clicking on the error line.

Take any event error I.D. number and search for it on this site.

http://www.eventid.net/events.asp

If you want the highly technical cause of any crash look in the Documents and Settings/ All Users/ Application Data/ Microsoft/ Dr Watson/ Drwtsn32.log

Find the entry that is relevant by date and time to the crash you are investigating. The exact cause of the crash is indicated by "FAULT ->" on the left of page next to line of code causing crash. This, if your as cluey as me, wont tell you much but you can use it to see if it is the same fault all the time, and further up the log you can find what processes and modules are running.



Troubleshooting Windows Explorer Errors

http://www.helpwithwindows.com/techfiles/explorer-crashes.html

ShellExView

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/shellexview.html

 

[SLG]

Thanks for the replies. The thing is, I don't get any errors, Windows Explorer just goes into a "Not Responding" state for about a minute then it comes back. There is nothing in the Event Viewer to indicate that anything happened.
I did have Zone Alarm installed and running so I uninstalled that but the problem reoccurred within 2hrs of removing it. The only other security software I have running is Symantec Antivirus version 9.
Also, just for kicks I installed Adaware and ran a scan but nothing came up.
I don't recall when this started happening but I'd say its been going on for about two months now. Therefore I can't say if an update caused it or not.
I really don't want to rebuild this box since it is about a 18hr job but I guess if that is my last resort I will have to. :-(

 

[linney]

Can you repeat the problem from Safe Mode, or from Normal Mode but as a different user to your current one?


310353 - How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310353&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

316434 - HOW TO: Perform Advanced Clean-Boot Troubleshooting in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316434&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

310560 - How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310560&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

Try running ChkDsk to check your drive for errors. Right-click your Drive icon/ Properties/ Tools/ Error Checking. Select both boxes.

Run the System File Checker program from the Run Box by typing.....Sfc /Scannow in it and have your XP CD handy.

HOW TO: Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q308/5/14.asp

A repair install only, as opposed to a Format and clean install, should not take 18 hours to get back to normal, unless you have a very slow dial-up connection and struggle to download Windows Updates? Repairing windows by running it over itself. You will lose all your windows updates but your files, programs and data will be untouched.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp

 

[SLG]

Thanks Linney, I'll give the in-place upgrade a shot. But I just noticed today that it may not be as random as I thought. It seems to be related to anytime I access a file on a network share. I thought maybe my NIC was going bad so I swapped that out but it still happens. I'm pretty confident it is not the file server since all other computers are not have any problems. Is there anything else I should check before I do the In-Place install?

 

[linney]

You could look at these type of problems to see if any of the suggestions seem relevant?

XP slow displaying network drives
thread779-977069

Mapped drive - slow response at first
thread779-1263393

XP slow network read and file list solution
thread779-1320872

 

[SLG]

Linney,
Thanks for your very thorough replies! You are truly a wealth of good information.
I believe this registry hack fixed my problem:

1. Open up regedit.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/RemoteComputer/NameSpace.
3. Find a key named {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}.
4. Right click on it and delete it.
5. Restart

Since I've made those changes the problem has not reoccurred.

Thanks again!

 

[linney]

Fingers crossed? Thanks for the kind comments.