Windows Explorer stops responding

[ryanbatc 12,813]

I've been getting this odd bug lately in my Win7 PC.

 

I'll boot up the PC for the day.  I don't touch anything, then when I move my mouse it freezes, says windows explore.exe has stopped responding.  I restart it, everything comes back.  Sometimes it freezes again and the second time I restart it everthing works fine.

 

I think it may be related to my issues I've been having in Battlefield 4 - in game, doesn't matter what server...  my games totally freezes for a few seconds, then I'm back playing again.

 

All drivers are up to date.  I'm scanning for malware now but I did check a few months ago for stuff.  I use MWB and windows defender or MSE.

 

Also note odd note.  It could just be a faulty sensor but when I downloaded a SSD status program (I think it was acronis or something like that) it told me my windows SSD drive temp was really high, like 212 F.  Seems way too hot and impossible.  Windows is installed on that drive though.

 

I've never seen a bug like this very odd.

[ryanbatc 12,813]

No malware

Cc cleaner run fixed a few reg errors

Sfc scan done normal

Memtest normal

 

For clarity - just the task bar freezes - I can still click on desktop icons etc

[PieEater 10]

Have you checked event viewer?

 

Quite a few people are having similar issues with the latest NVidia drivers even in 2D (often whilst running Chrome), rolling back to 350.12 seems to fix it.

[codechris 9]

Checked you're temperatures and volt rails? Make sure they are all normal

[magnetite 38]

When was the last time you cleaned out your case with compressed air? Dust can cause temperatures to rise, blocking airflow.

[ryanbatc 12,813]

Cleaning could be a factor...  been a few months.

 

volts are seem fine.  rails are fine or no different that they've been in the past.

 

A few odd things.  I've stopped the issue in BF4 by changing to Internet Explorer (the game runs in a browser).  I was using chrome.

 

I also uninstalled Class Shell... that GUI thing I was using to make win7 look like Win xp.  I don't seem to get crashes of windows explorer but I'm still getting temporary freezes.

 

I'm also wondering if it's my USB ports.  I've been swapping out different peripherals to my old USB2 powered hub to see if it helps...  hard to say for now.  I just ordered a USB3 powered hub though.

 

edit: Nope didn't fix the BF4 issues...  thought.  Just had the issue now.  I think when BF4 freezes the Win7 explorer freezes.

[ryanbatc 12,813]

Have you checked event viewer?

 

Quite a few people are having similar issues with the latest NVidia drivers even in 2D (often whilst running Chrome), rolling back to 350.12 seems to fix it.

 

I need to slow down when reading apparently...  missed this one.  I don't have the very latest though... one prior.  Maybe a factor...

[magnetite 38]

I read somewhere that BF4 had a ton of issues, so be sure you're running the latest updates.

[ryanbatc 12,813]

Yeah I got all the latest.  I didn't have issues until I updated.

 

I think BF4 is the same thing as win explorer pausing.  Finally caught the system in the act though - you can see with the monitor the CPU dips off when it freezes.  I guess that's to be expected but still.... weird.

 

I just blew out my case and it's all clean.  Temps are only about 60C while playing BF4.  FSX is lower.

 

Also, again for clarity (sorry these thought just tumble out of my head):

I'm NOT seeing the explorer.exe stopped responding, but I am seeing these temporary "pauses/freezes."  It's hard to tell but if I'm playing BF4, I think if I wasn't, and I was just mousing around the desktop, it would freeze then.

 

Probably going to need a reformat for my OS disk.... GRR!

 

[spesimen 135]

that happened to me a lot right before my hard drive failed. not sure if an imminent ssd failure looks the same tho. you mentioned doing a surface scan, but maybe get a utility that can check the s.m.a.r.t. status of your drives if you have any other ones besides the ssd..

 

cheers

-andy crosby

[ryanbatc 12,813]

I have Samsung magician, but I'm pretty sure it only work on my 840 evo.

4 years is pretty poor though, and this is a MLC drive (Mushkin Callisto) SATA II

 

Ok so I found I had Crystal Disk info installed...

 

Shows good but something is funny with the temperature.  Either the sensor is broken or the drive is funky... look at the other drive temps and this one at 1C....  Doesn't seem right to me.

 

[magnetite 38]

Might want to try another program to verify the temperature. I had used ActiveSmart in the past.

[ryanbatc 12,813]

I installed that and it effed my PC up ha.

Can't boot into win normally.

Safe mode works. I'm trying to uninstall now.

 

edit: Uninstall success in safe mode.

 

Bootup normal thank goodness.

 

Apparently my system did not like that software!  I almost want to reinstall just to test if it will reoccur.

[PieEater 10]

have you checked event viewer yet? It will take seconds and most likely will indicate the cause of your problem!

[ryanbatc 12,813]

edit: odd my pc hates that program... didn't boot again... oh well safe mode again to uninstall and I'm ok.

 

I checked eventvwr....  what am I looking for?

 

Under application the only red Error I see is "WMI"

 

"

//./root/CIMV2       SELECT * FROM __InstanceModificationEvent WITHIN 60 WHERE TargetInstance ISA "Win32_Processor" AND TargetInstance.LoadPercentage > 99       0x80041003"

 

I changed my query to the "Administrative Events"

 

Sorting by "Source" I found APP HANG with explorer.exe errors.  The text is:

 

The program explorer.exe version 6.1.7601.17567 stopped interacting with Windows and was closed. To see if more information about the problem is available, check the problem history in the Action Center control panel.

 Process ID: e18

 Start Time: 01d0a344daf86e7a

 Termination Time: 0

 Application Path: C:\Windows\explorer.exe

 Report Id: 36558326-0f38-11e5-8e53-1c6f65c15b81

 

explorer.exe       6.1.7601.17567       e18       01d0a344daf86e7a       0       C:\Windows\explorer.exe       36558326-0f38-11e5-8e53-1c6f65c15b81       430072006F00730073002D0074006800720065006100640000000000