Solved Application Error in explorer.exe

I have got a strange one here. I have a Dell Vostro 5880 tower. Windows 11 22H2 (Build 22621.1992). Computer originally had Windows 10 and then Windows update bumped it to Win 11/22H2.

Computer worked well until about April when a windows update caused all sorts of problems (I recall the system would be up and running but video output was all black. Had to figure out how to close computer with keyboard shortcuts and start in safe mode to remove update). Computer worked after uninstall this seemed a little iffy. For example, if I want to receive files via Bluetooth I would normally right-click on Bluetooth icon and say receive files. When I now did on computer the screen flashed blue and then returned to normal image. Bluetooth was not activated. However, some of the programs I had running in background were closed.. If I were to to into Settings/Bluetooth/view more devices I could click on receive files in there and it works.

I installed more windows updates on July 11 (KB5028851, KB5028185, KB5028705). WU says applied fine. Now I am having same problem with computer arbitartily flashing blue and closing a series of background programs. The programs that are closed are interesting. All have followed me from Win7 days. All installed without problem. All have icons to start them in Startup folder. All are listed in Task Manager as being listed in startup processes and no cautionary language. The programs are 1. 1. Macro Scheduler (msched.exe) - a keystroke type of macro program to write and execute macros
2. APC Powerchute - to monitor my UPS (C:\Program Files (x86)\PowerChute Personal Edition\Display.exe)
3. PrintKey - a program to capture snippets of screen and print or save as file (C:\Program Files\Misc\Printkey.exe - not installed - runs self-contained)
4. AMP Calendar - a tiny program to show a 12 mo calendar )C:\Program Files (x86)\AMP Calendar\Calendar.exe)

When the computer is rebooted all four of these start without problems. I watched for the computer to do it's blue screen/shut down these programs and it happened 5 minutes after reboot (and everything on computer was running as expected). I have attached Event viewer entry for the second it happened. Says I have a Event 1000 Application error in explorer.exe.

Does anybody recognize these symptoms and have any ideas? So far I have run sfc /scannow and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. They found a few things the first time I ran them - I have now run each at least 4 times and they are coming back clean.

Could some malware have messed with Explorer.exe ? Download Superantispyware, install, update it, make a full system scan and remove everything is found. Restart your PC and see if the issue fixed. There is a chance that some malware detects the scanner and terminates it before you have any chance to remove the findings so far. In that case restart in Safe Mode and do a full scan from there.

If you don't have malware you may have corrupted system files. Right-click on start button and open a Command Prompt or PowerShell as Administrator. then execute these commands to repair system files:

Hi @dbish,
It might be one of those startup programs you mentioned is causing conflict with the Operating System. To determine if that is the case, you could perform a Clean Boot, and see if the symptoms continue to persist. If the Clean Boot is successful, you can selectively troubleshoot potential software conflicts.
Here is a Forum Tutorial on how to perform the Clean Boot together with instructions for Troubleshooting the Software Conflicts. Once finnished, then complete Part Three to Restart your Computer normally:
Let us know how you got on.

The whole point it to fix the issue and avoid a clean installation...

@dbish

Microsoft started Secure Boot hardening in May 2023, which was when your problems seem to have started.
In your BIOS do you have Secure Boot and is it enabled?

This is the 2nd problem (both posted in last few days), that started right after the April updates.

Don't know if it's related, but it seems kinda weird. Two people having problems with May, June, July updates.

Thankfully I have an MBR Legacy BIOS installations without UEFI or Secure Boot, so I don't suffer from this bug. The OP can try disabling Secure Boot to see if the issue fixes.

spapakons said:

The whole point it to fix the issue and avoid a clean installation...

Click to expand...

My post refers to Clean Boot. You are referring to Clean Install. The two are not the same. Please refer to link provided for instructions on Clean Boot. I would otherwise agree with you.

iko22 said:

you could perform a Clean Boot

Click to expand...

I totally agree. If it doesn't happen in clean boot, you don't have an OS problem, you have an application problem as it is conflicting with windows.

First of all, thank you to everybody who posted input on my problem. I has taken most of a day to process and test these ideas.

RE: spapakons - I have Malwarebytes running all the time and it has not picked any problems. Ran it again manually to make sure - nothing. I tried the pair of DISM and SFC processes - it did not make any difference.

RE: idea of secure boot. I did not have secure boot turned on (it is available). I turned it on but no improvement.

RE: idea of clean startup. I did a clean startup except that malwarebytes service turns itself on whether I say disable or not (I guess malware would try this first). I turned the malwarebytes service off manually as soon as I can in boot cycle.

The problem still exists even with a clean startup. If I wait it happens about 5 minutes after boot-up. It will happen sporadically at other times as well. If I right-click on Bluetooth icon (as if I were trying to receive files) I can get it to occur immediately. In the latter case I get an application error 1000 on Explorer.exe as well as an application error 1005.

So, what other ideas does anybody have? I would really prefer to not do a clean re-install of Windows as I have several programs that were a bear to get installed (all working and installed years ago).

I can try to go to a system restore point in mid April (if I even have one) or copy a clone drive I created in late March. Unfortunately, I fear Windows update will just update/break it all again.

Thanks again.

dbish

It could be the Bluetooth driver. Go at manufacturer Support site and download the latest Bluetooth driver.

dbish said:

The problem still exists even with a clean startup. If I wait it happens about 5 minutes after boot-up. It will happen sporadically at other times as well. If I right-click on Bluetooth icon (as if I were trying to receive files) I can get it to occur immediately. In the latter case I get an application error 1000 on Explorer.exe as well as an application error 1005.

So, what other ideas does anybody have? I would really prefer to not do a clean re-install of Windows as I have several programs that were a bear to get installed (all working and installed years ago).

I can try to go to a system restore point in mid April (if I even have one) or copy a clone drive I created in late March. Unfortunately, I fear Windows update will just update/break it all again.

Click to expand...

I agree with @spapakons , try the Bluetooth driver.

If not, then find out what program or module is causing the 1005 application error.

Maybe a System Restore would be a good check, if you have a useful restore point available. It would confirm if updates or system corruption did indeed cause the instabilities.

A solution (I think). I had a small program installed called Explorer Patcher. Its whole purpose (in my thinking) is to un-group the taskbar icons when you have multiples instances of a program running (say, 5 spreadsheets open at once). It has been installed ever since my computer upgraded to Win 11. I completely forgot about it. This program buried itself deep enough that it did not show up on Task manager startup programs (so it did not turn off on clean install). I finally remembered it and uninstalled it.

I think the OS is working correctly again. I can right click on the Bluetooth icon without crash and, so far, it the OS has not spontaneously flashed blue and closed programs. Something in the windows updates from April-June disagrees with this little program.

Thank you to everyone who helped out. I cannot believe this problem was my fault, I did not remember it, and wasted everybody's time. For that I apologize.

Thanks again.

dbish

dbish said:

Thank you to everyone who helped out. I cannot believe this problem was my fault, I did not remember it, and wasted everybody's time. For that I apologize.

Click to expand...

That is okay @dbish . Glad to help you through the thinking process and arrive at a solution for you .

You didn't need to uninstall Explorer Patcher, just update it to the latest version and restart. If you right-click on the taskbar and select Properties it opens the Explorer Patcher interface where you can check for updates. Alternatively download the latest version and install it to update. Do a restart later and you should be OK

Oh my gosh. I am writing this on a tablet as computer is seriously messed up. I pursued spapakons thought on explorer patcher. I had tried an update before uninstalling without success. I then downloaded a fresh copy of explorer patcher and installed. Now my computer is stuck in a loop on startup - alternately flashing light blue (whole screen) or desktop image (with no icons). Can't figure outhow to stop. Managef to get ctrl-alt-del to register and did shutdown. When power on same flashing loop occurs. Cant see any processes in task manager to stop..

Thoughts?

It is probably missing some Windows updates. Force reset 3-4 times before fully loading Windows to get to the Troubleshooting screen. Select Troubleshoot and then Advanced Startup Options. This will restart and give you a list of options. Select 4 Safe Mode. Disable Explorer Patcher from there. Restart in normal mode, install all Windows updates and then you may try enabling Explorer Patcher again. It happened once in my father's computer. I visit once a week so there were several updates missing. After installing every update and then latest Explorer Patcher, everything is OK.

What do you mean by force reset? How?

I think the intall died partway through. When the screen is blue there are no icons or start button. When the desktop image is visible there is a start button that does nothing and the gear icon on far rightwhich does nothing.

If you press the reset button on your tower or you turn off the computer before loading Windows and turn on again, that's a forced reset. Do it 3-4 times to get to the Troubleshooting screen.

I could not get the force reset to work. Do I hit the power button when the DELL logo is on the screen or when I see my windows image and the word Waiting...

Whichever, I thought I was pretty well prepared for such a calamity as today. I have a freshly cloned copy of the C: drive from 9 days ago, a bootable CD with the clone software and rescue flash drives from DELL and Microsoft. I could not get the cd to load (it only wanted to boot off windows boot manager which took my right to c: drive with the problems). Finally I got the Dell rescue drive to load and Dell OS recovery saved the day. It recovered to a system restore point before the explorer patcher was loaded. The computer is now working and I am not touching it!

It is amazing how your day can go from glorious (when I uninstalled EP the first time) to the pits of despair moments later (when I reinstalled it and all he|| broke loose).

Thanks for your help and quick responses to my pleas for help. It means more than you can imagine!

dbish

Now that it works OK it is a good time to take a frash backup.