Explorer.exe application error after bad crash

The computer was built for me by a professional, and I assume they tested it.

Yes, the /sfc scannow and DISM.exe did indicate a fixed issue, but there were no issues at all before the system restore.

I hadn't gotten the application explorer.exe error message for a few days, but now I got it just by restarting the computer twice in a short space of time. Does this tell you anything that it happened just by restarting two times back to back?

Okay, I read fully the tutorial on a clean boot, and did a lot of work tonight with that. Here is what happened:

1. I disabled all startup items, but it wouldn't let me disable my virus protection, I accepted this and proceeded
2. I went into msconfig and did "Hide Microsoft Services" and "Disable All"
3. I rebooted and go no error message, however, I noticed when I went back to msconfig that a lot of services were still running that I disabled
4. I repeated the msconfig step and did "Disable All" and "Hide Microsoft Services". This time when I did a second clean boot I got the explorer.exe application error message.

Does any of this tell you anything? I am really not sure what to make of all this.


Thanks for your help!

DoctorWho said:

The computer was built for me by a professional, and I assume they tested it.

Click to expand...

Personally, I, assume they just tossed it against the wall instead. J/K...

Yes. It tells me that the error is not caused by application or service interference. Therefore, the problem is a Windows or hardware problem. I would lean toward the latter, but there's no way I can know that for sure.
Windows being the problem can be eliminated with a clean install. Running from a live Linux distro is also another test .

If multiple ram sticks are installed, you can test by removing all but one stick in the first slot closest to the cpu. If no problem exists in that configuration, swap the stick with another. However, this may not be possible as you may have only one 32gb stick installed.

There is no integrated graphics for you to test with which would eliminate the gpu.

Since you paid someone to build this for you, have you contacted them? I urge you to do so.
Any "professional" worth his salt should have some sort of guarantee. If he furnished the parts,any hardware returns and replacements would be up to him.
Besides, he should have parts available to swap components as well as the tools to test with.

Thanks, I agree I need to get some professional help for this issue.

Last thing I should mention is that I am getting black lines on my screen sometimes when I switch web browser windows.

Do you think this indicates a GPU issue that could be related to this explorer.exe error message?

Sorry, I can't say definitively the issues are connected or two separate issues. The gpu can cause memory errors as can drive, cpu, ram and mobo.
Having lines on screen would certainly make me first suspect a flaky gpu though. You say the lines happen when you switch browsers. Do you not see them at any other time, especially in heavy gpu intensive tasks like gaming? Stress testing the gpu while monitoring temperatures would be an appropriate test for the lines. Here again, since it is a new system, I feel the responsibility for such test is the responsibility of the builder.

I don't get the lines during gaming, I get them when I have multiple browser windows open and I go back and forth between different windows.

One last thing, after clicking "disable all" in msconfig and then clicking APPLY, should it not have stayed that way in clean boot mode permanently until I changed it back?

Why did I need to click "disable all" again later, is that normal behavior for it to reset itself to a normal boot after doing a clean boot?

It had been so long since I’d done a clean boot I had to do one to re-familiarize myself.

When you hide all MS services, and select disable all, all the remaining boxes automatically uncheck. After restart you are in 100% clean boot. If you check hide MS services again, all the boxes are still unchecked and will remain so thru multiple restarts until you change their state.. If you encounter NO problems in this state, you start using process of elimination by checking boxes, selecting apply and restarting to find the one that causes the problem to start again.


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Okay, well then the clean boot malfunctioned apparently, because everything that was unchecked when I clicked DISABLE ALL and APPLY was checked again when I restarted.

This is troubling... perhaps this is telling me that the restarting process itself is not working, which fits in with the general problem I'm having of application errors when restarting or shutting down.

Also, keep in mind that this whole error message began when the computer would not restart at all. And when I did a system restore for an earlier restore point, the computer would not restart at all.

My instinct is telling me that something about the whole restart/reboot process is broken. Does that make sense?

Obviously I am considering reinstalling Windows or taking the computer back to the manufacturer, but before I do, I would like to know:

Why can I not perform a clean boot, why is it checking the programs that I uncheck? And does this indicate a malfunction in the startup process itself?

I'm sorry, but I have no idea as I have not encountered it before.
Do this. Print the tutorial. Go through it one more time. Check off every step as you go.
Brink highlighted and numbered every click of the mouse. Make sure you do them in order.
PART 1 steps 1-6 get you into clean boot.. Restart.
At this point open task manager. Do you see any of your startup apps or any non-MS stuff running? Report back

Every single Microsoft process is still running, and my virus anti-software is still running, it does in fact uncheck the other programs that were on the list such as Apple Bonjour Service, Steam Valve, Google, NVIDIA, etc..

So basically it is impossible to disable any of the Microsoft Services, but perhaps this is normal after all (unless you tell me it isn't)

UPDATE:

For those still interested in this thread, I think I have isolated and located the main issue causing this error message:

1. After extensive hardware and malware diagnostics this week with a computer professional, we have ruled out these things as issues, everything checks out fine.

2. I then ran into this thread on reddit which seemed very interesting:


3. We do have xbox controllers, and these problems did start right when the update happened. So after running many many different tests, I was able to fix this error consistently and only by disabling GAME INPUT HOST SERVICES from the taskbar menu

So it appears that the recent Windows update has conflicted with the Xbox controllers and caused this error message, I am convinced that they need to fix this with their next Windows update. This latest update was even supposed to address similar issues but obviously failed.

In the meanwhile, I don't want to disable Game Input Host Services every time I shut down or restart, does anyone have any other interesting ideas for fixes based on what I've said here?

Thanks,
Doctor Who