There are some Windows masterpiece bugs, meaning they have been around since time immemorial and never go away. The thought comes to my mind: “Windows has recovered from a serious error.” If you google it, you will find thousands of entries! Another similar issue is “Windows Explorer has stopped working.”
Indeed, last week I received one of these error messages on my Windows 7 PC. The problem with these errors, and the reason they are so popular, is that they have a variety of causes. The error is not just due to one problem, otherwise it would be easy to fix. In this article, I will try to cover all the methods that you can use to fix the error.
Method 1: Perform a clean boot
First method – perform a clean boot
Hunting! This problem is usually caused by something on your computer other than the OS. Windows itself rarely crashes on its own with this error. So the first thing to do is try to determine which service, program, or startup item is causing the problem, if it’s one of them.
You can do this by doing what is called a clean boot. It is detailed here on the Microsoft website:
http://support.microsoft.com//kb/929135
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We usually use MSCONFIG to disable all third party services and startup items and see if the problem goes away. If so, then you know that it is one of those services or startup items and you need to run a cycle to turn on half of the items, then reboot, check, etc. It is a little time consuming, but worth it to keep your computer running right.
Method 2 – Disable Shell Extensions
Method 2 – disable Shell extensions
If you are performing a clean boot and the problem still occurs, you can try disabling any third-party shell extensions. You can do this by downloading the free ShellExView program from Nirsoft.
You want to run the program and then sort all items by manufacturer. Anything not from Microsoft should be disabled. Again, if the problem goes away, then you know that this is one of those shell extensions and you can enable them one by one. To disable, simply select an item and click the red circle button.
Method 3. Update your video driver
Third method – update the video driver
Oddly enough, an old or damaged video driver could be the cause of this problem. Go to the manufacturer’s website and download the latest version for your version of Windows, make sure you have 32- or 64-bit, depending on your system.
Method 4 – Always show icons
Method 4 – Always Show Icons
Another weird fix is ??to go to File Explorer, Tools, Folder Options and then the View tab for Windows XP. In Windows Vista and 7, you want to click the Organize button, then Folder and Search Options, and then the View tab.
On the View tab, select the Always show icons, not thumbnails check box.
What does it mean? Well, essentially, instead of trying to show a small preview of an image or video, it will just show an icon. It may not be ideal, but if it gets rid of the issue where the conductor is not responding, then it’s worth it.
Method 5 – System Restore
Fifth method – system restore
If you’ve installed something like an update or a new driver and now you suddenly have a problem with File Explorer, it might be a good idea to restore your computer to a previous state. You can use System Restore to go back to the point when an update or installation you think caused the problem. Click “Start” and type “System Restore”.
Method 6. Run the System File Checker
Method 6 – Run System File Checker
If this problem is caused by file corruption on Windows, which happens quite rarely, you can fix it with several different tools. The first runs the system file checker command from the command line. You can do this by opening an elevated Command Prompt (click Start, type command, then right-click and select Run as Administrator).
At the command prompt, just enter the following command:
sfc / scannow
This will check all system and protected files and replace them if any of them are found to be damaged. If that doesn’t work, try repairing your installation.
Method 7. Repair and install Windows
Method 7 – Repair Windows Installation
You can get Startup Repair from the System Restore Options dialog shown above when you first boot your computer. You usually need to press and hold F8 while the computer boots up. After that, you will see a list of advanced boot options, in which select “Repair your computer”.
Click Startup Repair and let it do it. In addition, while you are in the system recovery options, you will see an option for the command line. From there you can try the following command:
chkdsk c: / r
Method 8 – Remove Virus or Malware
Method 8 – remove viruses or malware
If nothing works for you, you may be a victim of a virus or malware. If you think you may have a virus, you should try to install anti-virus and anti-spyware software to see if you can find any problems. If you have a really serious virus infection or a lot of malware, you may only have one choice – to perform a fresh OS installation.
If the problem persists, post your characteristics here, everything that you recently did on your computer, and we will try to help! Enjoy!
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