Explorer.exe Crash

[Timberland]

Hello Everyone,

I have a weird problem. I own windows xp pro and I have all kinds of problems. Just so you know I cleaned all junk files, spyware and viruses with many different programs. So I'm pretty sure I'm clean.

My explore.exe crashes when I open a folder, mainly via the my computer. The error I get is explorer has to shutdown

Faulting application explorer.exe, version 6.0.2600.0, faulting module mshtml.dll, version 6.0.2800.1400, fault address 0x0018044d.

Then I would have to close it and run a new task via the task manager and restart explorer.exe This has been going on for two weeks. Lately if it crashes everything disappears as usual and exeplore.exe restarts itself.

I sometimes get an error when shutting down about kernal32 and centenial vxd something.

Also windows; once in a while will pop up a file protection box asking for me to put in my windows xp cd to replace the files that have been changed with an out dated file.

I can't put in the cd because I lost it. So I went and bought the xp home upgrade because it was the cheapest route, I figured I could do a clean install and repair all this. and it will not work. it says no upgrade path.

Now I'm stuck with 100 dollar upgrade cd that won't work with my computer.

I all fails, meaning if nobody can figure this out. I will have to try and trade the cd back to office depot for the full version. Even though the kid that works there said it would work ;(

If I do that I will do a clean install. Which I will ask a few questions regarding that after this.

Thanks for taking the time to read all this stuff.

[Jazz]

Hey Timberland

If you have a qualifying Win98/Me/2000 CD to insert, genuine, hologramed ones with a genuine Product Key, you can perform a clean installation of XP using an upgrade version of XP, as per the following link. Naturally, you will only be installing XP Home, as opposed to XP Professional.

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

Just read the directions very carefully, twice, if need be. If in doubt, print them out.

Good luck...................

NB In addition, this will also resolve your download problem as well.

[Timberland]

Thanks,

The upgrade xp home is from office depot. I paid 100 bucks for it. My original xp pro was put on my computer by the company I had build me a machine.

I lost that cd and got the xp home cd because it was 50 bucks cheaper than pro.

The xp home upgrade says it will work with 98 98 second edition and millennium. I will read the link and see if I can get it to work.

Also I have a e drive 120g with nothing on it and a H drive external fire wire connection with nothing on it. 120g too.

What would be the best way to back all my programs and favorites and important doc and setting before I do a clean install.

Will I have a big problem with drivers and service packs?

Thanks Jazz I really appreciate your help

[Jazz]

Hi again Timberland

So long as you take a few deep breaths, count to 10, you will be ok. Unlike David Beckham missing his penalty against France!: LOL

Just go by the link I gave you and you should have no problems. It would be a good idea to print out the instructions, prior to clean installing.

Re: Backing up. Everybody has their own favourite method of backing up, and, so long as you do things correctly and not make rash decisions, they are usually all acceptable.

Personally speaking, backup what you consider essential items. I.e. Important data, project work, software that you do not have a hard copy of, music, movies, etcetera, to either of your 120GB drives.

Then, after you have installed XP and tweaked it to the way you like it, invest in disk cloning software, such as Norton Ghost 2003 and take an image of your HDD. That way, if you ever encounter an emergency, you can safely copy the cloned image back onto your windows partition, usually in less than half an hour, and you are back where you started when you first cloned the HDD. In addition, you also have the benefit of the earlier saved data on the 120GB HDD as well.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.................

[Timberland]

Thanks Jazz,

Just to be sure! If is back up what I need to either of the 120g hards I have. I can do a clean install and this wont effect either the E or H 120g drives I have. (right)

ALso when it comes to back up. Can I just drag and drop the files I want to back up to my H 120g drive. Then just drag them back as needed. I know I will have to reinstall software I want and previously will have backed up.

Thanks
Happy Fathers Day to all the fathers out there.

[Jazz]

Hi again Dan

Sorry for the late reply, as I have just finished formatting and tweaking one of my systems.

Just to be sure! If is back up what I need to either of the 120g hards I have. I can do a clean install and this wont effect either the E or H 120g drives I have. (right)

Just back up to the 'H drive external fire wire connection with nothing on it', ensuring that when you 'clean install' using the link I provided, you take note of the destination of the installation and agree with it. Naturally, usually C.

ALso when it comes to back up. Can I just drag and drop the files I want to back up to my H 120g drive. Then just drag them back as needed. I know I will have to reinstall software I want and previously will have backed up.

It is better to burn the data to a CD as opposed to dragging and dropping, as I believe it secures the integrity of the data, IMO.

However, there should be no problems dragging and dropping to H. The test is always in 'doing it'. LOL