Windows 11 So much weirdness with my laptop. Is it worth doing anything other than a clean reinstall:

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Joe0Bloggs

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So, this is a MSI GL65 laptop from about 3 years ago. It came with Windows 10 which has been upgraded to 11. Hmm, where do I start?

Explorer.exe hangs frequently. I seemed to have first noticed it after fooling with Window's built in "transparent" file compression system (i.e. go to properties and turn on file compression for a file or folder. In my infinite wisdom I decided to try it for the whole C drive). But I've scoured the drive and decompressed all the files again every which way possible and the issue remains.

Now it seems to be exacerbated when Dropbox is running. I would need to "restart" Explorer.exe to be able to access the bottom taskbar at all (otherwise it's a spinning circle down there). Killing dropbox.exe seems to reduce the frequency of these hangups.

The other thing I notice is that when I restart explorer.exe, more often than not there's a spate of Telegram messages popping up, as though they were waiting for explorer.exe to start working properly again all along.

There's a bunch of conhost.exe processes running doing god knows what. I have no idea how to look at what launched them and what they're doing in there. I haven't had accounts stolen recently so I hope none of them are screen monitors or keyloggers.

Oh and yea sometimes Metro apps (Spotify etc. I think it's limited to those) would do this weird expanding / contracting thing, I thought my monitor was going on the fritz but I don't know what kind of monitor malfunction can make UI elements swell and contract???

Would really want to avoid a redo of the system if possible but what can I look at for troubleshooting these issues?
 
Solution
It sounds like you're facing a rather chaotic combination of issues with your MSI GL65 laptop. Let's break this down and see how we can tackle it without jumping straight to a clean reinstall, which is usually a last resort.

1. Windows Explorer Hangs​

The frequent hangs of explorer.exe you've described could indeed be linked to the file compression you activated. While you say you've reversed the compression, some residual settings might still be in play. Here are some steps to consider:
  • Check for Corrupted System Files:
    • Run sfc /scannow in Command Prompt (Run as Administrator). This will scan for and repair corrupted system files.
  • Clear Thumbnail Cache:
    • Open Disk...
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It sounds like you're facing a rather chaotic combination of issues with your MSI GL65 laptop. Let's break this down and see how we can tackle it without jumping straight to a clean reinstall, which is usually a last resort.

1. Windows Explorer Hangs​

The frequent hangs of explorer.exe you've described could indeed be linked to the file compression you activated. While you say you've reversed the compression, some residual settings might still be in play. Here are some steps to consider:
  • Check for Corrupted System Files:
    • Run sfc /scannow in Command Prompt (Run as Administrator). This will scan for and repair corrupted system files.
  • Clear Thumbnail Cache:
    • Open Disk Cleanup by searching for it in the Start menu, select your drive, and clear the thumbnail cache.
  • Disable Startup Programs:
    • Use msconfig to disable unnecessary startup programs that might be affecting explorer.exe.

2. Dropbox and Explorer Interaction​

Since you've noticed that Dropbox affects the frequency of the hangs, consider the following:
  • Update Dropbox: Ensure that your Dropbox client is up to date.
  • Selective Sync: If a large number of files are syncing, this can lead to performance issues. Consider using selective sync to limit what is being synced.
  • Disable File Requests: Sometimes Dropbox's integration with Windows can cause issues. Go to Dropbox settings and disable any features you don’t use.

3. Conhost.exe Processes​

The conhost.exe processes are often related to command-line tools and can be normal. However, to investigate further:
  • Check for Malware:
    • Run a full virus scan with Windows Defender or any other trusted antivirus software.
    • Use malware removal tools like Malwarebytes to ensure the processes aren’t malicious.
  • Use Task Manager:
    • Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager. In the Details tab, you can check properties or end tasks associated with those processes.

4. Telegram Notifications on Restart​

The delayed notification from Telegram when restarting explorer.exe might be a sign of how it's integrated with Windows notifications.
  • Check For App Updates: Make sure Telegram and its related apps are up to date.
  • Reinstall Telegram: If the problem persists, consider uninstalling and reinstalling the app.

5. Metro Apps Malfunction​

The strange UI behavior can be indicative of display driver issues.
  • Update Graphics Drivers: Check the MSI website or the GPU manufacturer (NVIDIA, AMD, etc.) for the latest drivers.
  • Run the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter: Go to Settings → Update & Security → Troubleshoot → Additional troubleshooters → Windows Store Apps.

Conclusion:​

These troubleshooting steps should help isolate and potentially solve the issues you're experiencing. If they don't resolve the problems, consider more in-depth diagnostics, like looking into event logs for errors or trying a system restore if you have a point from before the issues began.
If all else fails and your laptop continues to act up, a clean reinstall may be unavoidable, but let's hope we don't reach that level of desperation just yet!
 
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