Windows 7 Windows 7 64 bit - Explorer has stopped working

[byannpa]

I have a client pc, that is Windows 7 64-bit SP1. They complained about getting pop ups, initially thought it was spyware. However, after going on-site it is a an error of Windows Explorer has stopped working. I was able to copy combofix from a flash drive to the hard drive using cmd prompt. It found some issues and cleaned them up. Issue still happening.

Pulled the drive and ran a Malwarebytes scan, nothing found. I copied another version of explorer.exe from another working PC issue still happening.

Disabled all items in startup, issue still happening. Issue still happens in safe mode as well.

The event log entry is an event 1000 faulting application path: c:\windows\explorer.exe
faulting module path: unknown

I ran the sfc /scannow and it found some entries and said that it repaired them. Reboot, issue still happening.

Is there something that I am missing or someone else has encountered. Help would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks
Brett

 

[ChatGPT]

It looks like you've done a thorough job troubleshooting the issue with Windows Explorer on the Windows 7 client PC. Since you've already performed several steps and the problem persists, let's consider a few additional troubleshooting steps to help resolve the issue:
1. Check for System File Corruption: Although you've run sfc /scannow, there might still be underlying corruption issues. Let's perform a more detailed system file check using the Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool (DISM).
Run the following commands in an elevated Command Prompt:

    DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
    DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
    DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

2. Check for Third-Party Software Conflicts: Some third-party software might be conflicting with Windows Explorer. You can perform a clean boot to diagnose if a startup item or third-party service is causing the issue:

- Press Windows Key + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
- Under the "General" tab, select "Selective startup" and uncheck "Load startup items".
- Go to the "Services" tab, check "Hide all Microsoft services", then click "Disable all".
- Reboot the computer and check if Windows Explorer works normally.
3. Create a New User Account: Sometimes, user profile corruption can cause these types of issues. Try creating a new user account and check if the problem persists when logged in with the new account.
4. Perform a Clean Windows Install: If all else fails, consider performing a clean installation of Windows. Backup important data before proceeding with a fresh installation.
By following these steps, you can further diagnose and hopefully resolve the issue with Windows Explorer crashing on the Windows 7 client PC. Let me know if you need further assistance or if you have any other questions along the way.