explorer.exe does not run on startup

Every time I boot my computer, the process freezes when it's time to
run explorer.exe. For some unknown reason, it won't load on its own. I
can overcome the problem by using the task manager (File -> New task ->
"explorer"), but this has to be done every time I boot.

I would appreciate some help to find a permanent solution.

Thanks in advance.

Run regedit from the start/search line, go to this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Locate the shell entry in the right pane and double click it. Replace the
contents with just:

explorer.exe

Click ok, then close the registry editor and restart the system.

I will give some more info, hoping this will help you help me.

The problem started after I manually turned off my computer, because of
a system crash. At that moment, windows explorer was open, showing the
contents of C:\texts. Now, every time I log in Windows, the only thing
that appears on the screen is that window showing the contents of
C:\texts. Nothing else is displayed (no wallpaper, no desktop icons, no
start menu), until I manually run explorer.exe via the task manager.

How can I make them appear automatically again on system startup?

I had this problem and at last found solution!
If it is the same what in my case, try:

open registry (menu Start -> run (or run Comand prompt): regedit).

open: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ Current
Version \ Winlogon

At right pane there is "Shell". The value of it must be "explorer.exe"
(and nothing more - in my case there was activedebugger.exe too, when I
removed it explorer start appear on startup).

[hunterw44]

thanks that worked for me, but i still see the window pop up that kept popping up before like he said he kept seeing C:/texts and i kept seeing my documents, i fixed the problem but i still see my documents at startup

Thanks mate been running it like that forever. Didn't want to reinstall
vista cause it takes to long. Gonna try this out

To whom are you talking and about what?
The "forum" that you are posting in leaches off the Microsoft News servers
in order to make it look far busier than it really is. Everyone who uses the
MS News servers sees your post on it's own - we have NO IDEA what you are
talking about and to whom you are talking.

This is not your fault - the fault lies with the forum owners who do not
explain to members that their posts end up on global Usenet newsgroups.
If you MUST continue to post in this "forum" then please at least quote the
post you are replying to, and do NOT change the subject line.

You would be far better off however, using a news reader and subscribing to
these news groups direct.

Setting up Outlook Express/Windows Mail to access Microsoft newsgroups

Accessing the MS newsgroups in Outlook Express/Windows Mail Newsreader
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/e...roupsetup.mspx

i have same prob. accept the regfix doesn't work.
it stays the same. can there be something wrong with my entire
winlogon?
how can i do repair on it?

Try HKEY_CURRENT_USER instead...

[Barneeftw]

Thanks very much. This was so much help.
This problem has been annoying me for ages.
I actually just made an account on this website so I can thank you.

[twlykins]

Try HKEY_CURRENT_USER instead...

Create a new string value when you navigate to “HKEY_CURRENT_USER \Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Winlogon”:

Edit>New>String Value

Type in “Shell” and double-click the ‘ab’ icon to the left

Enter “explorer.exe” in the “Value data:” box

Exit regedit

Create a new string value when you navigate to “HKEY_CURRENT_USER \Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Winlogon”:

Edit>New>String Value

Type in “Shell” and double-click the ‘ab’ icon to the left

Enter “explorer.exe” in the “Value data:” box

Exit regedit

It's possible that you have a virus.

Have you done a full system virus scan from Safe Mode?
If not, I would do that first.

If that doesn't fix the problem, I would try to use the System Restore tool in Safe Mode and restore back to a date/time before the problem started occurring.

After all you've tried, I'm at a loss if it's not a virus.

Hopefully, it won't require an OS re-install :o(

Did you fix the problem?

Was it a virus?

[Jim T]

When you say try HKEY_CURRENT_USER instead can you expand? Should I be going down to Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Winlogon? If so what then as there is no SHELL entry.

I have one user that fails and have created a new user that can access the desktop. Does it matter which user performs REGEDIT? There is no SHELL entry in HKEY_CURRENT_USER for either user.

The LOCAL-MACHINE entry is OK.

Thanks for the quick reply.
I performed REGEDIT under both users but it has not made any difference after power off reboot.
I still get the same message after logging on with original user. i.e. Windows Explorer has stopped working. A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available. Then goes to black screen.
Alt+ctr+del gets me to task manager where I can start a few basic apps but not explorer.
Running VISTA ultimate with SP2 build 6002
The problem appeared to occur after some updates.
SP2 was installed 25 Oct KB948465
Followed by .NET Framework KB094470 on 28 Oct
The problem occurred after that.
It is possible that the laptop was powered off during subsequent auto updates that were not apparent.

I have done a complete scan with McAfee as well as http://safety.live.com/
but not in safe mode. I will try that option, which will take hours.
I have also restored to SP2, which is the earliest restore point available, which didn't fix the problem.
I have also tried restarting with all start-up items and non-MS services stopped. (Clean Boot)

Thanks for your advice twlykins I have learned a lot. Now I need to start another post as a new update for IE8 KB976749 has been installed and on reboot I get a message that Device Detector has stopped working.

In Control Panel choose Problem Reports and Solutions (type problem in
Start's searchbox), go to Problem History, right click your error and choose
Check For Solution. You can also examine the details.

In Administrative Tools choose Reliability and Performance Monitor and
choose MonitoringTools then Reliability Monitor (type Reliability in search
on Start) . This list is a chart of software installs, uninstalls, Windows
updates, and crashes by date. See if your crashes started happening after
you installed or uninstalled something.

Disable all non microsoft shell extensions and reenable one by one if it
helps.

also try Starting Explorer with a command line in TaskManager's File menu -
Run like

explorer c:\windows

[Jim T]

Hi Twlykins,

I still have the original problem. The new problem has now gone before I raised a post. So I have been looking at performance just in case the original user has too much going on at start-up. I removed about 20GB of video files and did a defrag, but explorer still fails on log on.

The other possibility is a registry update that may have been denied accidentally. But I can't see why the laptop works when I create a new user with just the default apps.

Another option is that McAfee firewall is stopping it somehow.

I also noticed logs showing there have been some changes to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\microsoft\windows\curr entVversion\policies\explorer and \BinDirectlyToPropertySetStorage. No idea what this is about.

[Jim T]

Hi Twlykins,

It looks like the user profile was corrupted. I set up a new user and copied all files under old-user to new-user (except ntuser.* files). I should have modified security setting first, which would have helped overcome later restrictions.

So far things are looking good with a few tweaks needed to import old mail and contacts etc. Time will tell.

Mind you the cause is still unknown and the original user is still cactus.