Explorer.exe, shell32.dll - Crashes

I’m using Windows XP Service Pack 2. Something went wrong with my system last week. Whenever I try to empty my Recycle Bin Windows Explorer crashes suddenly. It happens each time I try emptying the Recycle. When I check Event Viewer, I found this listed over there:

“Faulting application explorer.exe, version 6.0.2900.2649, faulting module shell32.dll, version 6.0.2900.2951, fault address 0x0002cb36.”

As I also have Dr.Watson, it also reports an error message saying:

“Faulting application drwtsn32.exe, version 5.1.2600.0, faulting module dbghelp.dll, version 5.1.2600.2180, fault address 0x0001295d.”

Do anyone of you aware what is it related to and how can I fix the problem of Windows Explorer crash? Please provide some suggestion.

Probably there could be some conflict in System Files which is causing these errors. So the first thing i can suggest you is insert windows installation cd in the system, now open command window and run sfc.exe -scannow. Let the process finished completely. Hopefully this should fix the problem but if not, then boot into Safe Mode and restore the system to any previous working Restore Point.

I think that you have to use ShellxView to find the misbehaving context menu handler. So first go to ShellxView and then on the Toolbar choose Options and then click the Filter by extension type item. It will then show only the Context Menu items in the main Window. In here you need to disable the context menu items and test the results in the left side of Windows Explorer.

The issue that you are facing can happen if a program is installed that adds a Shell Extension to the right click context menu. Most of the time the shell extension is corrupted or badly programmed. When you right click directories then you see that because the corrupted shell extension was only added to the same right click menu. You will have to compare the items on the directory right click menu with the items on the drive or file right click menu to find the issue.