Thread: Windows explorer problem.

  1. #1
    and the hat of copycat stevesmithx's Avatar
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    Windows explorer problem.

    Hi guys,
    I am getting this irritating error message whenever I open a folder containing an avi file.
    "Windows explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close."
    and then I have to open all explorer windows back again.
    I think windows is trying to read the avi file for caching or something before i even open
    it.
    anybody if know how to solve this please tell.
    Thanks in advance.
    Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted
    - Albert Einstein.


    No programming language is perfect. There is not even a single best language; there are only languages well suited or perhaps poorly suited for particular purposes.
    - Herbert Mayer

  2. #2
    Reverse Engineer maxorator's Avatar
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    It is probably some buggy shell extension. Download ShellExView and try to disable/enable different shell extensions and see if it helps.
    "The Internet treats censorship as damage and routes around it." - John Gilmore

  3. #3
    and the hat of copycat stevesmithx's Avatar
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    Thanks for the quick reply.
    I downloaded shellExView.
    It's showing some 283 shell extensions.
    I can't find anything describing windows explorer though.
    Is it safe to disable any shell extensions on that list?
    please help.
    Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted
    - Albert Einstein.


    No programming language is perfect. There is not even a single best language; there are only languages well suited or perhaps poorly suited for particular purposes.
    - Herbert Mayer

  4. #4
    and the hat of copycat stevesmithx's Avatar
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    I think problem is solved.
    I tried this after googling.
    Start->Run
    regsvr32 /u shmedia.dll.
    Thanks for your time and help.
    Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted
    - Albert Einstein.


    No programming language is perfect. There is not even a single best language; there are only languages well suited or perhaps poorly suited for particular purposes.
    - Herbert Mayer

  5. #5
    C++まいる!Cをこわせ!
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    The extensions are extensions to explorer. They are not explorer itself, so naturally explorer isn't listed.
    Firstly look for red highlighted items, because they are suspicious.
    Then look for non-Microsoft extensions and try disabling them one by one and see if it fixes the problem.
    Alternatively, also get Spybot and scan for malicious software (an extensions).
    Quote Originally Posted by Adak View Post
    io.h certainly IS included in some modern compilers. It is no longer part of the standard for C, but it is nevertheless, included in the very latest Pelles C versions.
    Quote Originally Posted by Salem View Post
    You mean it's included as a crutch to help ancient programmers limp along without them having to relearn too much.

    Outside of your DOS world, your header file is meaningless.

  6. #6
    and the hat of copycat stevesmithx's Avatar
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    Thank you Elysia.
    I understand that.
    After unregistering that dll through that run command,
    I refreshed shellExView and found some extensions are gone('AVI property handler' for one).
    The number of shell extensions went down from 283 to 277.
    I see something connected between the two.
    I have not done much windows programming.
    Can somebody explain this please?
    Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted
    - Albert Einstein.


    No programming language is perfect. There is not even a single best language; there are only languages well suited or perhaps poorly suited for particular purposes.
    - Herbert Mayer

  7. #7
    C++まいる!Cをこわせ!
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    In short, you disabled some shell extensions.
    The long answer: shell extensions are registered in the windows registry. Shell extensions are files in forms on dlls. These dlls handle registering themselves and unregistering themselves. They do so via two special functions, which can be called via regsvr32 and regsvr32 /u.
    So by using it, you caused the dll to unload its extensions.
    Quote Originally Posted by Adak View Post
    io.h certainly IS included in some modern compilers. It is no longer part of the standard for C, but it is nevertheless, included in the very latest Pelles C versions.
    Quote Originally Posted by Salem View Post
    You mean it's included as a crutch to help ancient programmers limp along without them having to relearn too much.

    Outside of your DOS world, your header file is meaningless.

  8. #8
    and the hat of copycat stevesmithx's Avatar
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    Thanks for that explanation and your time,Elysia.
    Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted
    - Albert Einstein.


    No programming language is perfect. There is not even a single best language; there are only languages well suited or perhaps poorly suited for particular purposes.
    - Herbert Mayer

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