Windows "Explorer" randomly crashes

[Big Dawg]

cluberti:
Thanks for taking a look at my dmp file.
You said..."can you reproduce this without something installed that modifies the very thing msutb is designed to create/draw/manage?"
Since all of this is well over my pay-grade, I think you are saying ClassicShell is the likely culprit and can I uninstall it to see if Explorer still crashes. My problem is that Explorer crashes randomly. Maybe twice in a week, maybe twice in a month. So it is not something that I can reproduce whenever I want for testing purposes.
Jcgriff2 suggested I download ShellExView which I did. I can see there are approximately 6 shell items for ClassicShell. I guess I could try disabling each one of these shell components, one at a time, to see if the problem goes away, but like I said...it could be weeks before I know anything.
Is this what you would like me to try?
Thanks again.
BD

PS or I could uninstall and then reinstall ClassicShell to see if that fixes the issue...since I've used ClassicShell for several years without this issue.

 

[jcgriff2]

Classic Shell sounds like the culprit to me.

However, as cluberti stated - the culprit already unloaded (from RAM) by the time the dump was written and therefore escaped being named:

Looks like whatever caused the issue has already unloaded -

I don't know if you can just disable Classic Shell in pieces. I would think the entire app needs to be uninstalled. Then if no crashes after a month or two, you can pin the crashes on Classic Shell.

After that, you would have to decide if Classic Shell is worth using -- i.e., if you can live with the Explorer crashes or not.

 

[Big Dawg]

I found that there is a newer version...actually 3 versions removed from mine. So I uninstalled my version and re-installed the latest version to see if maybe this will solve the issue with ClassicShell.
Since it could be weeks before I know, only time will tell.
Thanks to everyone who chipped in to help.
If, after 3 or 4 weeks, there is no crash then I'll try to remember to check back in to update everyone.
Thanks again.
BD

 

[jcgriff2]

Good luck with your updated version of Classic Shell.

Please do post back when time permits.

Regards. . .

John

 

[Big Dawg]

To cluberti:
Well it took a while but Explorer just crashed again... I have included a link to the zipped crash dump file. Thanks for looking at it and seeing if it is still Classic Shell or possibly another program.
explorer.exe.228
BD

 

[jcgriff2]

I would advise that you seriously consider ditching Classic Shell as it is obviously causing you many problems.

I honestly don't know what the dump will tell us other than the Explorer crash was caused by Classic Shell.

 

[Big Dawg]

jcgriff2
I'm interested in knowing if it is Classic Shell or not this time. If it is then I will have to decided if the occasional crashes are worth the benefits.
If it is something else, then I certainly would like to know what it is to research the issue further.
I hope cluberti can figure it out for me.
Thanks,
BD