Explorer.exe using 100% of CPU

[iks 0]

Hello there!

 

Does anyone know why explorer.exe once or twice (or maybe even more times) a day starts eating up 100% (actually 95%) of my CPU and arround 400MB or my Memory?

Usually it happens randomly when I am browsing the net or My Computer...

And when it happens the computer respondig times are really high so I need to kill the process and when I run it (explorer.exe) again everything is fine till the next time.

 

So what shuld I do?

 

Thanks and regards,

[mezron 0]

I've seen that happen when a cdrom or hard drive is beginning to fail. Does it happen when you open up "My Computer"?

[Sampson 0]

It could be that you have a CD rom failing. It could also be a trojan. Check this page: http://www.cexx.org/dlder.htm

There seem to be quite a few people who have experienced this problem. Since it happens on the net, you might consider emptying the temporary files, cookies, history, etc., in case one of them is corrupt.

Some have run the following: regsvr32 C:\windows\system32\zipfldr.dll /u

and have had some success.

Some have found that with bad avi or movie files removing the following from the registry has fixed it for them: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTSystemFileAssociations.avishellexPropertyHandler

Finally, some have been able to resolve the issue by logging in as a different user and renaming the desktop directory of their primary user account. Then, when they logged back in it rebuilt their directory folder.

This is what Microsoft has to say: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;317751

[mezron 0]

Quote:

Some have run the following: regsvr32 C:\windows\system32\zipfldr.dll /u
and have had some success.

Thats interesting. Uninstalling the built in .zip capabilities of Windows can fix this type of thing? I wonder what the correlation is?

[Sampson 0]

As with the problem with avi and movie files, there seemed to be loop of some sort as explorer tried to come up with a thumbnail and failed.

[Razvan Alin 0]

I don't think that this is a Windows problem. I have at home a network with 60 people, and I have reinstalled my Windows wich is XP with SP1, and I have noticed that my cpu was staying at 100%. That was very suspicious because I didn't had any application started or window, so I looked at the system processes an I saw a process with a very strange name. I've stopped that process and the cpu was back to normal (2-4%). But after aproximately 10 min. it started again : cpu 100% !! I said this can't be true, so I looked again in the processes tab and I saw a new process with a new strange name, and I said: this is a worm !! I have to say that I've took this worm from my network because the sistem was alright before I plugged the network cable at the pc. And once the network cable was plugged into my pc I got infected ( I know this because I have reinstalled my Windows for 4 times in the same day !! ). I don't know what to do, because I've used an small clean utillity named KorgoCleaner wich have found the korgo worm and it deleted it. But the problem didn't dissapear, it's even worse now... Now, I have to close the explorer.exe process and runnit again to get my cpu work fine. I am sure that this is an worm. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME HELP !!! AND DON'T TELL ME TO GET THE LATEST XP UPDATES, I ALREADY DID THAT !!! AND MY HARDWARE IS WORKING PROPERLY !!! AND DON'T SAY THAT IS AN HARDWARE PERFORMANCE THING BECAUSE I HAVE 1024 MB RAM DDR 400 AND A NFORCE 2 MB WITH A AMD ATHLON XP 2400+ CPU !!!

[ninjapirate 0]

Originally posted by Sampson:

Quote:

Some have run the following: regsvr32 C:\windows\system32\zipfldr.dll /u

and have had some success.

 

But it made no difference for me, so how can I get my zip capabilities back? [/newbie] :x

[Sampson 0]

You can reverse the above command by typing regsvr32 zipfldr.dll at a Command Prompt.

[Malaris 0]

I actually had a speed problem with my PC that sounds a lot like yours (CPU usage 100% and over 60%of my page file) after I got broadband and thought that broadband was causing it.

 

It wasn't. Out of my microfilter in the wall jack I had a phone, Sky TV and DSL line.

 

I just unplugged my sky (only used when going interactive E.G. games, votes etc.) and it worked fine, with less process' on my PC (don't know which ones went). If you have Digital/Sky/Cable on the same phone line this may solve the speed issues', if not sorry I can't help.

[usarw 0]

Hello! I may have a solution.

I have XP Pro (with SP2). There is a problem that caused by "bad files" (usually downloaded movies, but not necessary).

 

explorer.exe, once it notices such file (it's enough for mouse pointer to hover over its name), cannot finish doing something with it and makes you CPU 95...98% busy.

If you restart explorer.exe, all will be back to normal (I'm not sure if this will help if your "bad file" stored on desktop).

These "bad files" are usually named in another language which could be the reason why explorer.exe goes nuts. Unless you want to try installing all possible languges , just find a way to erase the file. The problem is once U highlighted such file U cannot move it, or rename, or erase. What I do is I erase the folder which contains such file(s). Just store other files you may need from that folder and later put them back, but don't touch the bad file and avoid your pointer to hover over it!

 

(to make sure it's a "bad file" case, open Task Manager, go to Processes, sort them by CPU, and look what happen if you hover your mouse pointer over a "bad file" - explorer.exe in Task Manager will jump on top with 96...98% value. If so, restart explorer.exe and erase or move the folder with the file as far as possible and wait for a windows update. I prefer erasing)

[usarw 0]

Originally posted by Alec§taar:

Quote:

Originally posted by usarw:

Quote:

Hello! I may have a solution.:DI have XP Pro (with SP2). There is a problem that caused by "bad files" (usually downloaded movies, but not necessary).

 

Yup, we've heard of this "hassle" last year in XP, with mediafiles... you're striking a 'chord' in my RAM here with what you just said!

 

Originally posted by usarw:

Quote:

explorer.exe, once it notices such file (it's enough for mouse pointer to hover over its name), cannot finish doing something with it and makes you CPU 95...98% busy.

 

Yup, same thing I recall on this!

 

Originally posted by usarw:

Quote:

If you restart explorer.exe, all will be back to normal (I'm not sure if this will help if your "bad file" stored on desktop).

 

There is a fix...

 

ON A "SIDE-NOTE": Damn it, I wish the search engines worked right in these forums (no offense Phillip, but it IS a pain! One thing that DEFINITELY needs a fix is that... search features for knowledgebases like are in the contents of this forum are invaluable!)

 

Originally posted by usarw:

Quote:

These "bad files" are usually named in another language which could be the reason why explorer.exe goes nuts. Unless you want to try installing all possible languges , just find a way to erase the file. The problem is once U highlighted such file U cannot move it, or rename, or erase.

 

DOS DEL Command... from a command prompt console terminal DOS Window!

 

Originally posted by usarw:

Quote:

What I do is I erase the folder which contains such file(s). Just store other files you may need from that folder and later put them back, but don't touch the bad file and avoid your pointer to hover over it!

 

This is a case where commandlines, are your buddy!

 

Originally posted by usarw:

Quote:

(to make sure it's a "bad file" case, open Task Manager, go to Processes, sort them by CPU, and look what happen if you hover your mouse pointer over a "bad file" - explorer.exe in Task Manager will jump on top with 96...98% value. If so, restart explorer.exe and erase or move the folder with the file as far as possible and wait for a windows update. I prefer erasing)

 

There's another fix, but yours is decent too... but, improve on it by not having to roast a folder again, just use DOS & its internal DEL command!

 

APK

wow, so many comments... my reply was for those from search engines who wouldn't find the answer here, but if it's a waste of kilobayts, please just erase my reply (or change the forums' policy)

[fabercovers 0]

Hi !

 

I registered just to try to help you with this problem.

 

I had this same problem and after a loooot of google search and forums, I found how to solve it!!

 

Go here:

 

http://www.tweakxp.com/display.aspx?id=841

 

 

You will find the answer there, the problem you've said about the "bad files" get solved with just cleaning this value at the regedit.

 

Check it out! Now my pc works fine, and explorer is no longer 100% when going to avi files.

 

The only thing is that you have to give up the information windows provides about avi files (duration, bitrate, etc) but it is worth it!

 

hope I helped a little bit!

 

 

bye

 

faber

 

ps: sorry for my english, i am from argentina

 

bye

[Dragonmorpheus 0]

youst wanted too say tx too fabercovers ...that sorted out everything for me