Windows explorer keeps crashing.

Question

Explorer keeps crashing. Multiple machines. Crashes 15-20 times a day. Killing productivity. Updates are up to date, SFC SCannow reports fine. Chkdsk Reports fine. DSIM repair done. (Still crashes) I spend half my day fixing windows issues. Not getting any work done. Any solutions ? [------------------------- log ---------------]

Log Name:      Application
Source:        Application Error
Date:          2024-02-01 2:07:25 PM
Event ID:      1000
Task Category: Application Crashing Events
Level:         Error
Keywords:      
User:          SYNERGYASPEN\rganderton
Computer:      SYAE-D2022-04.synergyaspen.ca
Description:
Faulting application name: Explorer.EXE, version: 10.0.22621.3007, time stamp: 0x4421e92b
Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 10.0.22621.2506, time stamp: 0xbced4b82
Exception code: 0xc0000374
Fault offset: 0x000000000010c7a9
Faulting process id: 0x0x433C
Faulting application start time: 0x0x1DA554F2BEAE7FE
Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
Report Id: a0f62028-5480-4c04-8ed5-4936b3437578
Faulting package full name: 
Faulting package-relative application ID: 
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
  <System>
    <Provider Name="Application Error" Guid="{a0e9b465-b939-57d7-b27d-95d8e925ff57}" />
    <EventID>1000</EventID>
    <Version>0</Version>
    <Level>2</Level>
    <Task>100</Task>
    <Opcode>0</Opcode>
    <Keywords>0x8000000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2024-02-01T21:07:25.9015941Z" />
    <EventRecordID>31534</EventRecordID>
    <Correlation />
    <Execution ProcessID="15372" ThreadID="11012" />
    <Channel>Application</Channel>
    <Computer>SYAE-D2022-04.synergyaspen.ca</Computer>
    <Security UserID="S-1-5-21-351159671-511150127-2465280621-4116" />
  </System>
  <EventData>
    <Data Name="AppName">Explorer.EXE</Data>
    <Data Name="AppVersion">10.0.22621.3007</Data>
    <Data Name="AppTimeStamp">4421e92b</Data>
    <Data Name="ModuleName">ntdll.dll</Data>
    <Data Name="ModuleVersion">10.0.22621.2506</Data>
    <Data Name="ModuleTimeStamp">bced4b82</Data>
    <Data Name="ExceptionCode">c0000374</Data>
    <Data Name="FaultingOffset">000000000010c7a9</Data>
    <Data Name="ProcessId">0x433c</Data>
    <Data Name="ProcessCreationTime">0x1da554f2beae7fe</Data>
    <Data Name="AppPath">C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE</Data>
    <Data Name="ModulePath">C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll</Data>
    <Data Name="IntegratorReportId">a0f62028-5480-4c04-8ed5-4936b3437578</Data>
    <Data Name="PackageFullName">
    </Data>
    <Data Name="PackageRelativeAppId">
    </Data>
  </EventData>
</Event>

Answer 1

The error code indicates heap corruption. That means that, barring a hardware issue, Explorer is loading something that is causing it to crash. You said this is happening on multiple machines so a hardware issue seems unlikely.

Personally I would take a look at the reliability monitor in Windows. Identify when the crashes started happening and then look to see what changed on the system at that time. Most likely either an application was installed or an update occurred and that is causing the error. If you can identify what it is then remove it and confirm Explorer is stable again.

The next thing to do might be to run in safe mode for a while. Try to replicate the problem. If you are unable to do so then it is more likely something that is running as either part of the user's profile or something that doesn't run while in safe mode. If it still crashes then it is more likely either a system file or something that does run in safe mode like anti-virus or something.

Unfortunately it doesn't look like the event details has the stack trace. That would narrow things down quite a bit. Otherwise you're going to need a crash dump. This requires some effort but the steps to do so are described here. Once you have a crash dump you can figure out what is causing the failure.

Answer 2

Hello The error log indicates that the application Explorer.EXE crashed due to an issue with the module ntdll.dll. The exception code 0xc0000374 is associated with a heap corruption. This could be due to a variety of reasons, including faulty hardware, outdated drivers, or software conflicts.   Here are some potential solutions you could try:   Clean Boot: Performing a clean boot can help identify if any third-party applications are causing the issue.   Program Compatibility Troubleshooter: This tool can help identify and fix common compatibility issues.   Re-register ntdll.dll: You can try re-registering the ntdll.dll file. To do this, boot into Safe mode, open Command Prompt and type the following command followed by hitting the Enter key: regsvr32 ntdll.dll.   Check for Exploits: Scan the file for exploits. If an exploit is found, replace the file from a trusted source.