Windows 10: File Explorer keeps crashing - Cannot Transfer Files; Desktop keeps refreshing

Hi Windows community,


The problem described in the subject title recently emerged on my desktop computer. I tried a few things found on this forum but I still can't quite solve the problem. I hope some of you can troubleshoot for me.


Symptoms:

1. Whenever I use file explorer or try to move files from one location to another, the computer kills file explorer along with the transfer process.

2. My desktop would refresh every 20 seconds or so even when I do absolutely nothing.

***1 and 2 seems to be related.

3. The problem persists when I boot my computer in safe mode.
4. I can use other applications e.g. Microsoft office, chrome, or adobe normally

About a month ago, I started getting error prompts along the lines of "explorer.exe application error the memory could not be written."


Is this a hard drive or driver issue?


Thanks in advance for your help!

:)

 

File explorer keeps crashing in Win 10

Hello,

I did the steps you wrote. All the settings were as you suggested. The File Explorer keeps crashing.

 

File Explorer keeps crashing/restarting/flickering


I am having an incredibly frustrating set of problems that I believe started in the past two weeks or so. It's happening on two different computers but both are virtually identical: Windows 10, nVidia Quadro 4000m, Dell 5k monitors, and basically the same software installed on each.

I believe the problem is related to File Explorer. Here are the symptoms:

• File explorer crashes constantly. I can generally open File Explorer and navigate fine, but double-clicking on any new folder or drive opens at least one new window, but more often than not two new windows. I have open each folder in same window selected.
• If I try to double click a file to do something (open, view, etc.) the file will open but all the open explorer windows will crash. If I right-click and choose open or a specific action (e.g. open with Notepad++) File Explorer does not crash for some reason. Still have the problem saving to the desktop.
• If I save anything to the desktop, the icons flash/disappear and reappear, as if Explorer has crashed and restarted. Opening anything from the desktop also causes the desktop to refresh (and move icons around).
• File views (desktop and in other folders) do not always refresh (list new files and not list deleted files) automatically.

Here's what I've tried so far that hasn't helped:

• Change DPI from 250% to 100%. Didn't help. I have a 5k monitor, so 250% is the best DPI for me, but it didn't matter if I went down to 100% on either computer. I also made sure custom DPI was not set at the same time as the Windows DPI setting. They can both be on at the same time. This seemed to help for a minute, but not sure it wasn't an illusion.
• Made sure AV and Malware protection were off.
• Made sure open each folder in the same windows was selected but tried changing that setting and going back and forth.
• Tried open Window in separate process setting.
• Changed start in Quick Access to My PC (and back)
• Tried sfc /scannow but it shows now errors (it did and couldn't repair it but the error went away after the in place upgrade...File Explorer problem still persists)
• Tried disabling 3rd party context menu extensions with ShellExView
• Ran CCleaner on the registry to clean it out
• Completely uninstalled the nVidia drivers (using DDU for a clean uninstall in safe mode) and installed a version that I know worked. I also tried the latest drivers and the four releases in between the known driver and the latest.
• Did a system restore to three previous versions but the problem either was there or came back quickly, perhaps after an update.
• Turned off running background programs that seemed unnecessary.
• Tried Safe mode. It happens in Safe Mode too but in Safe Mode I get an error "A new guard page for the Stack cannot be created." Tried searching for bushell.dll but I don't have Norton on either computer.
• Do an in place upgrade/refresh using the Windows 10 media creation tool.
• Curse continually at both computers.

I'm about to do a full reinstall, but I'm worried about this just happening again. Any suggestions?

 

Windows explorer keeps refreshing whenever there is a file in folder

I have a new i5 desktop with the latest Windows 10 and everything works fine except 1 thing:
When I open windows explorer and browse to a folder that has a htm or html file in it, all desktop icons and taskbar and the folder itself keeps refreshing. As soon as I change the name of the htm file to htm1 or something else, the refreshing stops.
Has anyone any idea?