Windows 10: Win10 - PhotoMetadataHandler.dll Faulting. File Explorer crashes when opening specific Folder.

I have run into an issue with one of our computers at work. File Explorer is crashing every time I try to open a specific folder where the machine locally stores photos. When I open the folder, the images inside start loading, then it hangs for a few seconds and crashes File Explorer.Event Viewer shows PhotoMetadataHandler.dll experiencing a fault. I assume this means there is a file in there with bad or corrupted metadata, which is in-turn causing that DLL to crash.I tried to attach a screenshot from Event Viewer, but it refuses to upload for some reason.The folder is set to view the files as

:)

 

File Explorer Crashing when specific folder is opened - Win10 CU

A particular folder in my music library, when opened with File Explorer, crashes it immediately. Win10 Pro, CU 1703.

The directory is just a folder with some .mp3 and .wav files. It is also quite old. So the sudden appearance of the problem is baffling. If I copy the folder to Desktop, or another drive, or anyplace else, the same problem occurs. I am able to open the
folder in Powershell, and move things around.

Tried the usual things: sfc, clean boot, safe mode.

Faulting application name: explorer.exe, version: 10.0.15063.447, time stamp: 0x951324bb

Faulting module name: mfsrcsnk.dll, version: 10.0.15063.0, time stamp: 0x5398e597

Exception code: 0xc0000005

Fault offset: 0x0000000000032fc7

Faulting process id: 0x1f8c

Faulting application start time: 0x01d302721f237261

Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe

Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\mfsrcsnk.dll

Report Id: 5a175f4e-cbbb-4aaa-898d-0bedce1e5fb5

Faulting package full name:

Faulting package-relative application ID:

 

Windows 10 File Explorer crashing due to Shell32.dll with exception code 0xc0000005 after opening 128 folders

Hello,

I'm in a bind and currently exhausted all ideas on how to fix this issue.

As stated the issue I'm having, while odd, can be iritating, and I narrowed it down to following:

When opening a fresh file explorer if I open around 128 folders, one by one, explorer.exe will crash, and the crash will be caused by shell32.dll. Explorer.exe process will then restart itself. To be exact around 126/127 folder I can see a normaly spinning wheel on the mouse cursor indicating something is happening/loading, but this time the circle is static, and on the next folder the crash will happen.

This can be done either by going one by one folder in navigation window, or with going in the main window, entering a folder, hitting backspace, entering another, etc.

If I then open a new file by that point, and recreate the steps, no new crash will occur.

The issue will show up again if I do those steps again after PC reboot.

If i stop before 127/128th folder, close File explorer, open a new one I would need to hit full 128 folders for the issue to occur.

Event logger shows the following Application Errors (translated as much as I could):

1:

Faulting application name: Explorer.EXE, version: 10.0.19041.3448, time stamp: 0xa1694e98

Faulting module name: SHELL32.dll, version: 10.0.19041.3393, time stamp: 0x480c18d7

Exception code: 0xc0000005

Fault offset: 0x000000000056b829

Faulting process id: 0x2a20

Faulting application start time: 0x01d9f619a75debe3

Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE

Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\SHELL32.dll

Report Id: 7aefb4c8-7a0b-4bad-ae75-872f3f5ef752

2:

Faulting application name: rundll32.exe_shell32.dll, version: 10.0.19041.746, time stamp: 0xfb4a9a6b

Faulting module name: shell32.dll, version: 10.0.19041.3393, time stamp: 0x480c18d7

Exception code: 0xc0000005

Fault offset: 0x000000000056b829

Faulting process id: 0x2f40

Faulting application start time: 0x01d9f61a83354679

Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\rundll32.exe

Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\shell32.dll

Report Id: c692335e-f0e4-44b6-aeed-018a516bf244

3 (after updating to KB5030300):

Faulting application name:: Explorer.EXE, version: 10.0.19041.3516, time stamp: 0xbf6d7543

Faulting module name: SHELL32.dll, version: 10.0.19041.3516, time stamp: 0x4b28a4ad

Exception code: 0xc0000005

Fault offset: 0x000000000056b599

Faulting process id: 0x2610

Faulting application start time: 0x01d9f62912a4e5a2

Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE

Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\SHELL32.dll

Report Id: 59650c77-babd-4fdb-9717-8eb9126ddd31

From the System And Conservation menu I pulled the following info:
Fault Signature
Fault Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: Explorer.EXE
Application Version: 10.0.19041.3448
Application Time Stamp: a1694e98
Faulting Module Name: SHELL32.dll
Faulting Module Version: 10.0.19041.3393
Faulting Module Time Stamp: 480c18d7
Exception Code: c0000005
Fault Offset: 000000000056b829
OS Version: 10.0.19045.2.0.0.256.48
Regional settings ID: 1045
Additional Information 1: 90d6
Additional Information 2: 90d6706c5e4d8aaa6614ae9527d3d24a
Additional Information 3: b92b
Additional Information 4: b92b55c69334f98ed1efda00b9c3875f

Additional Information about the Issue
Packet ID: 408ad5ec287233fb0dc5f93e4608cca7 (2145394843370179751)

Some things I have tried:

1. Running chkdsk /r /f - no issue found
   
2. Running SFC /scannow - no issue found
   
3. Running
   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth
   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup
   those yielded no result
   
4. Running with KB5030211 (as it updated shell32.dll)
   
5. Upgrading to KB5030300 (as it updated shell32.dll) - no change
   
6. I was using Classical Shell, removed it, rebooted PC - no change
   
7. Installed Open Shell, rebooted PC - no change
   
8. Did a DDU from safe mode removal of GPU drivers, rebooted PC with no internet, installed fresh GPU drivers - no change
   
9. I tried to see if this happens in minimal safe mode - it does
   
10. Did a File Explorer history clean - did not help
    
11. Asked a friend who was running Windows 10 with KB5030300 installed today. He had no issue even with 215 folders.
    

At this point I'm out of ideas of how to fix this, apart from very heavy solutions like full system reinstall, which I would rather avoid for such an issue.

I can only guess the number 127/128 being significant here, or it maybe being connected to recent folders history and maybe that exceeding some buffer on my system, but got no way to further debug it.

Any help or ideas would be welcome at this point, as while the issue is not often occuring, if I forget to refresh File explorer, it can get annoying.

EDIT:

Additional steps taken after post was made:

1. Installed KB5001716 and KB5030180 (both installed at the same time) - no change
   
2. Cleared AutomaticDestinations, and rebooted PC, crash happened at 106th folder, rebooted again, crash at 129th folder
   
3. Tried to recreate this issue on my work laptop thats managed by my company. It happened there as well. The only thing in common I could think between my laptop and my PC is that I also had Classic Shell installed on it. However during my debugging I removed that from my PC, rebooted and that did not help the issue.
   I have also removed Classic Shell from my laptop, did a reboot and the issue was still present there as well. I tried going through all applications that could be common between my PC and laptop, removed them from PC, but nothing helped. There are still probably a few that I got in common like Adobie, Python, etc but those come on the laptop form my company store, so they are common in organization, and my colege from work does not have those troubles.
   So all in all I still don't know what might be causing it.
   

Best regards,

Greg

 

emzdecmp4_h263.dll causes windows explorer crash

When browsing folders with video files in windows explorer, a crash occurs.



Faulting application explorer.exe, version 6.0.2900.3156, faulting module emzdecmp4_h263.dll, version 2.6.1.0, fault address 0x00002827.





If I unregister this file, the problems stops.



IE: regsvr32 /u "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Nokia\Codecs\EmzDecMP4_H263.dll"







Windows XP Pro SP2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.090206-1233)

PC Suite v7.1.28.1