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EXPLORER.EXE corrupted or infected [Solved/Closed]

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Sunday June 1, 2008
Last seen
October 4, 2008
 - - Latest reply:  Traveler - May 15, 2018 at 05:05 PM
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Hello,
Desktop is dropping after boot. I cannot open task manager because I try but I get error message that says task manager was disabled by administrator. I have to click ok. Then I get the same problem. I cannot do a system restore because I cannot go back past the last time I tried to do it, which was two days ago. There are no more available days to restore to.
Symptoms: When I boot my pc, it comes up fine, with all the regular icons on the desktop and programs appear to be running, but then my desktop icons, and all files I might be trying to click on close down in a flash. Then they re-apear again, just to do it all over again. I managed to get to the run function to run regedit. That's as far as I want to go because I don't know where to go in regedit to find the culpret infected file to delete it. I try to run virus scan with Mcaffee, but nothing is found.
Question: Is there anywhere that I might look to find the culpret file in the regedit editor? From what I have managed to find on the Net, it involves the explorer.exe file and I don't know what to do to get to this infection, and I do not, under any circumstances, want to re-install my OS just to get rid of it. I have no back-up for all my files, I know I am a fool for not backing up my files daily, but what is done is done. Can I fix this? The pc is rendered useless without the fix or re-install. Can't I just find the infected file, delete it, and then re-establish my explorer.exe file at re-boot from the install disk or the Internet?
Question: Where is the explorer.exe file located in the registry? Can this issue be resolved without drastic measures? Please help me. All my files from over 14 classes are on that drive, and if I lose them, I have nothing to refer to for my capstone project for graduation BaSc Degree in four months. I don't know where else to turn except the Internet and you.
Thank you. DennisPS
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3 replies

Best answer
approved by Jean-François Pillou on Nov 28, 2018
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476
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Here's how to fix this issue:
  • 1. CTRL-Alt-Del to bring up Task Manager.
  • 2. Click File | New Task(run).
  • 3. Type regedit in the Run box and click OK.
  • 4. Browse to the following registry key 
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution.options
  • 5. Under this key there will be subkeys named explorer.exe and iexplorer.exe. Delete the explorer and iexplorer keys entirely. They should not be listed under the Image File Execution.Options key.
  • 6. Close the Registry Editor.
  • 7. Restart the computer.


Assuming no other viruses / adware / spyware / malware are interfering, the Windows desktop should load fine now.

Thanks to Aur computer service.
Originally post by 2/9/06: SmitRem

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Thank You, it really works.
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Worked on Windows 10 Creators 1703 too. Thank You
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saved me hours ! thanks it worked on 1709 windows 10
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You are amazing, truly amazing. Thank you.
Report Respond to Traveler
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Thank you a lot! it actually works to fix Event ID 18214 Source COMRuntime on Windows server 2012, in case somebody else needs to know. Great job, thanks for sharing it
Report Respond to Pineapple
50
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ok. I had the same problem as everyone, but I just fixed it about 2 minutes ago.

I had just deleted a bunch of malwares from my computer, and restarted it. But it still had a completely black screen with no start menu or anything.

So I opened the task manager, clicked on new task, and typed in C:\windows and clicked ok. then I just right clicked on the windows explorer icon and clicked run as administrator.

It was as simple as that, and after three seconds everything came back. ^^ hope this helps
Report Respond to Tomson
22
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Just tried malwarebyes as well, let it do a full scan and wait for it to finish. I put it onto the jump drive, pushed control+alt+delete, and file > new task (run ...). Then just find your way to the jump drive, run the installer, and run it :)


Got a new problem now, but at least this one's fixed :P
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