How to fix “Windows Explorer has stopped working” in Windows 7

Feb

2009

How to fix “Windows Explorer has stopped working” in Windows 7

While trying to install/uninstall applications from Windows 7 by using the well-known Windows Installer, or even while trying to update the operating system by using Windows Update, the system could get stuck or crash causing Windows Explorer or even Windows Installer itself to give the user the following error messages: “Windows Explorer has stopped working” - “Windows Installer has stopped working”.

Windows 7, unable to find a proper solution to this issue, will go on with its messages, returning after a while with another dialog box containing this cryptic sentence: “Windows is checking for a solution to the problem…” followed by “Do you want to send more information about the problem?”. Here is the hack to fix this errors.

Click Start.
In the Search Bar, type regedit and press Enter.
Locate the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ SQMClient\Windows\DisabledSessions
In the right pane delete this subkey: MachineThrottling
Turn your computer off and back on for the change to take effect.

Please, check comments below, even older ones. A lot of users posted how they managed to solve this issue!

Tags: bugs, hack, Win7

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112 Comments to “How to fix “Windows Explorer has stopped working” in Windows 7”

FTProtocal Says:
January 13th, 2010 at 1:04 pm

Hi,

I’m having the exact same issue you, John. I’ve tried following the steps on this page, but I don’t have MachineThrottling. I’ve tried disabling every (non) Microsoft Service, and disabling all start up program, no dice … I tried disabling the Customer Experience program, did nothing … I’ve disabled error reporting, but that doesn’t seem to help either; it still stops “working” randomly when I go into Windows Explorer and start moving/copy/creating files or folders … I’m guessing there are more people with this issue, and I hope M$ is investigating the issue.
Windows7_User Says:
January 13th, 2010 at 7:30 pm

I am having the same problem FTProtocol. Im using Windows7 Ultimate x64. Sometimes it gets so bad I have to reboot, which helps very little.
Jim Says:
January 15th, 2010 at 9:01 am

I was hoping to get rid of this, Explorer Has Stopped Working, when I upgraded to Windows 7 but still pops up, less often but still persists. Can anyone please help?
Gerry Says:
January 16th, 2010 at 5:29 pm

I have had the “Windows Explorer has stopped working” also. This is in Windows 7. After a lot of fooling around I have the ANSWER: Just go online and get another Windows Explorer type program and use it in place of the original. There are dozens out there: and free!
I use Explorer2. No problems so far.
Web Talk Says:
January 16th, 2010 at 6:20 pm

Thanks Gerry for this tip!!!
Tom Says:
January 20th, 2010 at 2:22 pm

Hi all.
I have had the same problem and have found working fix for this (worked in my case anyway).
I’ve set up the firefox to always start in “private browsing session” and for some reason windows explorer doesn’t like this. As soon as I’ve changed the firefox settings, the win explorer message stopped and never showed again since.
Cheers.
Web Talk Says:
January 21st, 2010 at 12:51 am

Thanks for your share!
Bill Says:
January 22nd, 2010 at 2:03 pm

Thanks Tom I had the same problem. I had firefox in private browsing and I could not right click on the desktop without the internet explorer stoped working message. It was happening every time until I changed the setting in Firefox.
Gaja931 Says:
January 22nd, 2010 at 4:33 pm

MachineThrottling i dont have that subkey…help please i am so angry!
helen Says:
January 26th, 2010 at 11:33 am

Welll.I am so mad as well ..and i dont have the machine throttling either….
Web Talk Says:
January 26th, 2010 at 11:36 am

Please,
check and read old comments!
izzybrown Says:
January 28th, 2010 at 5:37 pm

you guys are talking about 2 different things. Windows Explorer is NOT the same as Windows INTERNET explorer. It’s the “explorer.exe” and not the “iexplorer.exe” is the title of this topic and the same exact issue i’m having. it’s about exploring folders/files in your computer and not the net.