Windows can't find explorer.exe

[Guest]

press Ctrl + Shift + Esc

then file new task, type regedit

then go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image Execution Options\

in this list there will be a entry explorer.exe right click on it and export it. then on the right hand side delete the "debugger" key.

Becareful regedit is dangerious if you aren't paying attention, always backup keys before you play with them.

there still a problem i cant open regedit why? plsssssss tell me how to fix this problem plssss

 

[ncman]

Clawz

When you press Ctrl+Shift+Esc simultaneously do you get to the "Windows Task Manager"?

If you do and you click on FILE on the top left of the menu bar, does the New Task(Run) selection come up?

 

[Guest]

Thank you guys! It worked !

 

[Guest]

This is really gr8 site, I almost spent more than half day today to get the reason...
and finially this site provide me the solution....
The issue was same no desktop display,no start up etc. tried every thing from expanding explorer.exe to repair ....but was not able to run explorer.exe on Windows 2003.

By removing the above said registry entry .... made my life


Thanks you!!! you are gr8 guys!
Amit

 

[studiounivers]

you are the man.before, i had formated 3 times because of that.perfect.thanks again!

 

[miscellenous]

I have followed the steps said, when i press (ctrl-shift-esc) the windows task manager window comes up. I have gone and opened the New task, but its says "Registry editing has been disabled by your administrator" so I can't even try regedit. I have checked to see if explore.exe is still on my computer and found that it is working. I don't know if anyone else has had this problem but you might want to try it to see if you have the same thing. Try to open a scheduled tasks shortcut and find it says "Windows cannot fine 'C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe'. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. to search for a file, click the Start button, and then click Search.". I tryed opening the scheduled tasks through the control panel and it worked fine. I scanned my computer twice and I'm doing a third as i type this the past two time it has found a trojan dropper generic (I have an up to date version of AVG 8). I have yet to restart the computer because I don't know if the computer will still be working.

Anything will help me at this point, one last thing I'm have a window saying "An unknown application is trying to change your default search engine" I have not done anything for this to pop up. I have mozilla firefox as a internet browser.

The scan is at about 490 thousand scanned items at about 50min and the trojans were found about 20min into the scan I'll wait to restart my computer if anyone suggests it until then I'll be waiting here. 🙁

 

[danilonagem]

Thanks very very much I had this problem in 2 computers
and i already had format one...
but with the other i did what u said..
thanks..

It works perfectly for me....

THANKS .

 

[Guest]

Worked for me too! Thanks.
Steve UK

 

[handtojohnny981]

Here's my experience...

MY PROBLEM:
- System gets infected by virus
- Antivirus software is installed (Norton 2009), including updates
- Antivirus software runs, cleans out several infected files
- At next boot, Windows shell does not run
- When in Task Manager (started by pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL), when choosing File, Run and entering explorer.exe, error message "Windows cannot find explorer.exe".
- If you open a DOS prompt and browse to C:\WINDOWS and do DIR EX*., explorer.exe shows up. You can rename the file, delete the file, etc.; the file is clearly there.
- If you try to replace explorer.exe with a copy from a Windows installation CD, you still get "Windows cannot find explorer.exe"

THE SOLUTION:
press Ctrl + Shift + Esc

then file new task, type regedit

then go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image Execution Options\

in this list there will be a entry explorer.exe right click on it and export it. then on the right hand side delete the "debugger" key.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
For the other people out there that aren't very computer savy (like myself) the "debugger" key is just a file on the right side of the window named "debugger". I was a bit freaked to just go into the system and delete a file, but I did and now my computer works again. Thanks to all for the previous posts.

 

[handtojohnny981]

Here's my experience...

MY PROBLEM:
- System gets infected by virus
- Antivirus software is installed (Norton 2009), including updates
- Antivirus software runs, cleans out several infected files
- At next boot, Windows shell does not run
- When in Task Manager (started by pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL), when choosing File, Run and entering explorer.exe, error message "Windows cannot find explorer.exe".
- If you open a DOS prompt and browse to C:\WINDOWS and do DIR EX*., explorer.exe shows up. You can rename the file, delete the file, etc.; the file is clearly there.
- If you try to replace explorer.exe with a copy from a Windows installation CD, you still get "Windows cannot find explorer.exe"

THE SOLUTION:
press Ctrl + Shift + Esc

then file new task, type regedit

then go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image Execution Options\

in this list there will be a entry explorer.exe right click on it and export it. then on the right hand side delete the "debugger" key.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
For the other people out there that aren't very computer savy (like myself) the "debugger" key is just a file on the right side of the window named "debugger". I was a bit freaked to just go into the system and delete a file, but I did and now my computer works again. Thanks to all for the previous posts.

 

[bcinnz]

Just to say thanks VERY much, because I found my laptop was infected with Trojan Pakes.AHL, posing as wuauclt.exe, residing in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Common\, and although AVG found it and removed it, the registry still need to be fixed.
One thing not clear however, when you export the explorer.exe , where do you save it? or doesn't that matter? Deleting the debugger clearly fixes the problem.
Brillaint, you saved me a whole re-installation

 

[yoellax]

Hi there,

hopefully someone is still looking at this thread...

I'm having the same issue with my notebook running XP. After booting, blank screen. I can bring up task manager, but I CANNOT bring up regedit or a command window. If I type in "c:\windows\regedit.exe" nothing happens. Same if I type in "cmd". The only thing I was able to bring up was "msconfig".

I've tried running windows in safe mode, but that didn't help.

Can someone please help?

Thanks so much!!

 

[yoellax]

Hi there,

I'm having the same issue with my notebook running XP. After booting, blank screen. I can bring up task manager, but I CANNOT bring up regedit or a command window. If I type in "c:\windows\regedit.exe" nothing happens. Same if I type in "cmd". The only thing I was able to bring up was "msconfig".

I've tried running windows in safe mode, but that didn't help.

Can you help me?? I'm desparate!!

Thanks so much!!

 

[yoellax]

I was finally able to resolve this, in a way similar to what you suggested.

I downloaded the xp_emegencyutil.exe from http://www.dougknox.com/, and this put regedit back on my machine. Then I modified the registry as explained further up in this thread.

Phew!!!

 

[Guest]

Hi guys! The error I get is similar but not the same. I try to open a partition like Disk D: or F:, and i get the error "Can't find Explorerfiles.exe". I tried everything you said in this forum, i went to Regedit and i can't find any explorer.exe entry or nothing like it... What should i do?

 

[agraemail]

hi,

i cant find the "image execution option".. theres only "image file execution option", is it the same one? btw, there is no debugger registry either. any solution?

agra

 

[compusacrystal]

HELP! Where am I exporting the explorer.exe to??? I just delete the debugger key, manually start explorer.exe, see the desktop and start button appear, and the computer locks up.....I can move the mouse around, but I can't press the start button or anything else. I can't exit out of task manager. Evetually everything freezes, I restart, and again I have no desktop and no explorer.exe. WHat do I do???? -Crystal

 

[gfasgdsagdasg]

I had this 'can't find explorer.exe' problem a few days ago, after getting an infection that was apparently removed by Sophos antivirus - but looks like it left this Debugger registry entry behind that was preventing explorer.exe from starting. Deleting that registry entry did indeed do the trick for me and everything is back to normal now. Thank you!

compusacryst: you don't need to export explorer.exe to anywhere... the export function is just a way to make a backup of your registry key value(s) before you change them (call it myregistrykeys.reg or something). However, sounds like you've already deleted the Debugger key, and it's successfully allowed you to restart explorer - so that part's worked and you can see your task bar again.

The 'freezing' sounds like a different problem. It might be another symptom of whatever infected you in the first place and caused explorer.exe to stop working. I'd try googling for those new symptoms as it sounds like a separate problem. (First step would probably be to scan your computer with a reputable anti-virus application - but hard to know what you've tried already...)

 

[randomizer]

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