Windows Explorer Hangs

[andargor]

Ok, I've wasted enough time on this, so I'm trying to find out if any EN World friends have insight on a very annoying problem I'm having.

Since today, Windows Explorer on XP SP2 hangs (hourglass) whenever I try to:

- Right click on a folder (files and drives are fine)
- Copy/Delete/Move a folder
- Right-Click on the Start button, or anything in the Start menus

I have to kill explorer when this happens.

These operations on the desktop, desktop shortcuts, and the taskbar work fine, in contrast.

I've tried a bazillion different "tips and tricks", including:

- Scanning my machine for virii and malware
- Removing any programs installed in the past week
- Scanning my registry for entries pointing to network drives
- Rebooting in safe mode
- Creating a new account and switching users
- Removing any registry entries from programs that modify the context menu (I've used the ShellExViewer)
- Doing a full Repair of XP SP2
- Some other things I probably forgot about

All of these did not make the problem disappear.

I really, really, don't want to reinstall my 1,628,319 applications. Therefore, please don't suggest a full reinstall of XP SP2.

So I'm asking for some help... Pretty please, with sugar on top...

Andargor

 

[IronWolf]

- Rebooting in safe mode

All of these did not make the problem disappear.

While in safe mode itself did the problem disappear? Not sure if you are saying that booting to safe mode and then back to normal didn't make it disappear or if you are saying the problem still existed in safe mode.

 

[andargor]

While in safe mode itself did the problem disappear? Not sure if you are saying that booting to safe mode and then back to normal didn't make it disappear or if you are saying the problem still existed in safe mode.

Yes, the problem persists while in safe mode. The list of "thing I tried" are followed by a test to see if the problem disappeared in that particular instance (with no success)...

Andargor

 

[andargor]

I found it!!!

<censored>@#$&*$#@^&</censored>

All this for one stupid little entry: it was the PGP shell extension, which I had missed in my initial ShellExView scan.

What I did this time is disable all non-Microsoft extensions. Everything. And it started to work again! Then I re-enabled them one by one, and PGP was the culprit!

Whew...

Andargor

 

[ssampier]

Congratulations! Other possible fixes for others edification:

Run Hijack this and make note of what entries look suspicious. Post the entire log on the various sites that permit them. (I personally throw caution to the wind and remove anything that *looks* at me cross-eyed.)

Repair Windows XP protected System Files by using System File Checker. Basically you slide your Windows XP Home or Pro cd into the drive, click on Run, type CMD. Type
sfc /scannow

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310747