File Explorer crashes as soon as I double click on a folder

Win version 1909 build 18363.720
About two weeks ago, before 1909, file explorer would occasionally close rather than responding to my double click on a folder. But it was very occasional and always fixed itself after a restart. Suddenly I can't open a single drive, nor a folder within a drive without having file explorer close and return me to whatever was open before - often my desktop. This is a desktop computer with five hard drives (four are SSDs) and it happens on all of them.

Event log shows critical errors and warnings but I don't know how to address them.

Application error ID 1000
Faulting application name: explorer.exe, version: 10.0.18362.693, time stamp: 0x587c1978Faulting module name: DUI70.dll, version: 10.0.18362.1, time stamp: 0xf7c4bdf4Exception code: 0xc0000005Fault offset: 0x0000000000022068Faulting process id: 0x25fcFaulting application start time: 0x01d5fa95a6a56121Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exeFaulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\system32\DUI70.dllReport Id: 75f7734f-ad11-40ad-9488-3eca9732af7dFaulting package full name: Faulting package-relative application ID:

Before the above:
Warning Kernel Event Tracing ID 1
The backing-file for the real-time session "DefenderApiLogger" has reached its maximum size. As a result, new events will not be logged to this session until space becomes available. This error is often caused by starting a trace session in real-time mode without having any real-time consumers.
(if this relates to MS Defender, I don't use it; I use Eset NOD 32)

Then two warnings: distributed com (been getting this forever) and the other something about my system not having been tested for Windows Hello ???

Error - User Profile Service ID 1552
User hive is loaded by another process (Registry Lock) Process name: C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe, PID: 7852, ProfSvc PID: 2104.

Since this became progressively worse over a period of about 2 weeks I cannot pinpoint an event that started it. I'd greatly appreciate a roadmap as to how to trace the problem. It's hard to use the computer effectively with such limitations on access and I use it for work - particularly now.
Thanks for any and all thoughts and suggestions.

[QUOTE=dalchina;1862027]Hi, start with absolute basics:
a. Check your disk(s) - e.g. Hard Disk Sentinel (trial) - includes SSDs; HDTune v2.55 free - Health and Error scans
b. If ok run
chkdsk C: /scan
c. If ok run SFC /SCANNOW
Thanks for your many suggestions. I ran Sentinal and HD Tune - both came back saying every disk was fine. Then ran chkdsk and sfc /scannow from the admin command prompt and both reported no errors.

I then looked for this Windows Update and I don't seem to have it. Is that possible?
Microsoft confirms a known issue in Windows 10 KB4535996
Windows 10 KB4535996 update is causing sleep problems and degrading performance

I just noticed that when I can access file explorer without using the shortcut, it seems to work normally. Here's the situation: I have a folder on my desktop which contains three shortcuts to a program in c: program files(x86). If I open the folder on my desktop it brings me to file explorer and my three shortcuts. Once I'm in file explorer from getting there this way, I can go anywhere without a problem and open any folder without crashing.

I compared this file explorer shortcut to the shortcut on my laptop. The only difference I found was that this "crashing" shortcut - in the details tab - has attributes N. The one on my laptop that works has attributes A. Could this possibly be significant?

Also - the event error directly after file explorer crashes refers to a faulting DUI70.dll. I ran a search and found several instances. I don't know what they're doing there or whether they belong:


I do have Macrium backups using the paid version. But to be sure I restore from before it started, I'd probably have to go back for at least a month. How would I do it? Would I have to wipe my present drive C and restore the drive from an old backup image? Or might I be able to restore a few files - if I only knew which ones....:)

I think I had been running 1903 for a while before the update.
QUESTION: you suggested I perform a "clean boot" and compare. What is a "clean boot" - how do I do it?

Appreciate your help and hope this additional information can help you help me to figure out what's going on. I'm in NYC and we've just gone into greater restrictions because of Coronavirus. I need to work from home and do video conferencing. My portable can be used but this is not the time for my desktop to go crazy! Yes - I did check it for viruses...
Thanks again

You could temporarily try an alternative to File/Windows Explorer that might get you through.

xplorer2 lite is freeware version of such an alternative.
xplorer2 lite: free windows explorer replacement (file manager)

Only a 32-bit freeware version, but it runs a charm on 64-bit system. And if you're like me when I first tried it, finished up buying the upgrade to 64-bit version cause I liked it so much.

But, try the free one first.

As I started to go through your suggestions. I decided to first take a look at my present event log and see what it was doing. I noticed as I had a few days ago, that there were a few warnings and errors about the Maxthon browser. On a frustrated hunch I uninstalled the browser using Revo at its strongest settings. I was shocked to see the number of files and registry entries that had to be removed. I restarted and sure enough the file Explorer shortcut was working perfectly. I've no idea, but I know I don't need Maxthon.

Then I attempted to pursue one of the other errors I had listed in my original post. This was DefenderApiLogger is full. Thank you for including the links to discussions about how to fix this. I chose the suggestion to disable the logging and will see if I have any more of those errors, but probably not.

If I may, I still have one current error and warning which I've had for a long time in many forms. It is as follows:
The application-specific permission settings do not grant Local Activation permission for the COM Server application with CLSID {2593F8B9-4EAF-457C-B68A-50F6B8EA6B54} and APPID {15C20B67-12E7-4BB6-92BB-7AFF07997402} to the user PUGET-164635\Madeline SID (S-1-5-21-441732817-3391851540-4074134199-1001) from address LocalHost (Using LRPC) running in the application container Unavailable SID (Unavailable). This security permission can be modified using the Component Services administrative tool.

I should explain that the permission settings on this computer were badly set when it was made to order. Although beautifully done in every other way, the computer had been tested and was left with the administrators being the people who made it. I don't remember all the details, but I know there were many efforts to repair it and that I still frequently have to stop and take ownership of a file or folder before I can do what I need to do. I don't know if the above reference to permissions relates in any way to this original mess.Would appreciate any suggestions you have about fixing these COM errors.

It's only been about 45 minutes since I uninstalled every trace of Maxthon, but so far I keep looking and there are no errors, except for the COM noted above. I will come back tomorrow and let you know if the event log is still so pristine :-) Meanwhile, thank you so much for sticking with this.

Thanks for letting me know they have a permissions repair. I will definitely try it because the issue arises on a regular basis - mostly when I'm in a hurry. But since everything is working well now I'm going to wait until the Covid virus issues resolve. If anything went sour this would not be the time to have to try to get a computer fixed.

I really appreciate all your help and great suggestions. Thank you.