Windows7: explorer pseudocrash after login?

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Well, since yesterday after I log-in on Windows 7 (x64 Ultimate) I get the desktop as usual, but as soon as I try to interact with it with a click, it turns totally white.

The taskbar doesn't respond (like when explorer.exe crashes). I can interact with any programs that opend on startup but nothing else. I can press CTRL ALT DEL to get the menu where you can select log off, switch user, taskbar manager, etc. If I select the taskbar manager (or press CTRL SHIFT ESC) it brings it up, but it's blank and I can't interact with it.

I can boot up in Safe Mode (I'm posting this from Safe Mode with Networking) and everything looks fine. I tried running Malwarebytes but nothing comes up, I also ran chkdsk /r and the problem persists.

I should also add that this happens with the two Win users I have on this machine.

Any ideas?

// Edit: Screenshot from msconfig.exe with all startup programs:

enter image description here

brott

Posted 2013-04-16T17:26:56.527

Reputation: 137

1Can you post a screenshot of what's starting up in msconfig? – MDMoore313 – 2013-04-16T17:29:07.740

Sure, here you go, @MDMoore313: screenshot.

– brott – 2013-04-16T17:43:30.650

1Well, I should have done that before, but I just removed EVERYTHING from startup, except Comodo Firewall, and it started just fine. I'm posting in Windows Normal Mode now, so I'll be re-enabling them one by one and see which one was the culprit. Thank you @MDMoore313! Thanks @magicandre1981 for adding the screenshot on the OP, too :) – brott – 2013-04-16T17:54:15.243

Answers

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I would start with cleaning up your msconfig definitely. From your screenshot I see at least a dozen items that could be killed, I typically on allow apps that go along with drivers to run at startup (NVIDIA's control panel or ATI's control panel, for example) and even then I experiment with turning those off just to see if they're really needed. I see you've turned some stuff off and that's a good start. Specifically, looking at your screenshot, I'd turn off:

Everything in the top third of the screenshot, except for Comodo: that looks important

Everything in the middle third of the screenshot.

Everything in the bottom third of the screenshot that's not already disabled.

Then reboot into normal mode and see what's what. It's not a guaranteed fix but I would definitely start by eliminating anything extra that runs when you login.

MDMoore313

Posted 2013-04-16T17:26:56.527

Reputation: 4 874

1Thank you so much @MDMoore313! The culprit was Skype. I'll try re-installing it to see if it's solved, but after re-enabling them one by one, it was that one that caused the problem.

I removed a lot of them from startup anyway, I should keep an eye on that list so that it doesn't grow over time. Thanks again! – brott – 2013-04-16T18:42:14.697

Asked: 2013-04-16T17:26:56.527

Viewed: 144 times

Active: 2013-04-16T17:52:33.287