Stardock Forums
Everything on Start 10 works OK. But if I choose "Windows Administrative Tools" nothing happens except the Taskbar disappears because explorer.exe has crashed.
This is repeatable behaviour.
Why does it happen?
I am using the latest Start 10 (updated today) and the most recent version of Windows.
Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues.
This issue does not happen for me ( click on video link )
https://vimeo.com/449423316/0c379bd870
What versions are you running
Windows ( Full ) use winver.exe for that info
Start 10 version ?
AzDude
Stardock Community Assistant
I am using Start 10 v 1.95 (latest update installed yesterday)
Windows is v2004 Build 19041.450
The error is repeatable now on two different machines - my desktop and laptop.
I have run sfc /scannow - but nothing was detected as wrong (both machines)
I have run DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth but that also produced nothing as wrong (both machines)
The only common factor between my laptop and my desktop is that they both run Intel graphics.
Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. I can't reproduce your issue on my system. Please post a video showing us your issue so we can understand it better. Something like Mike post in his reply#1 above.
Thanks.
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.
I can't post a video as I have now uninstalled Start 10. I have discovered other ways it crashes explorer.exe.
It occurs when you have Start 10 set to show things like Control Panel or Windows Administrative Tools to show as a menu (not a link).
When you click on the menu item, such as Control Panel, explorer.exe crashes.
As I said, this is repeatable on different machines - both of which have been tested with sfc / dism.
There are no faults with the Windows system.
If I uninstall Start 10, remove all traces of it from the system, restart, reinstall Start 10, guess what - the issues reappear.
It is completely repeatable.
The 1.95 update broke my computer. Could no longer use the internet and no office applications would open. Uninstalling Start10 completely fixed the issue.
grahamjonesuk,
I still see no issue on it. Here what it look like on my system.
david327,
Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues.
For both of you please try purge and reinstall steps as mentioned here: https://forums.stardock.com/486022/start10-support-faq#reinstalling Just make sure to redownload the latest version from your account. Reboot after the purged. Reinstall, and Reboot again after the installation. Retest it. Report back here.
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.
I've done all the reinstall/rebooting steps for both machines. Problem persists.
The video from @david327 is not quite showing my exact set-up. I do not have large icons on the left, but a list.
grahamjonesuk,
Reinstall/rebooting is not the same as purge and reinstall steps mentioned there. And that video from me. That large icons is just setting in Start10 to display alternate way of those icons. But, I did change to list type but still no issue on my side. Please try the purge and reinstall steps as I suggested above and report back.
Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant
I did do the purging/reinstalling as shown on the help page.
The problem persists.
One other thing - on every install of Start10 it creates a file in the Users folder which is a file of the same name as the main user folder. That file has a single entry which is the key name of one of the users as in "S-1-5-21-2060475710-34936908-3005441367-1006"
That file disappears upon uninstalling Start 10 and reappears when installing Start 10.
Could this be the source of the issue somehow?
Hello,
Did you install the latest version 1.95 if not go to your account page and download it .
I have forwarded your report to the Stardock support team for their review and recommendations.
Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates.
We really do appreciate your feedback, thanks.
AzDude
Stardock Community Assistant
Yes - version 1.95.
Thanks for forwarding this to the team and for your support today.
I'll keep an eye out for any further updates.
Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having trouble.
I too cannot reproduce it from a search:
https://cdn.stardock.us/support/uploads/2020-08-20_15-41-46.mp4
Which means there is a setting \ apps that is common to both PCs.
Are the accounts that you are trying under Amin accounts? If not, and you do log in under one, does it then work?
Does this happen under a clean boot:
https://forums.stardock.com/486022/start10-support-faq#cleanboot
What is Windows Event Viewer reporting for the crash?
Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager
I have done the clean boot. Problem persists.
I have even done a clean Windows install on one machine. Problem persists.
I have created a new user. Problem persists.
The two machines are not similar in settings / apps as they are being used for different purposes.
There are two common features, though. They both use Start 10 and they both use Intel graphics.
The event viewer shows an explorer.exe crash:
Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
I installed the competing product "Start is Back" - NO problem
So, there must be something specifically wrong with Start10 (which I prefer...!)
I don't really think that is the case, if that is true, we will have a lot more reports on this issue from other users. I believe there is something else which is very unique to your setups. Need to know what is your security/anti virus/firewall application setup on both of your systems.
Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant
I have Kaspersky Internet Security - but the problem persists when I switch that off
If there is, we certainly would like to fix it but since you are literally the only one having the problem, logic demand we see how your environment is different - what do you have that others do not.
'Switching it off' is often not enough - an uninstall would be more telling.
What happens when you hold the Ctrl key and click Start10 then search \ open Windows Administrative Tools"?
Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager
If I use the Ctrl Key nothing happens. All I get is the standard Windows 10 menu and if I select Windows Administrative Tools from there, anything opens OK, such as Event Viewer.
If I hover on Windows Administrative Tools, the sub menu appears on the right. Selecting any item in that list leads to an explorer.exe crash.
If I click on the Windows Administrative Tools (not on anything in the sub menu) that leads to the explorer.exe crash.
If I select any Windows Administrative Tools from the Windows 10 menu, all is OK.
As I keep saying, this is consistent and repeatable behaviour on different machines.
Also, just as an update, I completely uninstalled Kaspersky and the issue persists, so it does not appear to be a conflict there.
Is Windows Sandbox available to you?
If so, and you spin it up, install Start10, does it happen in it?
Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager
OK - getting nearer to finding things out I suppose....I set up the Sandbox and installed Start 10 and there are NO problems whatsoever.
So, if there is no issue there this would suggest it is not an Intel graphics thing. Also, having removed Kaspersky I have shown it is not a conflict with that.
The issue is that the problem is repeatable on two different computers that are set up differently.
I will delve closer to locate anything that is loading on both machines which could interfere
OK - After a while of digging into each system, there is a common application which I wasn't using but which was loading. This is TextExpander. When that is unloaded there are NO problems with Start 10.
Thank you for your help but this is now solved and I have informed the publishers of TextExpander about the issue.
I have a similar problem. When I access Windows admin tools or sometimes the action center Start 10 kicks out Curtains taskbar. I have to reboot to get it back. 🤢
Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. There are several steps suggested above for troubleshoot the issue. Which steps have your tried?
Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.
The only thing that works is to uninstall Start 10. The issue only happens sporadically but is really annoying. It started happening 2 or 3 updates ago. Also, I have windows 10 2004.
What happened if you uninstall Curtains? Does the issue still happened?
Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant
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