Windows bug?

[Mephisto2k]

Ive started to accept to live with my little windows/video bug, but it is still annoying and maybe i might get help here, who have/had the same bug or just know what is to do.

The bug is simply about; sometimes when i simply click on a video file, suddenly my explorer freeze, then shut down and then restart on its own. When the explorer is restarted all the open folders are gone (not deleted but unopened...). But thank god this doesnt happen allways. After it happened once, it doesnt happen again for the next ~hour. Sometimes it happens less sometimes it happens more often.
Its not that much of a deal, since after it "crashed" i can simply reopen the folder and watch the file and my downloads do not currupt or abrout or somethings after the crashes. Still its annoying and id be happy if maybe someone knows this problem and is able to help me.
Might it be because of some codecs i installed and uninstalled again? or simply a bad-luck-windows bug?

[Ledgem]

You probably have the Windows thumbnail/preview ability enabled. I'd recommend disabling it. I hate it because it slows down my folder-browsing and it just seems unnecessary.

If you're really set on keeping it, then it is safe to assume that this could be a result of three possibilities: 1) codec issue, as you mentioned; 2) broken feature in your Windows installation; 3) corrupt/damaged video file. I recommend that you uninstall any and all unnecessary codecs. If you installed a codec pack in the past, you'll have a harder time removing everything. In the event that your Windows simply "broke" the only fix would be to reinstall Windows.

[SSS]

The explorer freeze because it try to extract thumbnail form video clip for previewing. it could be annoying if the video clip is large, or if the directshow decoder is buggy, explorer sure crash every time you click the video file.

1. try to search this key in regedit:
{c5a40261-cd64-4ccf-84cb-c394da41d590}
then just add any character you like to it, preffer at the beginnig or then end.
just close the registry editor and you are done

2. unregister shimgvw.dll using regsvr32.
in the command prompt, type:
regsvr32 /u shimgvw.dll
then press enter/
by doing this you will disable all file previewing ability, includes some graphic files ,microsoft word files and html files.

[TheFluff]

I'd recommend unregistering shmedia.dll, not shimgvw.dll (which I have no idea what it does - presumably it's the image previewer) - disabling the former only kills video previews but keeps images and documents intact.
To do this, go start -> run... and type: regsvr32 /u shmedia.dll
and press enter.

[JustAnotherFan]

offtopic: with the yet unpatched already massively in the wild high risk exploit (aka extremely critical), it's very useful to unregister shimgvw.dll.

[SSS]

Originally Posted by TheFluff

I'd recommend unregistering shmedia.dll, not shimgvw.dll (which I have no idea what it does - presumably it's the image previewer) - disabling the former only kills video previews but keeps images and documents intact.
To do this, go start -> run... and type: regsvr32 /u shmedia.dll
and press enter.

Sorry, my bad
shmedia.dll is Video thumbnail extractor,
shimgvw.dll is picture viewer + thumbnail extractor, too.
im always confused with this 2 dll...
DLL is something DeviLL

[Mephisto2k]

Thx for all the comments.
Ive allready thought it could be because of the preview function of windowsxp and though i closed that little window at the sidebar but it still crashed as i can remember. But still it could somehow still open a preview and crash because of that and though ill try what was said.
But now i kinda remember that annoying codec pac i installed once: it had some kind of media filters and colour improver or whatever; there were allways 2 new icons on my taskbar from that codec even when i only clicked on the file and seeing a preview in the sidebar and it lagged as hell because of those. As i uninstalled it i remember some errors and it could be because of that, because i think my bug started around that time. Maybe it still tryes to open those filters but they are gone somehow and though my explorer crashes...
Guess ill see what i can do

[theanimedude]

hey, i got the same problem its a windows update bug, them crappy windows!!!!

after i do a system restore for the software distribution service 2.0 everything is fine. but once i go and do the windows update, it all happens again and i have to go and do a restore....wonder how to fix it.

[TheFluff]

Start -> Run... -> regsvr32 /u shmedia.dll

[theanimedude]

Originally Posted by TheFluff

Start -> Run... -> regsvr32 /u shmedia.dll

what about it??? i am not very computer smartie, i just know the basic stuff. am i supposed to delete that file?

i jsut went ahead and re-installed everything and then update it. works now.

[TheFluff]

No, you just do what I wrote. Go to the Start menu and press Run... In the dialog box that pops up, type in "regsvr32 /u shmedia.dll", but without the quotes. Then press enter. Done. However, there's no need to do that if it already works...