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Resolved Question

Explorer.exe is gone, how can I get it back?

Mar 4, 2012 2:40AM PST

I was in the middle of updating windows and my nvidia driver when both reported an error and closed. At that point I noticed that the desktop was going and coming until finally it disappeared and hasn't come back. I checked the windows folder and explorer.exe isn't there. Does anyone have any advice?

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showmanfred has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer

Best Answer

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(NT) Have you rebooted?
Mar 4, 2012 2:42AM PST
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Yes, I have
Mar 4, 2012 3:53AM PST

The first couple times it brought the desktop back briefly. Since those first couple reboots it has failed to make any noticeable difference.

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Re: no explorer.exe
Mar 4, 2012 4:30AM PST

You only tell a possible cause for your troubles (there's no explorer.exe). But you don't tell what happens when it isn't found.

Anyway, I checked my Win XP system. I found 2 identical copies. One in c:\windows, one in c:\windows\servicepackfiles\i386. So I would boot into the recovery console and copy that spare one to its right place.

Kees

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No servicepackfiles folder
Mar 4, 2012 3:48PM PST

When it isn't found there's no desktop.

There is no "servicepackfiles" folder in the windows folder.

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Next step.
Mar 4, 2012 3:54PM PST
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Answer
better stop using it
Mar 4, 2012 4:21AM PST

explorer not good now i dont use it

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Re: don't use explorer
Mar 4, 2012 4:32AM PST

That's a bad advice. Explorer.exe is the program that shows the desktop. Without it there's no desktop which makes using Windows impossible.
Or do you use Vcom's Powerdesk as an explorer replacement? I don't find it's stable enough to serve as such.

Kees