Adapted from Softpedia and Microsoft

According to the software giant, Windows Explorer can crash in certain scenarios, a glitch which also seems to be impacting Windows Server 2008 R2, not just Windows 7. 

It appears that the issue is not exactly new, since it affects the RTM versions of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, as well as the two operating systems after their first upgrade was released.

Essentially, the release of Service Pack 1 doesn’t seem to have resolved Windows Explorer crashes. “This issue usually occurs when you perform some operations that are related to the taskbar or to the Address bar,” the Redmond company revealed.

Microsoft did not however detail the symptoms of Windows Explorer crashes further, and it does seem that the fix provided is designed more like a general stability boost more than anything else. At the bottom of this article users will be able to find the download links for the updates set up to enhance the reliability of Windows Explorer, including the refresh designed for Windows 7 SP1.

Microsoft releases SP1 RTM for Windows 7 in February 2011, even if according to the full build string of the upgrade it had been wrapped up in late 2010. Windows 7 SP1 was focused mainly on resolving bugs in Windows 7 RTM, providing security patches and hotfixes, as well as some optimizations around stability.

Since no new features were introduced in Windows 7 SP1, there are no real reasons for users to hurry up and deploy the upgrade.

As I’ve said before, I’m more interested in seeing what Windows 7 SP2 will bring to the table, especially since I expect Microsoft to backport some Windows 8 components to its predecessor. The Redmond company has yet to confirm any details on Windows 7 SP2 at this point in time.

There has been a fix issued for the affected systems.  So if you experience this problem, install the fix which can be downloaded from Microsoft at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2515325

Affected Systems:

• Windows 7 Enterprise

• Windows 7 Home Basic

• Windows 7 Home Premium

• Windows 7 Professional

• Windows 7 Starter

• Windows 7 Ultimate

• Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter

• Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise

• Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems

• Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation

• Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard

• Windows Web Server 2008 R2

• Windows Embedded Standard 7

As always, contact us if we can help you sort this out and update your system.  Bryan.