"hinarei" <hinarei@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:3ECFE944-2FC8-49D2-B415-C3B1A013BE7E@microsoft.com...
> "Alister" wrote:
>
>>
>> Don't forget that explorer.exe is the process responsible for providing
>> you with a desktop, start menu and taskbar, so if you open a My Computer
>> or any other browsing window you *will* see two processes, this is
>> normal behaviour.
>>
>> It sounds like in your efforts to stop this you may have broken
>> something!
>>
>> Try doing a system restore back to before you started changing things -
>> and also check for malware infestation.
>>
>> Alister
>>
>
> Thanks for that. I don't recall changing anything, necessarily. All I've
> mentioned is that I've tried booting to safe mode and killing processes,
> deleting reg keys that set themselves back up again... if anything, the
> setup's the same as when I started looking at it.
>
> Unfortunately the machine hasn't had System Restore enabled, so that isn't
> an option. I have also run through scans from Windows Defender,
> MalwareBytes
> AntiMalware and Adaware, as well as Kaspersky Anti-Virus, none of which
> seems
> to have picked any problems out other than tracking cookies.
>
> Also, to my recollection, regarding the multiple processes: I've always
> noticed a single process for explorer.exe on every other XP install I've
> used. Perhaps this isn't a great way of working, but if the one process
> is
> capable of firing multiple folders, why do you need two processes to do
> the
> job?
>
> Surely I'd be able to tick a folder view option without it setting itself
> back again without my knowledge?

I agree with your observation: I too have just a single instance of
explorer.exe, regardless of the number of active Explorer processes. Perhaps
you have a rogue process that calls itself "explorer" but is really
something else. If you launch siw.exe
(http://www.gtopala.com/siw-download.html) then you can find out the path to
both instances like so:
- Click "Running Processes".
- Click "Explorer.exe".
- Check the Path, Version and Description in the lower pane.

By the way - do you have a particular reason for disabling System Restore? I
find this an extremely useful feature with no known problems or drawbacks.
Turning it off appears to be counter-productive.