Windows explorer not opening
I ask this question in another forum. Their response was to do a re-association of the file, but it didn't work. Here's the problem When I click on "explorer.exe", I get the error "This file does not have a program associated with it. For performing this action please install a program or if it is already installed, create and association in default programs control panel." When I go to the default programs control panel I don't see anything that I can associate the "explorer.exe" file with. How can I get the "explorer.exe" file to open Windows explorer? I also get the error "0xc0000142". I am dual booting Win7 and Vista and when I click on "explorer.exe" in Vista, Window's explorer opens up as it should. FyrmnJ
May 28th, 2009 3:58pm

FyrmnJ,Try clicking on the Orb and typing SFC /scannow and see if that works.Let me know...
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May 29th, 2009 5:13am

Fyrmn - Ok.. So let me see if I have this straight - you want to open Windows Explorer. The easy way to do that would be to create a shortcut on the desktop to EXPLORER.EXE - found in C:\Windows\. So how you could do that would be to press Winkey+R to bring up the RUN box - type in Explorer and >enter< This should launch Explorer. Navigate to c:\Windows. IF you can't see the files - press ALT and click Tools | Folder Options and click the View tab. Uncheck the box next to "Hide Operating System Filesa" and click OK. Find Explorer.EXE, right-click on it, and create Shortcut. If it tells you it can't create the shortcut there and asks if you want to put it on the desktop, then click OK.
May 29th, 2009 5:13am

I Did exactly that and after I click on the newly created shortcut I STILL get the message "This file does not have a program associated with it. For performing this action please install a program or if it is already installed, create and association in default programs control panel." As I said I am dual booting Vista and Win7 RC. In vista when I clic "Explorer.exe" Windows explorer opens up as it should. FyrmnJ "if all is not lost where is it"?
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May 29th, 2009 1:45pm

Fyrmn - Ok... So, something happened that whacked the registry a bit... I'm assuming you know roughly when you did that registry tweak... Do you have a restore point set prior to that? If so, you might want to try and restore it and see if that cures the problem.
May 29th, 2009 1:52pm

No, I haven't done anything to tweak the registry, but You have given me an idea. I will look at the explorer.exe congiguration in the Vista registry, then look and see if it is the same in the Win7 RC registry. Thanks.
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May 29th, 2009 1:57pm

There may be a program you installed which modified the registry since somewhere there is an empty value for command.
May 30th, 2009 8:11am

There may be a program you installed which modified the registry since somewhere there is an empty value for command.
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May 30th, 2009 8:11am

In the Win7 RC registry this is what I get when I do a Find for explorer.exe ab (default) REG_EXPAND_SZ %SystemRoot%\Explorer.exe ab DelegateExecute REG_SZ {a015411a-f97d-4ef3-8425-8a38d022aebc} In the Vista registry this is what I get when I do a find for explorer.exe ab (default) REG_EXPAND_SZ %SystemRoot%\Explorer.exe Notice in the Vista registry I don't have the second value that is in the Win RC registry. Can anybody tell me why the second value is missing in the vista registry? Or, is the Win7 RC registry incorrect?
May 30th, 2009 5:07pm

fyrmn - I seem to have both Win 7 registry entries - and mine isn't misbehaving.. So I'm gonna guess that they're not wrong.
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May 30th, 2009 10:25pm

Wolfie: OK, well looks like I can rule that out......I'll try something else. FyrmnJ
May 31st, 2009 12:46am

I have almost the same problem. But my problem comes when I am trying to open explorer.exe from taskbar not from desktop. I have tried to unpin explorer.exe from taskbar and pin it again but I have the same error. Is still not working.
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June 6th, 2009 7:36am

Same here. I know the problem IS linked to the registry 'couse it appered after cleaning the registry with EnhanceMySe7en. I tested on a few fresh install and I can confirm that. So, someone has an idea about the right key to fix? Thx
June 7th, 2009 3:13pm

Hi,when you search for your Explorer.exe file, then display it's properties, is it then linked to the appropriate location, I mean, doesn't it want to open the Explorer installed on the Vista partition?Seems the link is broken, or maybe a Group Policy?Ciao,Sabine---Just a HP Mini Netbook running Windows 7 RC ---
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June 7th, 2009 3:40pm

I am having the same problem and also cannot find that correct registery to edit. Any ideas?
June 10th, 2009 8:57am

Right click on the explorer icon on the taskbar to bring up the jump list. Then right click on "Windows Explorer" in the jump list and select properties. Replace the target with "%windir%\explorer.exe /n,::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}". This worked for me. I found the answer athttp://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2863-windows-explorer-taskbar-icon-change-open-target.html. Hope this helps.
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June 17th, 2009 5:18pm

Thanks Moses, that worked for me too. I have had this problem for two months and its fixed now. FyrmnJ "if all is not lost, where is it"?
June 19th, 2009 2:34pm

i have the same problem. the first time it happened is when i left click explorer, instead of seeing the library, i got this error message: "This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Please install a program or, if one is already installed, create an association in the Default Programs control panel." this continued a few days then after ALL the pinned folders on the right-click jumplist of explorer disappeared. re-pinning the folder was not effective cause after restarting its gone again. i recently formatted again around a week ago, just 10 minutes ago clicking on explorer on the superbar gave me the same error message again. i'm on build 7100. i tried the sfc /scannow suggestion, did the scan but it only said: " Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations." i still get the explorer error message. please help.
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August 20th, 2009 4:43pm

Problem Solvedcopy this lines below into a txt file then rename it to *.reg and double click to add this information to your registryWindows Registry Editor Version 5.00[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\opennewprocess\command]"DelegateExecute"="{11dbb47c-a525-400b-9e80-a54615a090c0}"[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\opennewwindow\command]"DelegateExecute"="{11dbb47c-a525-400b-9e80-a54615a090c0}"[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\opensearchfilefolderresult\shell\open\command]@="""DelegateExecute"="{99969a8f-27e6-4adf-ab9f-b5b5e90d4733}"[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\command]"DelegateExecute"="{11dbb47c-a525-400b-9e80-a54615a090c0}"[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WMP11.AssocFile.m3u\shell\Enqueue\command]"DelegateExecute"="{45597c98-80f6-4549-84ff-752cf55e2d29}"
September 19th, 2009 7:52am

Thanks sooo much for this it worked perfect!!! Users beware that when using tools like Windows 7 tuneup suite and performing registry clean up watch what you delete as this was my main issue of knowcking out the windows explorer exe launch executlable target path. This fix was right on and i will be more careful when cleaning registries Thanks again!!
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March 21st, 2010 7:34pm

THANK YOU MARSCHALL! I've been messing with this for all of 2 days. Your solution absolutely works. All shortcuts and the program file open the correct explorer.exe. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
June 30th, 2010 10:47am

Marschall's solution works completely. NOTE TO: MOSES MORALES Your fix actually causes "Computer" to open, not Windows Explorer. It is not too bad but the solution from Marrchall is better because it opens the actual Windows Explorer. They are similar but not quite the same. Thanks to all for this very precious help. SableAndWhite
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June 30th, 2010 10:55am

Thanks. It solved the problem.Fernando Paiva
September 24th, 2010 11:17pm

This worked for me! Thank you
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January 16th, 2011 7:17pm

Marschall, Awesome post. Worked for me. Very simple to do. Thanks, Will
January 17th, 2011 4:21pm

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