Start11 causing file explorer to constantly crash/restart

Hello,

Sorry to hear you are having issues. Need to know

1. Is the Windows 11 system a fresh install or updates from Windows 10?
2. Is Start11 a new install or an update install or Start10?

Thanks

Basj,

Stardock Community Assistant.

Windows 11 is updated from 10, Start11 is a new install

Please try purge and reinstall steps as mentioned here: [Link] Just make sure to re-download the latest version from your account. Reboot after the purged. Reinstall, and Reboot again after the installation. Retest it. Report back here.

Thank you.

Basj,

Stardock Community Assistant.

Followed the steps and I still have the same problem.

Do You have StartIsBack installed? Same happened to me when StartIsBack still was installed, even disabled. 

I have this same issue, with a clean install of Windows 11.

In fact, I clean installed Windows 10 because I thought 11 was at fault, and it was doing it in Windows 10 as well. It happens most often when I search for an application and press ENTER to launch it.  

Do you have StartisBack installed? If yes, please uninstall it. reboot and try again. If there is no Startisback. Please try the Purge and reinstall, I mentioned above.

Thank you.

Basj,

Stardock Community Assistant.

No, I do not. I've done clean installs of Windows 10 and Windows 11, and it happens after I install Start11, so its unlikely a purge/reinstall will fix  it.

I'll try it, but I expect no changes.

I ran the purge, rebooted, and reinstalled. While setting up my start menu again, it crashed once more...

Results of running tool:

https://imgur.com/a/j9U8FJO

The crash log in Event Viewer:

Log Name:      Application

Source:        Application Error

Date:          11/20/2021 7:31:48 PM

Event ID:      1000

Task Category: (100)

Level:         Error

Keywords:      Classic

User:          N/A

Computer:      Enlightenment

Description:

Faulting application name: Explorer.EXE, version: 10.0.22000.120, time stamp: 0xe846e749

Faulting module name: Start10_64.dll, version: 1.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x617ff7e7

Exception code: 0xc0000005

Fault offset: 0x000000000004d201

Faulting process id: 0x2cdc

Faulting application start time: 0x01d7de7ef3b2fdb9

Faulting application path: C:\Windows\Explorer.EXE

Faulting module path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Stardock\Start11\Start10_64.dll

Report Id: 70ddb9bf-9f92-496f-a7b0-99f907bd0bdd

Faulting package full name: 

Faulting package-relative application ID: 

Event Xml:

<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">

  <System>

    <Provider Name="Application Error" />

    <EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID>

    <Version>0</Version>

    <Level>2</Level>

    <Task>100</Task>

    <Opcode>0</Opcode>

    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>

    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2021-11-21T02:31:48.8096490Z" />

    <EventRecordID>17324</EventRecordID>

    <Correlation />

    <Execution ProcessID="10440" ThreadID="0" />

    <Channel>Application</Channel>

    <Computer>Enlightenment</Computer>

    <Security />

  </System>

  <EventData>

    <Data>Explorer.EXE</Data>

    <Data>10.0.22000.120</Data>

    <Data>e846e749</Data>

    <Data>Start10_64.dll</Data>

    <Data>1.0.0.0</Data>

    <Data>617ff7e7</Data>

    <Data>c0000005</Data>

    <Data>000000000004d201</Data>

    <Data>2cdc</Data>

    <Data>01d7de7ef3b2fdb9</Data>

    <Data>C:\Windows\Explorer.EXE</Data>

    <Data>C:\Program Files (x86)\Stardock\Start11\Start10_64.dll</Data>

    <Data>70ddb9bf-9f92-496f-a7b0-99f907bd0bdd</Data>

    <Data>

    </Data>

    <Data>

    </Data>

  </EventData>

</Event>

Hello,

I have forward your problem/question to Stardock Support Team for their assistance. Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates. We appreciate your feedback and patience.

Basj,

Stardock Community Assistant

Just to report, I have the same issue on 2 different machines, one upgraded from Windows 10 and one with a fresh install of Windows 11.

If you do a clean boot, does it still happen?

https://www.bollyinside.com/articles/how-to-do-a-clean-boot-on-windows-11/

Before restarting, re-enable the Start11 service:

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

Quoting sdRohan, reply 12

If you do a clean boot, does it still happen?

https://www.bollyinside.com/articles/how-to-do-a-clean-boot-on-windows-11/

Before restarting, re-enable the Start11 service:

Reduced 71%

Original 500 x 326

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

Is this just disabling Start11? The issue does not occur when Start11 is not running.

This issue happens to me most often when searching and launching from the results. I am using Start11 search. 

Try Repy #12 to test and see if it works then .

Yes, turning off Start11 fixes the crashes. It’s Start11 that’s doing it, so that makes sense. 

I am also having explorer.exe crashing and restarting randomly.

Edit: I disabled Start11 a couple of hours ago and will monitor the situation.
So far, everything is OK.

Quoting sdRohan, reply 12

If you do a clean boot, does it still happen?

https://www.bollyinside.com/articles/how-to-do-a-clean-boot-on-windows-11/

Before restarting, re-enable the Start11 service:



Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

I did this, we will see. I am using the beta now however, so it may skew results. If I see crashing again, I will go back to release version and try it.

What are you expecting to happen here exactly? Is the service being set to an incorrect parameter and this potentially resets it?

Over three days later, no explorer.exe crashes with Start11 disabled.

The problem still persists with the suggestions given and the latest beta. The only thing that fixes it is not using Start11.

Is your problem specifically only when you click on the shutdown button to open the shutdown menu with your Dragon software running?

This will be different to the search issue someone else reported.

Does this only happen when performing searches?

If so, if you set Start11 to use Start10 style search (option bottom of Search page in Start11 settings), does it continue?

Was this happening when doing searches or doing some interacting with Start11 or randomly?

I continue to experience Explorer.exe restarting itself seemingly randomly (not constantly, but it does happen, even when not interacting directly with start11). And it restarts itself when using the start11 search. On both windows 11 machines I have it installed on. Full (paid) versions, not trial. I disabled start11 on one of them and have not experienced any issues with native win 11 search nor explorer.exe restarts. This issue definitely appears to be related to start11. Just now I did a search for one of my documents... it did not find it, so I backed out and closed the start11 menu. A few seconds later, explorer.exe restarted. I will continue to try and isolate what specifically about the search is triggering it.

Sometimes just randomly, and sometimes I'd click on a menu item and nothing would happen for about 15 to 20 seconds, then the Taskbar and tray would lose all its icons and reload with some tray icons not returning until I end them in Task Manager and manually restart them.