Question:

How to troubleshoot Windows Explorer crashing and causing screen flickering and task bar disappearance on an ASUS laptop?

I have an ASUS laptop that is experiencing a serious issue. The screen keeps flickering black and the task bar is not visible. When I check the task manager, I see that Windows Explorer is constantly restarting and crashing. This seems to be the cause of the problem, but I don’t know how to fix it. I have never seen this happen before on my laptop. What are the possible reasons for this issue and how can I resolve it?

Answer:

Windows Explorer is the program that manages the desktop, task bar, file explorer, and other graphical elements of the Windows operating system. Sometimes, Windows Explorer may crash or restart due to various reasons, such as corrupted system files, malware infection, incompatible drivers, or faulty hardware. This can cause the screen to flicker black and the task bar to disappear, making it difficult to use the laptop.

Fortunately, there are some possible solutions that can help you fix this issue and restore the normal functioning of your laptop. Here are some steps that you can try:

1. Run System File Checker (SFC): SFC is a built-in tool that scans and repairs corrupted or missing system files. To run SFC, open the Command Prompt as an administrator and type `sfc /scannow` and press Enter. Wait for the scan to complete and restart your laptop. This may fix the Windows Explorer crashing issue if it was caused by damaged system files.

2. Update or rollback your drivers: Drivers are software that enable your laptop to communicate with the hardware devices. Sometimes, outdated or incompatible drivers can cause Windows Explorer to crash or restart. To update your drivers, go to the Device Manager and right-click on the device that you want to update. Select Update driver and follow the instructions. Alternatively, you can also rollback your drivers to a previous version if the issue started after a recent driver update. To rollback your drivers, go to the Device Manager and right-click on the device that you want to rollback. Select Properties and go to the Driver tab. Click on Roll Back Driver and follow the instructions. Restart your laptop and see if the issue is resolved.

3. Perform a clean boot: A clean boot is a way of starting Windows with only the essential services and programs. This can help you identify and eliminate any software conflicts that may be causing Windows Explorer to crash or restart. To perform a clean boot, open the System Configuration window by typing `msconfig` in the search box and pressing Enter. Go to the Services tab and check the box that says Hide all Microsoft services. Click on Disable all and go to the Startup tab. Click on Open Task Manager and disable all the startup items. Close the Task Manager and click on OK in the System Configuration window. Restart your laptop and see if the issue persists. If the issue is gone, then one of the services or programs that you disabled was causing the problem. You can enable them one by one to find the culprit and uninstall or update it. If the issue is still there, then the problem is not related to software and you can undo the clean boot by enabling all the services and programs that you disabled.

4. Check your hardware: Sometimes, faulty or incompatible hardware can cause Windows Explorer to crash or restart. For example, a loose or damaged RAM stick, a faulty hard drive, or a defective graphics card can cause this issue. To check your hardware, you can use the built-in diagnostic tools that come with your ASUS laptop. To access the diagnostic tools, restart your laptop and press F9 repeatedly until you see the ASUS Preload Wizard. Select Recover Windows to entire HD with 2 partitions and press Enter. Select Tools and then select ASUS System Diagnostics. Follow the instructions and run the tests for the hardware components that you want to check. If any of the tests fail, then you may need to replace or repair the faulty hardware. Alternatively, you can also use third-party diagnostic tools or take your laptop to a professional technician for further inspection.

These are some of the possible solutions that can help you troubleshoot Windows Explorer crashing and causing screen flickering and task bar disappearance on an ASUS laptop. We hope that this article was helpful and that you were able to fix the issue and enjoy using your laptop again. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.

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