I don't think you can exhaust RAM or VRAM in that way, because of FIFO and
because switching between already loaded apps in itself shouldn't change
memory usage. Unless perhaps you ran out of physical drive space for VRAM
but I'd expect worse than an explorer reset if that were the case. In any
case with explorer restarting again I'd think you'd be right back to the
same status so if your scenario were true Explorer should crash again
practically immediately unless you closed some apps to free up RAM or one of
the apps closed spontaneously during the crash.
I still tend to think that something you are running, or that is running
automatically, is invoking an old or otherwise incompatible DLL or other
shared file. Once it's crashed a different version begins to be used and all
is well again except for those running apps that are still linked to the NFG
file. A lot of programs come bundled with older versions of system or shared
files. Those files get loaded when the relevent program is run but other
subsequent apps you start, which may need functionality only provided in
newer versions of the same file, will also use the already loaded but
obsolete file. When an app calls a function (for example) that isn't
provided for in the file the problems start.
"Dave" <mNeOdSiaPlAMog@insightbb.com> wrote in message
news:euYfH99QIHA.4400@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>> "Dave" <mNeOdSiaPlAMog@insightbb.com> wrote in message
>> news:ujBY2i9QIHA.5164@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> Every now and then when explorer.exe crashes and restarts automatically
>>> I lose the ability to minimize all old (opened before explorer crash)
>>> windows by clicking their tabs in the taskbar. Restore works fine and
>>> clicking minimize buttons work fine too. Just clicking the taskbar tab
>>> of a window has no effect.
>>>
>>> Any windows opened after explorer crash work as expected.
>>>
>>> The system goes back to normal after reboot but if you are like me who
>>> has daily apps for ongoing tasks open all the time, you know that reboot
>>> is a major inconvenience as far as gettinmg "re-organized" again for
>>> work.
>>>
>>> Is there a fix other than reboot?
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>>
>>> Dave
>>>
>>
>>
>
> "RalfG" <itsnotme@la-de-da.deda> wrote in message
> news:e%23$ZRy9QIHA.280@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>> Possibly rebooting is your only option at this point but what you should
>> really do is track down the cause of your explorer crashes. I suspect
>> your symptom could be directly related to that cause. Usually I'd expect
>> a corrupt media (or other) file to be the primary suspect for explorer
>> crashes but the subsequent problem with the taskbar suggests that some
>> software conflict (DLL file?) could be at the root of both problems.
>>
>
> Ralf,
>
> Thanks for your response.
> I have noticed that crashes happen when switching between applications and
> could be due to exhausting either RAM or VRAM. VRAM because the explorer
> "appears" to crash during screen refresh.when switching between apps. My
> GPU is ATI Fire GL E1 (64MB).
>
> I just did another experiment:
> Because "new" windows are not affected by this issue, I started creating
> new windows for relevant old programs, so that I could preserve my work
> state without reboot. After "recycling" a few old windows like that, the
> last 2-3 regained the ability to get minimised by clicking the task bar
> tab.
>
> By the way, all other functions (maximize, restore, etc.) worked as usual.
>
>
>
