Explorer Wont Die!

[ghettochild]

try running a processclose on explorer.exe, it just keeps popping back up! i want to have a program that runs without explorer but i cant keep it closed. if i loop then i will just waste recources and be interupted while i am working without explorer.

[pekster]

explorer.exe is a core component of the windows operating system; it cannot be shut down. You can close open explorer windows, but not the process itself. And even if you could, why would you want to? If you did manage to keep it shut down, you would then loose access to the start menu, most applications, and pretty much the ability to do anything in windows.

[ghettochild]

... i can do anything without explorer that you could do with. CMD baby ya! anyway explorer uses to many resources and causes to many problems. try doing a control alt delete (if you have 2k or xp) and closing the process. it stays closed! but when i use the script it just pops open again.

[pekster]

cmd.exe != DOS

Huge differance.

Oh, and just for fun I took your suggestion, and here's a list of things that I noticed that failed in the first 2 minutes:

• start menu gone
• windows key won't work
• right click context menu fails to appear
• docking of desktop applictions fails

If you want the command line, either install DOS, or download a Linux distro.

[ghettochild]

name one thing that you can do in wondows that i cant do in dos

[Valik]

name one thing that you can do in wondows that i cant do in dos

Display more than 16 horrid colors.

[pekster]

Surf the web (I have lots more, I'm just too lazy to type more than you asked for.) Links2 or lynx works nicely on linux... let's compare that to what you can do in DOS... you don't use windows because you like the command prompt. It's not even a full DOS prompt in NT based systems anymore. You use windows because it's simple to setup, easy for inexpierenced users to maintain, and is more compatable with popular software titles out there. If explorer.exe is using so many system resources that it is a concern to you, why are you even running windows??? If your comp is that old, either replace it, or get an older OS. If not, leave explorer.exe be. On 9x based windows OSes if you killed the explorer.exe process (either by crash, or on purpose), you almost always had to restart your computer. It's not designed to be shut down at all. In 2K and above they added in support to restart it when it does go down. It is a core piece of the windows OS, and nothing GUI will start without it.

[ghettochild]

well considering xp and 2k are where we are at in this littl ethng we need to remember that dos is an emulator and can run external applications. 32 bit works fine.

ps i dont mean running just dos but to close explorer and only use it, well i am making a program and it needs explorer to be closed to work.

[ghettochild]

i work at a cyber lounge and i need to work around the shell to utilize the programs otherwise i get locked out because of the security software.

[Valik]

pekster, I can happily run anything from a command prompt or the task manager without explorer running. There have been a couple rare instances where I have shut down explorer and launched stuff from the task manager. You can even replace the explorer shell and use a completely different shell if you want. It is not so critical on 2000/XP.

ghettochild, short of creating something to be run as a shell, I can think of no valid reason to ever write any piece of software that relies on explorer to not be running in order to function correctly. And if you are writing something to be run as a shell, I'm sure you are already aware that you can just have said program started instead of explorer at boot-time...

[pekster]

Translation: you need to shutdown explorer.exe because some security software that you wish to bypass uses this system process. In that process, you break the ability to do many tasks in windows. Have you thought about a live-CD with linux on it? It would be a lot better suited to your needs.

www.slax.linux-live.org

www.knopper.net

Edited May 12, 2004 by pekster

[ghettochild]

ya but i dont want to use knoppix. I just want to close the process and keep it closed. regardless if you do or do not see my logic, is there a way?

[CyberSlug]

On Windows 2000 and XP, explorer is designed to reboot if it crashes.

If you have XP Professional or Windows 2000, you can use the command line utility "taskkill" to get rid of explorer. Run(@comspec & " /c taskkill /IM explorer.exe") (XP Home only comes with tskill which causes explorer to re-appear....)

If you really hate explorer.exe, you could set another program as your shell. The registry key to change is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

[ghettochild]

cyberslug, you are a beacon of hope and light to all.

[ezzetabi]

cmd.exe != DOS

Darn! Still someone thinks that actually the CMD is DOS?!?

IT IS NOT! In w2000 and nexts CMD is the console and it is a true 32 bit application. Dos do not exist anymore!

Try "command" to call the W2000 DOS EMULATOR (that is crap).

[ghettochild]

That what i said when i called the dos an emulator! CMD ROCKS!

[ghettochild]

whenever i drop the following line into a script nothing happens. I am on win2000.

(@comspec & " /c taskkill /IM explorer.exe")

[CyberSlug]

whenever i drop the following line into a script nothing happens.  I am on win2000.

Hmm.... Maybe taskkill is not in 2000 after all.

I also forgot the to add the "force" switch. (Without it, you simply get the shutdown dialog box.)

You can also add @SW_HIDE to prevent the console from popping up

Run(@comspec & " /c taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F", "", @SW_HIDE)

You could always FileIncluded taskkill.exe if you can obtain that file. I'm do not know if distributing taskkill is prohibited or anything....but you might be able to find it in this download here

[emmanuel]

you could look into changing the parts of the registry that set explorer.exe as shell, it's been a while, but I used to run litestep as a replacement for explorer... works pretty well, but you have to really rtfm and be ready to do most configs in complex text files to use it...

[sugi]

There's a registry key that tells winlogon to restart explorer.exe if it dies:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\AutoRestartShell

Set this to 0 and after loging in again you should be able to kill explorer.exe.

This is from RegEntry.hlp (NT4 ressource kit)

AutoRestartShell  REG_DWORD  0 | 1

Default: 1

Determines whether the Windows NT user interface (typically, Explorer.exe) is restarted automatically if it stops unexpectedly.

Value Meaning

0 If the Windows NT user interface or one of its components fails, you must restart the interface by logging off and logging on again.

1 If the Windows NT user interface or one of its components fails, the interface is restarted automatically.

Technical Reference to the Windows NT Registry © Microsoft Corporation 1985 - 1997

Edited May 13, 2004 by sugi