Vista - Windows Explorer has stopped working

I am running Vista Home Premium. BitDefender Internet Security 2009.

I installed a small program called SUMo tonight. Other than that, I updated my WinPatrol, RoboForm, and I updated Java 6 update 11 to update 13.

I keep getting a pop up that Windows Explorer has stopped working, then looking for a solution, then it says it's restarting but then when I try to open my control panel the same thing happens all over again.

I restarted and so far it hasn't happened since my last restart, but I have restarted several times tonight due to this problem.

I have scheduled a check disk, but does anyone know what could be causing this?

Explorer is crashing, probably because of an add-on which has a problem. If you run WERCON, then check the "problem history" link on the left hand side, there might be entries in that list corresponding to your Explorer crashes.

If you paste those "appcrash" numbers here, someone might be able to help you work out why it's crashing.

Per your instructions, here is what I found for this Windows Explorer crash:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: Explorer.EXE
Application Version: 6.0.6000.16771
Application Timestamp: 4907deda
Fault Module Name: ntdll.dll
Fault Module Version: 6.0.6000.16386
Fault Module Timestamp: 4549bdc9
Exception Code: c000071c
Exception Offset: 0008b5d5
OS Version: 6.0.6000.2.0.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: d6aa
Additional Information 2: 550813108d42c370043e28bb37aac5af
Additional Information 3: d6aa
Additional Information 4: 550813108d42c370043e28bb37aac5af

I booted my computer and it worked fine for several hours. I checked email, did some online shopping, played some games. While shopping I got the message that Windows Explorer had stopped working. When I went back to my desk top I got the WinPatrol sound and that program disappeared from my task bar and then I started getting the "Windows Explorer stopped working -- then looking for a solution -- then Windows Explorer is restarting." I had updated WinPatrol before this started. Could it be something to do with that?

Try uninstalling WinPatrol. I had a very similar problem to yours and ended up doing a factory image restore on my Dell Inspiron 531 (running Vista Home Premium SP1 32bit) three times before I figured it out. The strange thing is, I've been using WinPatrol for years without a problem until this week. My other computers still have it, but this one won't. I don't plan on doing any installs needing permissions and UAC is enabled so it should be good.

LoneWolf: Did your problem also start after doing an update of the program? Just wondering because someone advised me that with this particular program it really isn't necessary to apply every update they come out with. And I was never notified that an update was needed. I just decided to check and see if there was one and thought I should probably appy it and that's when the trouble started.

The update I had applied which apparently caused all the problems was 16.0.2009.1. After my last post here I completely uninstalled WinPatrol and then reinstalled this 16.0.2009.1. It worked for a while and then the same problem started again. I wrote to their tech support, explained what had happened and asked if anyone else had reported any problems. They wrote back to me and advised that just a couple of days prior they had released 16.0.2009.2 to deal with some problems people were having; that I should uninstall and reinstall this build. I did so and haven't had any problems since.

However, I think from now on unless I am contacted about some update that is vitally important I will just stick with what I've got because I, too, have used WinPatrol for a number of years and it is one program I would hate to be without.

I have this annoying similar problem. It starts when I start windows and after 'closing' or choosing either of 'Check online for a solution and restart the computer' or 'Restart the program', this messege returns in a blink of an eye. For this I cannot access my desktop but I can choose task from task manager. The program is WerFault.exe. I don't know how to stop this so please kindly help me ASAP.

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: Explorer.exe
Application Version: 6.0.6002.18005
Application Timestamp:
Fault Module Name: StackHash_40d4
Fault Module Version: 0.0.0.0
Fault Module Timestamp: 00000000
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 00000000
OS Version: 6.0.6002.2.2.0.768.3
Locale ID: 17417
Additional Information 1: 40d4
Additional Information 2: 4062ad41ec8067256aa4c5e2b56d3c79
Additional Information 3: 40d4
Additional Information 4: 4062ad41ec8067256aa4c5e2b56d3c79

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Just as a sidenote and word of caution, I keep seeing miscellaneous posts about problems being caused by SUMo.