Windows Explorer Hanging On Startup - Vista

System: Vista 32bit, (dual boot with Linux on single drive C
Atheros wireless adapter

I get a persistent problem with windows explorer hanging at startup.
The folders show on the desktop, only a few services load (e.g. wireless network is not loaded), and then windows explorer stopped responding message pops up.
Can't get rid of it, it recycles every time.

Same happens in safe and normal modes. The only mode I can use is safe with command prompt, besides
ctrl+alt+del or ctrl+shift+esc.

I scanned the heck out of the hard drive with live cds, command line, and from Linux partition, no viruses found.

I am running out of ideas so I am attaching a bootlog from normal boot.

I appreciate your help,
Thanks.

 

Greetings, newguy25, and welcome to MajorGeeks...

Since you stated that the symptoms persist in Safe Mode then we're looking at either hardware and/or a Windows problem, and if Linux is running correctly that would tend to rule out hardware.

Do you have a valid Windows Vista installation disk? If so, my next step would be to run a System File Check (SFC) to try to rule out/fix any system file corruption.

 

I did sfc /scannow.
Did not help.
It looks like something may have knocked out my networking services.
BTW I have Acer laptop with eNet services. They were set in automatic but stopped.
I restarted it but there is likely more that needs to happen.
(yes all hw running good on Linux partition)

 

i did sfc, and it fixed two problems
since that did not help I copied over backup of whole Windows directory from 10 days ago and
ran sfc, fixed errors, ran sfc again, fixed errors again
still not much help but closing explorer popup window several times, network and wireless internet would start

so i looked at devices, found IR device not functioning properly, and uninstalled the driver
still did not work but more apps (avirus) now started

so finally I decided to create a new user account
and everything works there ! (just need to reinstall a few programs, firefox settings etc.)

Since everything works now in user2 account, how can I fix the original screwy explorer user1 ?