explorer.exe using all CPU in XP

[CasMax]

I have spent about 7 hours on this, to no avail. Explorer.exe is using all CPU. Running XP HE SP 2. Running up-to-date NSW and auto updates from Windows.

Tried ending explorer in Task Manager, and restaring from Run. Tried a System Restore. Could only get back a few days. Ran Windows Defender, Ad-aware, NSW scan, Registry Mechanic. Eliminated a few nastys from msconfig/startup like nwiz.exe, ctfmon.exe. Turned off bcmwltry.exe, removecpl.exe also. Saw postings related to .avi files, made a few registry key deletes based on those. One at a time, none of these has stopped the 99%.

Now redoing all scans (NSW, Defender, Registry Mechanic, Ad-aware) from SAFE Mode.

There must be something I am not catching.

[CasMax]

I have spent about 7 hours on this, to no avail. Explorer.exe is using all CPU. Running XP HE SP 2. Running up-to-date NSW and auto updates from Windows. Tried ending explorer in Task Manager, and restaring from Run. Tried a System Restore. Could only get back a few days. Ran Windows Defender, Ad-aware, NSW scan, Registry Mechanic. Eliminated a few nastys from msconfig/startup like nwiz.exe, ctfmon.exe. Turned off bcmwltry.exe, removecpl.exe also. Saw postings related to .avi files, made a few registry key deletes based on those. One at a time, none of these has stopped the 99%. Now redoing all scans (NSW, Defender, Registry Mechanic, Ad-aware) from SAFE Mode. There must be something I am not catching.

All those scans done. Problem persists. Machine almost unusable. Pls help!

[CasMax]

Getting help in "Spyware, Viruses" forum...

[Faunito]

I have noticed this problem happens (and it's a real headache!) whenever I try to open a directory having a fairly large number of really big files, as in the case of the receiving folder of a p2p application. If that folder has, say, more than 150 files and the average file size is about 40MB or more, I'll probably get Win Explorer.exe to "hang" while trying to open the folder, taking up to 10 minutes at a 99%--100% CPU utilization to show the folder's file list. (What a waste of MY time and MY computer's resources!). Curiously enough, when an instance of explorer.exe gets started as a "hijacked app", for example, when I order the p2p application to open the incoming folder (starting a new instance of explorer.exe) then Windows Explorer behaves, and shows the folder's contents instantly. If for any reason I do not want to open it that way (i.e., I really don't want to start the p2p app just to see the incoming folder) I've found a snug replacement utility, the Fileant file manager, to do a nice job. If you have McAfee Securuty Suite, just ignore warnings that Fileant is Spyware or the like -- they're just rubbish.