I have a new Core i3 notebook with Windows 7 Home Editon 64-bit. The PC ran fine for several months, but since a week every time I try to open a folder on Explorer it takes almost 30 secs to open.

So far, I tried with:

• checking for virus or spyware with MS Essentials, MalwareBytes and DrWebCureIt (no virus or spyware)
• restoring to a previous System Restore point
• chkdsk /f (no errors)
• disabling Windows Search (no difference)
• sfc /scannow on a elevated command prompt (stops with an error: "Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation")
• disabling Active Destkop via registry (like here)
• disabling every non-microsoft startup program via AutoRuns
• disabling non-Microsoft shell extensions via ShellExView
• removing USN JOURNAL with fsutil usn deletejournal /D C: because Sysinternals Process Monitor shows a delay of 5+ seconds on SFTLIST.EXE / FileSystemControl

The freeze is only in EXPLORER.EXE, I can switch to another processes without any slowdown. There are no CPU spikes in Task Manager or Process Explorer.

I discard hardware errors because if I start in Safe Mode the PC ran fine. I cannot do a repair install because Windows (Home Premium) is preinstalled in the notebook and I have no Windows CD.

What else can I try without having to reinstall Windows?

I have a new Core i3 notebook with Windows 7 Home Editon 64-bit. The PC ran fine for several months, but since a week, every time I try to open a folder on Explorer it takes almost 30 seconds to open.

So far, I've tried:

• checking for virus or spyware with MS Essentials, MalwareBytes and DrWebCureIt (no virus or spyware)

• restoring to a previous System Restore Point

• chkdsk /f (no errors)

• disabling Windows Search (no difference)

• sfc /scannow on a elevated command prompt. Stops with an error:

  Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation

• disabling Active Destkop via registry (as explained in How to Disable or Enable Active Desktop in Windows 7)

• disabling every non-Microsoft startup program via AutoRuns

• disabling non-Microsoft shell extensions via ShellExView

• removing USN JOURNAL with fsutil usn deletejournal /D C: because Sysinternals Process Monitor shows a delay of 5+ seconds on SFTLIST.EXE / FileSystemControl

The freeze is only in explorer.exe, I can switch to another processes without any slowdown. There are no CPU spikes in Task Manager or Process Explorer.

I discard hardware errors because if I start in Safe Mode the PC ran fine. I cannot do a repair install because Windows (Home Premium) is preinstalled in the notebook and I have no Windows CD.

What else can I try without having to reinstall Windows?