yesterday I tried to test a new security solution (Emsisoft Internet Security) so I deinstalled Emsisoft Anti-Malware (which is the same product, just without firewall) and tried to install IS. But right before the installation finished, Windows 8.1 crashed with the sad smiley face saying error: DRIVER CORRUPTED EXPOOL and creating a minidump file. I tried to analyze it but couldn't find anything helpful in it. So I ran some general repairs:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow
/Restorehealth keeps claining that it found and fixed an error no matter how often I run it and reboot. Also I deinstalled any unneeded Software and driver packs. Then I wanted to run a Malwarebytes scan in safe mode just to find out, that in safe mode without networking, explorer keeps crashing right away over and over again, creating infinite error messages saying that explorer.exe crashed with error message (sorry, its in german): http://www.pcfuerst.at/extern/error.jpg If I don't do anything I end up with thousands of error messages and just as many backround processes. The only way to stop it is to start task manager and kill explorer.exe. But when I do that I cant do anything else. If i restart explorer it starts allover again. So I press the power button to shut down. This happens ONLY in safe mode without networking, if I run safe mode with networking or normal mode it doesn't happen even if I unplug ethernet and everything else is working fine. I ran Malwarebytes and Emsisoft in safe mode with networking und unplugges ethernet .. nothing found. Any idea what else I could try except refreshing Windows or inplace upgrade? I did not check the RAM yep, but I will do that tonight although I don't think that's the problem because it only happens when netwoking is off. Then I ran http://www.tweaking.com/content/page/windows_repair_all_in_one.html and did all scans and repairs including file permissions .. still same problem in safe mode.
thanks for your time!
UPDATE: With some help of an Emsisoft technician (on sunday!!!) I found out that the driver corrupted error was caused by virtualbox. I deinstalled it and all of its left over registry-entries. After that the IS-installation went smoothly. But the problem with explorer.exe in safe mode stayed. So now at least I know that these 2 problems weren't connected.