There have been several threads in Google's Microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support about people having problems with
Windows Explorer crashing when looking at directories with large numbers of jpeg or bmp files. Many of them mention in passing that they use Photoshop.

In my case it seems to have been an
interaction with Adobe PhotoShop Elements 1.0 and Windows Explorer (although Photoshop does not have to be running to crash Explorer).

I have eliminated the problem by deleting the file type association for jpeg files to Photoshop.

- From Windows Explorer, click on Tools/Folder Options.
- Select the File Types tab.
- Scroll down to "JPEG" (my system showed "Opens with Adobe PhotoShop") and press "Delete".
- Scroll down to "JPG" (my system showed "Opens with Adobe PhotoShop") and press "Delete".
- Click on "Ok".

(You may need to delete other associations with Photoshop as well)

I don't know what other photo editors do. I do not get a crash if I have the Microsoft Photo Editor (from Office97) listed as the Windows Explorer association.

I suspect Microsoft and Adobe are pointing their fingers at each other over this one.

There was also a previous topic in this forum with no answers, but it was old and I couldn't respond to it:

Windows EXE Crashes upon opening Pic Folders
tmyc - 12:41am Dec 3, 2002 Pacific

I have been having problems with windows explorer crashing in XP when I look for pictures in a folder. "Windows Explorer has encountered problem and needs to Close". Well I corrected the problem by uninstalling Photoshop Elements 1.01. Now I'm afraid to put it back on. Whats the problem here. Has anyone had this problem and if so whats the reason for this.

Callum Ferguson

Replied in the following topics

Windows XP Exlorer Crashes upon opening Folders with lots of jpeg or bmp files