Explorer crashing

[you878]

 I have been encountering sporadic crashes with Windows 7 64 bit since I got my new computer. I can't find a pattern to the crashes, but when the first crash happens, almost any operation will trigger another crash (closing a window, opening a new window, right-clicking the desktop...) I opened event viewer to find the problem, and it looks like two files are at fault:

 The first and most prevalent error is this:

Faulting application name: Explorer.EXE, version: 6.1.7600.16404, time stamp: 0x4a765771
Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5be02b
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0000000000051da0
Faulting process id: 0x2110
Faulting application start time: 0x01ca85886c8e2a1f
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\Explorer.EXE
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
Report Id: e6e8d8f1-f17b-11de-a511-0025648c86e8


But, it also has these errors:
Faulting application name: Explorer.EXE, version: 6.1.7600.16404, time stamp: 0x4a765771
Faulting module name: msvcrt.dll, version: 7.0.7600.16385, time stamp: 0x4a5bdfbe
Exception code: 0xc000041d
Fault offset: 0x000000000000120b
Faulting process id: 0x1df0
Faulting application start time: 0x01ca858a259d16d8
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\Explorer.EXE
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\system32\msvcrt.dll
Report Id: 87d88813-f17d-11de-a511-0025648c86e8

I have no idea what the problem could be, so any help would be great. Let me know if more info is needed...

[Broni]

since I got my new computer

Return it.

[ale52]

Both those files are essential Windows files and shouldn't be causing problems.  Like Broni said, take it back.

Alan <>< 

[BC_Programmer]

Yes, it's almost certainly a problem with RAM, something not worth investigating with a new PC.

[you878]

 So the error codes indicate that the RAM is at fault? I'm just curious as to what is causing is causing the problem, since I have done a memory diagnostics test, and it claimed to find no problems.

[patio]

Windows test ? ?
Or MemTest ?

[you878]

I used the windows repair mode memory test and MemTest86+ 4.0. Both returned no errors.

[patio]

Then it's not the Memory...
How old is this install and what protection apps do you run ?

[you878]

I use avast! and AVG. They both run at the same time, so could this be the problem?

 This install is about 2 weeks old, but the problem has persisted since about the second day I turned it on, which was after I installed virus protection...

[patio]

Yep.
Rule of Thumb is you should only have 1 A/V app at any time and NEVER run them both at once...

[you878]

 So, the programs were interfering with the memory somehow? I can see how file-scanning when something is opened could cause conflict, but I never really thought about it.

 I know this might not be the best place to ask, but which one should I get rid of? The only reason I installed AVG was because I found out that avast! did not have a firewall. Do you think AVG is strong enough to be my only virus protection?

[patio]

Personal preference is all it comes down to...
Forget one of them and keep the other.

There are FREE firewalls out there to try if you feel you really need one...

[Henfracar]

You should also check whether you have WinDefender running in the background.
Note; It does not show up in "Add/remove programs'.
Try disabling it; apparently it does not play well with other AV software.
I have also found that switching from AVG to AntiVir resulted in a lot less application errors on my system; I'm running Win7 Ultimate, by the way; so take this for what it's worth.