BleepingComputer.com: Windows Explorer (explorer.exe)

A laptop running "Windows Vista Home Premium 6.0" displays message during boot "The application failed to initialize properly (0xc000007b)" referring to "Windows Explorer" (Explorer.exe). After boot I have no icons, no desktop, . . . .just a black screen with my mouse in the middle of it.

I can cntrl/alt/del . . .for the task manager and run "Iexplore.exe" (Internet Explorer) and get on line, and "Cmd" will give me a command prompt, but I get that "Failed to initialize" error for anything else. Basically anything that requires a window, "Control Panel", "My Computer", etc. I can't do a restore either cause it won't open the window.

Can I download and install just "Windows Explorer" (explorer.exe) for vista?

I have no Windows Vista cd. It is store bought pre-programmed. And of course I can't access the drive with the recovery files on it either.

I've had this happen a couple of times on various computers, but usually just openning task manager and selecting file>New Task..(Run) type in "explorer.exe". That usually works. If not something probably got corupt, if thats the case you would need to find a repair CD, or reload the OS. As long as you have the serial key you should be able to get a copy of the OS somewhere. (torrent, a friend maybe?)

Good luck. Hope it works out for you.

Try System File Checker:
http://www.support4vista.com/tips/system-file-checker.htm