BleepingComputer.com: Windows Explorer keeps freezing

For the last couple of weeks, my Window Explorer will keep freezing up. A couple of times it froze my whole computer and I had to force a shut down, while usually it just freezes and take some time to relaunch. I thought I might have a virus, but all the scans have come back clean. I am thinking that if it is not a virus than maybe some file has corrupted. I also have noticed that I cannot use Windows Defender or turn on my Firewall. I get a message that says, "The Security Center service can't be started." I use Windows Vista with a 32-bit operating system. I would just like some help figuring out what is wrong. Thanks.

what security software do you have installed on your computer? Sometimes if you have more than one anti virus this can occur.

I have AVG and also Microsoft Security Essentials.

yep that's your problem, do you have anti-spyware by any chance? If you have an anti spyware i suggest you uninstall microsoft security essentials because it come with an anti-spyware installed along side it. if you do not have an anti-spyware i suggest you uninstall avg free.

when you have more than once instance of an anti-virus you computer will run into this problem because they eat so many resources and are not compatible together.

After you follow these instructions let me know if it is fixed.

This post has been edited by Alexander Caldwell: 17 January 2012 - 01:50 AM

The only other things I have on my computer is Malwarebytes and CCleaner.

then uninstall avg antivirus and your problem should be solved.

This post has been edited by Alexander Caldwell: 17 January 2012 - 01:53 AM

Is Security Essentials the better anti-virus?

Not really but security essentials comes with an anti-spyware software installed. Both are pretty much the same.

if you delete security essentials i recommend you use spybot search & destroy as an anti-spyware.

This post has been edited by Alexander Caldwell: 17 January 2012 - 02:10 AM

Is the problem fixed?