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Lewis HeiligLewis Heilig 

ashShell.dll causing file explorer to crash after right-click on icon?

Hello, Windows 10 update KB5030211 (Cumulative update for win10 ver 22H2 for x64) installed automatically on Sep 13, 2023 and a new copy of ashShell.dll installed on Sep 14, 2023. In the following days, I started having problems with File Explorer when I right-clicked on the icon of a file, a folder, or a JPEG. At first, it failed about 1 time in 5, later every time. The Microsoft assist agent remotely did a number of procedures on my PC. It took 4 hours for his DISM and SFC cleanup programs to terminate (no corruptions were detected). After restarting my PC, the original problem was still there, even with files that I just created. I tried other popular fixes for File Explorer problems, without success. Finally, I disabled the AVG shell extension using the app ShellExView. After I ordered explorer to restart, my screen would not come back, so I had to bring up Task Manager (CNTL/ALT/DEL) to force a reboot of the PC. Since then, I have had no problems when I right-click on any desktop icon. The version of ashShell.dll is 23.8.8416.807. Has anyone else experienced the same issue as me?
 
Krishna JayathilakKrishna Jayathilak (Foundever)
Hello Lewis, 
Thank you for contacting AVG Community Support.
We appreciate your efforts in notifying about this issue with causing file explorer to crash.
Could you please let us know if you are using AVG AntiVirus free or paid version?
If you have not tried repair previously we suggest you to try performing the repair feature and restart your device.
Here is the article for repair: https://support.avg.com/SupportArticleView?l=en&urlName=repair-avg-antivirus&q=repair&supportType=home (https://support.avg.com/SupportArticleView?l=en&urlName=repair-avg-antivirus&q=repair&supportType=home)
Once you have completed the repair restart your computer and see if you face any issue.
Thank you and keep us updated.
Lewis HeiligLewis Heilig
Thank you for suggesting that I perform a repair and for your link.

I am using the free version of AVG Antivirus.

The first thing that I did was to re-enable the AVG shell extension using ShellExView. As expected, when I re-enabled the extension and I restarted Explorer using the command in ShellExView, I got a black screen and I needed to bring up Task Manager <CNTL><ALT><DEL> to request a restart of my device. After restart, I confirmed that the AVG extension was still enabled.

I tried right-clinking on a variety of file, folders, and photos, and explorer worked OK.

Before performing a repair of AVG Antivirus, I would first like to take some time to verify if the issue has been corrected by itself, due only to disabling, re-enabling, and restarting my device several times..

If the issue returns and the AVG repair fixes the issue permanently, then we will know that my copy of ashShell.dll was probably corrupt.

If the issue returns and the AVG repair does not permanently fix the issue, then we may suspect that my recent Windows update may have been corrupt in a way that prevents explorer from interacting properly with the AVG shell extension.

There are many users in the world of Windows 10 and AVG Free Antivirus, and these applications are constantly updated every month. If there was an embedded fault in the Windows 10 or the AVG antivirus updates of September 2023, then I would not be the only user reporting this issue to you and/or to Microsoft.

I suspect that my issue may have been caused by something exceptional going wrong last week, when both products were updated.

I will monitor the situation and take no more than one week before reporting any news on this forum.
 
Dinesh KrishnanDinesh Krishnan (Foundever)
Our pleasure, Lewis. We do understand your concern.
Once again, we appreciate your efforts in notifying this to us. 
Please monitor the status & try repairing the program to let us know the outcome at your convenience. We're available 24/7. 
Lewis HeiligLewis Heilig
After re-enabling the AVG shell extension but not yet doing a repair of AVG, I still had one occassion where explorer crashed, I decided that it was time to do the repair. The repair completed successfully and I restarted my PC. I note that the file ashShell.dll has not changed in size or version number. I tried right-clicking on about 10 desktop icons and explorer worked properly each time. I will need some time to be sure that explorer is continuing to work properly. Thanks again for your encouragement.
Delli GaneshDelli Ganesh (Foundever)
Thank you for writing us back, Lewis. 
We appreciate your efforts in notifying this to us. 
Please feel free to reach us again if you need any other help with AVG.
Thank you.
Lewis HeiligLewis Heilig
Following the repair of AVG antivirus last night, explorer has crashed 2 times. I typically have to make right-clicks on a few desktop icons before explorer fails. It appears to me that the repair does not refresh my ashShell.dll file, so if there is a corruption or a design bug in the update that was downloaded and installed on September 14, then my issue will continue in spite of a repair. Can I over-install a fresh, downloadable copy of AVG Antivirus Free without losing my existing user data? If so, can you please give me a link to the latest version of this product? Thanks.
 
Krishna JayathilakKrishna Jayathilak (Foundever)
Thank you for writing us back.
We are really sorry to know this. We'll certainly check and help you out.
We suggest you to try reinstall and check again.
Here is an article for uninstalling: https://support.avg.com/SupportArticleView?l=en&urlName=uninstall-avg-antivirus&q=avg+free+&supportType=home (https://support.avg.com/SupportArticleView?l=en&urlName=uninstall-avg-antivirus&q=avg+free+&supportType=home)
Here is article for installing: https://support.avg.com/SupportArticleView?l=en&urlName=install-avg-antivirus-free&q=anti+virus+free&supportType=home (https://support.avg.com/SupportArticleView?l=en&urlName=install-avg-antivirus-free&q=anti+virus+free&supportType=home)
Thank you and keep us updated.

 
Lewis HeiligLewis Heilig
Before removing the old version of AVG Antivirus, I checked for updates and it stated that I was still using the August version and it proposed that I update to the September version. I accepted the update and I still had one explorer crash occur after the update. So I removed the AVG application using the control panel and I noticed that the files in PROGRAM FILES were still there, so I ran the AVG_CLEAR program and the files disappeared. I also ran the AVG_REMOVAL program and it said that there were no files left to be removed. I then downloaded the latest version of AVG Antivirus (Free) and after installing, explorer crashed once again, after I right-clicked on a PDF file. Then I tried the same PDF file again and explorer did not crash. If you don't have any other suggestions, I am prepared to wait for the next update to Windows 10 (October) in the hope that I will get a new version of explorer that works with AVG.
 
Marietta MonzegerMarietta Monzeger
Hello! Just writing to signal that I'm having the same problem after the Windows 10 update. I turned off the AVG shell as well and so far I'm good, too. It's good to be reinforced that at least this works for now.
Bruno KramBruno Kram
thank you for this @Lewis Heilig. i'm having the same issue which occurs recently and disabling the AVG Shell Extension with the tool you've mentioned doesn't crash my explorer anymore.

it shows another dll for me (ucrtbase.dll) in event viewer tho:

Faulting application name: explorer.exe, version: 10.0.19041.3448, time stamp: 0xa1694e98
Faulting module name: ucrtbase.dll, version: 10.0.19041.789, time stamp: 0x2bd748bf
Exception code: 0xc0000409
Fault offset: 0x000000000007286e
Faulting process id: 0xcb0
Faulting application start time: 0x01d9edb04dac7a07
Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe
Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\ucrtbase.dll
Report Id: 373d74af-e555-44eb-a01c-5f1d991b635e
Faulting package full name: 
Faulting package-relative application ID: 
Lewis HeiligLewis Heilig
[SOLVED] I ran 7 days with the AVG shell extension disabled and Explorer never crashed. Once or twice each month, I normally run SFC /SCANNOW in order to make sure that my Windows system files are in good health and ready for the monthly Patch Tuesday updates from Microsoft. Yesterday, I ran SFC and it reported a corruption that it was unable to repair. I even ran SFC in SAFE MODE with the same negative results. I noticed that in the CBS log file created by SFC, there were a few references to problems related to files with names associated with AVG.

So using the AVG utilities AVG_CLEAN and AVG_REMOVER, I uninstalled AVG Free. I ran the AVG_CLEAN utility before the AVG REMOVER utility, which may have been the wrong order to use. After I re-ran SFC again in REGULAR MODE, then in SAFE MODE,  SFC was still not able to repair the corruption it detected. I even ran my registry cleaner but that did not help.

I then decided to repair Windows itself. I first considered using the RESET procedure until I learned that it erases all the installed user applications. So I downloaded and ran the Media Creation Tool which allows the option to keep the user files and user installed applications. It took 2 hours to download the OS image and another 2 hours to install. Then I installed the latest version of AVG Free.

SFC was then able to repair a corruption it found and the AVG Shell extension no longer crashes Explorer when this extension is enabled. I then ran Windows updates and it took another 2 hours to install the 4 updates it proposed.

The downloading and installing of update KB5030211 ran twice in a row and took well over an hour to complete. At some point during the last installation attempt of this KB50302011, it was stuck at 22%, so I requested a system Restart and it looped for an hour on the green screen, asking me to not turn off the power to my computer until it finished its job. After an hour of looping, my PC rebooted by itself and the 4 updates were reported to have been successfully installed.

For the other 2 forum members who have posted above as having experienced the same issue with Explorer crashing, you are welcome to try my solution only if your SFC is reporting that there is a corruption that it cannot fix.

I highly recommend that you start by making a clone copy of your disk drive, should you decide to re-install your Windows. It also helps to create multiple system restore points at differents times while doing my suggested procedure of removing AVG, installing a fresh copy of Windos 10, and re-installing AVG.
 
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