I have about 400-500 processes of explorer.exe launched. I know how it happens and I try to avoid but I forget sometimes. It happens when I open RAR files with explorer. i have no idea how the default for RAR is explorer but I tried to change it and it doesn't work

I've also tried entering taskkill /F /IM explorer.exe in the cmd like I've seen in some tutorials around the web. But that just kills about 300 of them but they reappear for some reason. I'm sure this isn't the right forum to ask but I'm not a member of many other forums nor do I know of others where I can get good help.

You could be infected with a RAT/virus. Sounds like a RAT that has 'persistence' which is another process that reopens the infected process once you close it.

Try installing MBAM (malware bytes) and boot into safe mode WITHOUT networking and run a full scan. Also windows key + r and type msconfig, open it and go to startup and disable all the processes there. Maybe also check the startup folder itself.

Hmmm. A simple log off and then on seemed to fix the problem.

Still, you should really perform a virus scan with some sort of anti-virus/malware program.

 

A good recommendation is to go into Safe Mode with Networking, install Malwarebytes and Hitman Pro, and scan with both. If they detect nothing, then simply try to fix your file extensions, maybe by installing another program that does the same job, or simply right-click on the file, and choose the default program, and choose your .rar program.

 

If that still does not work, try the above recommendation of disabling all start-up processes, in Windows 7 and below by opening Run (Windows Key + R) and typing 'msconfig' (without quotation marks) or typing in the Start Menu, 'msconfig' (without quotation marks) and disabling the required processes.

 

Uncheck that and scan with MBAM.

Still, you should really perform a virus scan with some sort of anti-virus/malware program.

 

A good recommendation is to go into Safe Mode with Networking, install Malwarebytes and Hitman Pro, and scan with both. If they detect nothing, then simply try to fix your file extensions, maybe by installing another program that does the same job, or simply right-click on the file, and choose the default program, and choose your .rar program.

 

If that still does not work, try the above recommendation of disabling all start-up processes, in Windows 7 and below by opening Run (Windows Key + R) and typing 'msconfig' (without quotation marks) or typing in the Start Menu, 'msconfig' (without quotation marks) and disabling the required processes.

I'll do that right now.

 

Uncheck that and scan with MBAM.

That's already unchecked. Well thanks for the help. I greatly appreciate it.

You could easily end them all with taskkill... don't know about the problem though

You can use 'Process Explorer' (excented Taskmanager). Then you can see, which programs are using the processes...

just reformat using win 8 pro that ought to remove viruses , shit, etc...

You can use 'Process Explorer' (excented Taskmanager). Then you can see, which programs are using the processes...

>using processes

what?