I have windows xp pro SP3.  I'm having a problem with explorer.exe freezing whenever I right-click on a shortcut to a file location that has changed or is not there.

Example, I deleted a directory with some pictures. On my desktop there is a folder with shortcuts to these pictures that now are gone. When I right-click on one of them or press the delete key explorer.exe freezes until I close drwatson32.exe and explorer.exe. Then I can restart explorer.exe in taskman.

I know how to delete the shortcuts through the command prompt but I thought there was a fix for this problem. I can't seem to locate anything on the subject now tho.

Anybody got any ideas?

Yes but I don't run it on my own, it's part of windows and it's debugging procedure. It only appears in the taskman process list after the freeze occurs. It's not malware in disguise as it checks out size-wise and location is correct. I've also scanned it with all the top AV and Spyware scanners.

I'm not sure of what triggers it to run in Windows XP, I too thought it was an old debugger that is obsolete but apparently there are some events that trigger it's activation.

I'm still curious why explorer.exe is having troubles dealing with the right-click on a shortcut to a missing file. It should just report that the link is invalid and ask for a new target location. Instead it turns on Drwtsn32.exe and freezes explorer.exe. When I close both processes and can then restart explorer.exe. 

Tried that just to be certain. But I was sure that drwtsn32.exe was not the cause of the problem, it's only triggered by it. This is a link to a microsoft site explaining what drwtsn32.exe does.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308538

Eremon1 wrote on Jan 13^th, 2009 at 11:14am:


WELL, I tried!  I did tell you to disable DrWatson, which I guess you still have not done.  That would have been the first thing I would try, , ,
next would be deleting that old shortcut, probably in SAFE Mode if it would not go away in Normal mode.
It's do'able..... you just have to try different modes till you hit the one that works.

Good Luck and please let us know if you're successful.

Shadow