mp2 files crash windows explorer. How? Why? How to fix?

[Bryn]

Recently, on various Windows 10 laptops, if I even hover over an mp2 file, Windows Explorer crashes, then restarts without displaying the device holding the mp2 file. This has also happened once or twice with aac files. Does anybody here have any idea what is gong on? I can copy the folder containing the errant files, but when open the copied folder, the same problem occurs. I have had no luck searching for solutions via the Internet. The files concerned open perfectly well on my old Windows 7 and XP laptops.

Damn it. Now even just opening the folder containing such files crashes Windows Explorer in Windows 10.

[Beresford]

Recently, on various Windows 10 laptops, if I even hover over an mp2 file, Windows Explorer crashes, then restarts without displaying the device holding the mp2 file. This has also happened once or twice with aac files. Does anybody here have any idea what is gong on? I can copy the folder containing the errant files, but when open the copied folder, the same problem occurs. I have had no luck searching for solutions via the Internet. The files concerned open perfectly well on my old Windows 7 and XP laptops.

Windows explorer works ok with mp2 files on my W10 PC.
I have the software association for mp2 set to Foobar - I can imagine Groove throwing a wobbler if it is pointed to mp2 files.
If the associations are ok, I would try renaming (but not with explorer) an mp2 file to mp3, and seeing if the problem disappears. Or open it with Notepad, just to ensure the file system can see it.

[Dave2002]

Damn it. Now even just opening the folder containing such files crashes Windows Explorer in Windows 10.

Is someone trying to tell you something?

Maybe Windows 10 is bust. Could malware do this?

By Windows Explorer I assume you mean the file manager. Can you use another one?

Can you revert back a few days/weeks to the point at which Explorer was last thought to be working? Get a copy off a backup file?

Maybe see https://www.howtogeek.com/205770/the...mac-and-linux/ - though note the warning about junk being downloaded with Windows software - perhaps you really do have a malware problem.

[Bryn]

Is someone trying to tell you something?

Maybe Windows 10 is bust. Could malware do this?

By Windows Explorer I assume you mean the file manager. Can you use another one?

Can you revert back a few days/weeks to the point at which Explorer was last thought to be working? Get a copy off a backup file?

Maybe see https://www.howtogeek.com/205770/the...mac-and-linux/ - though note the warning about junk being downloaded with Windows software - perhaps you really do have a malware problem.

I have used Avast Premier, Malwarebytes Premium and Macafee Livesafe to check the folders concerned on various laptops running Windows 10 and all give the files in the folder the all clear, yet each laptop exhibits the same Windows Explorer crash problem. It is just possible that one of the files in the folder is corrupt, rather than malware infected. I will investigate further when I have the time.

[Dave2002]

I will investigate further when I have the time.

Hopefully not a malware problem then, though could be another part of your system, not just the folders containing the .mp2s. Does changing the file extension make a difference?

I would suggest trying an alternative file manager to see if the problem is with the files or the file manager. There are several listed in the link in msg 3.

[Bryn]

Can't access them to change the extention.

[Dave2002]

Can't access them to change the extention.

DOS?

Do you have a Linux partition?

Send me one, and I'll send it back with any extension you like. Or is even that impossible?
That would indicate something more severe - with the file management system or elsewhere.

[johnb]

If you can't copy, rename, etc the files in Windows 10 Windows Explorer you could always open a Command Prompt window and use the DOS commands (always a very useful).

If either the filename or the path include spaces you would have to enclose the path/filename in double quotes, e.g. to copy a file to Drive F:\

COPY "C:\folder 1\music file.mp2" F:\

or to rename a file:

REN "C:\folder 1\music file.mp2" "music file.xxx"

etc

[Zucchini]

Have you tried opening to Edge?

[Bryn]

Curiouser and curiouser. I downloaded the open source file manager Explorer + + and tried opening the main folder I have been having problems with in that. It too crashed. However, if I try playing the folder in WinAmp, it plays all files without a hitch! Using the WinAmp Disk Player facility I have successfully resolved the mp2s concerned (old Messiaen CotW files plus a Beethoven 9 and Violin Concerto, all at 192kbps discrete stereo except the concerto which is the dreaded 160kbps intensity stereo) to WAV and sent them to a new folder. That folder opens and plays without difficulty, so the problem seems to lie with the mp2 file format and some aspect of my installations. I even tried disconnecting from the Internet and disabling virus protection. The mp2 folders still crashed.