Windows Explorer crashes instantly if I try and open ANY graphic file

I think that Picasa broke my Windows Explorer module in Vista. On a whim and on recommendation of a few people, I installed Picasa2.

Now, Explorer will still show me directory trees, and will open up any document files (.txt, .doc, .xls, etc.) But if I try and open any graphics file -- .jpg, .bmp, .png, .tif, .wma, .mov -- I get an instant error message: "Windows Explorer has Stopped Working" and then it goes to the "do you want to send information to Microsoft" bit, then the screen resets and I'm back to the desktop.

Hmmm... Explorer will open .pdf files, which are sort of graphics, aren't they? It seems to be some sort of file association problem maybe? I can open Windows Paint, create a .jpg file, but when I try to open it with Explorer it crashes.

I can open it with Nero, and I may have other graphics programs (including Picasa) that will open it, but Explorer crashes instantly. Uninstalling Picasa doesn't help.

How can I fix this?

tnstaafl.

Sheesh, it's been over 12 minutes, and nobody has offered a solution yet. I can remember a time when people on this bbs were helpful!

(Juuussst kidding!)

I solved the problem -- see attached.

tanstaafl.

First, uninstall picasa2 and picasa. See if that fixes it. If not, leave them uninstalled, and for each graphic format that is giving you grief, right click on one of them and hit properties. There should be an "Opens With" entry, hit the "Change" button there, and pick MSPaint (for now) and see if that fixes it.

Edit: The above was being typed while Doug was posting the dilbert cartoon...

Jeez, it's 1AM, you could give me a LITTLE slack for being 3 minutes late. :-)

And no fair posting your question without first trying a reboot. This is one of the few places on the web where you can actually assume they tried that first. And you're someone who I know personally would have normally tried that. Of course, it is midnight where you are, I should cut you a little slack.

what's a 'reboot'?

Is that what you used to need to do when the kernel changed?