XnView Software

Subject: 1.9.2: Update/Installer needed to close Windows Explorer

XnView: MP 1.9.2 64bit
OS: Windows 10 64bit

I updated XnViewMP from 1.8.3 to 1.9.2 and it needed to close applications during the installer. The one that needed closing was "Windows Explorer".

Effect: The effect is, that I clicked on close applications and it closed WIndows Explorer, but not just the open file explorer window, the whole windows explorer, including task bar, etc...

To reproduce:
1. From XnViewMP 1.8.x (I can't remember which subversion it was, but not sure it makes a difference, since the problem appeared in the 1.9.2 64bit setup installer) go to Download Update
2. On the XnView websire I downloaded the 1.9.2 Windows 64bit setup installer
3. I run the installer and a window opens, claiming that some applications have files open, that xnview installer wants to change
4. The one that was listed was "Windows Explorer", I did have a file explorer window open and thought it might be that one, so I clicked on "Close Applications"
5. All of the Windows UI disappeared

Actual behaviour (bug): The installer closed down the Windows UI

Expected behaviour: Not sure, really, since if the installer needs to update files that Windows itself has open, and that needs closing, that seems a problem ....

If you have installed XnViewShellEx, it needs to close windows explorer

Oh, OK, that makes sense, but that the whole Windows UI (with the taskbar, background, icons...) disappears if it closes, is it a bug in windows then? Because I had to restart my PC afterwards to fix that...

BugsBunnySan wrote: Thu Jun 12, 2025 1:49 pm Oh, OK, that makes sense, but that the whole Windows UI (with the taskbar, background, icons...) disappears if it closes, is it a bug in windows then? Because I had to restart my PC afterwards to fix that...

Really, strange. I've tried and explorer is restarted. Previous setup doesnt check by default 'XnView Shell Extension', so you can uncheck it

I always insteall XnViewShellEx but it only started to ask to close Explorer in recent versions.
Are there some changes about the way it installs?

Also, perhaps we can add some detections so it only asks so when necessary.
For example, I just updated from 1.9.1 to 1.9.2 where the two XnViewShellExt64.dll files are identical.
Maybe add that if you have older version installed and the DLL of XnViewShellEx does not change, don't try to overwrite/re-register it so no need to close Explorer, or something like it?

xnview wrote: Thu Jun 12, 2025 3:37 pm

BugsBunnySan wrote: Thu Jun 12, 2025 1:49 pm Oh, OK, that makes sense, but that the whole Windows UI (with the taskbar, background, icons...) disappears if it closes, is it a bug in windows then? Because I had to restart my PC afterwards to fix that...

Really, strange. I've tried and explorer is restarted. Previous setup doesnt check by default 'XnView Shell Extension', so you can uncheck it

I think it might be a bug in (my installation of) windows then, because when I tried to start explorer by running a new task, windows went into a loop of eestarting it again and again... (which is why I needed to reboot to fix it)...