Explorer .exe.

Hi,
Im wondering if anybody could explain why explorer.exe needs to connect to the internet.
Is this normal behaviour.
Thank you.

 

Yes it's normal. I think it has to do with Windows searching for relevant terms over the network. Personally I block it with the firewall.

Just make sure it's the MS explorer.exe located in either c:\Windows system32 or c:\Windows SysWOW64 (64 bit O/S).

 

Thanks for that.

 

You're welcome!

 

It doesn't... I block it also. The only adverse effect I've noticed is that sometimes when installing programs it makes you wait like a minute before the process continues. I guess Explorer.exe keeps trying to connect out, and it takes it awhile to get the hint that it can't. Afterward the install works just fine.

My rule of thumb... if it's not absolutely vital to the stability or functionality of the program/OS, it doesn't need the access.

 

I think that's more of a firewall problem. I noticed this while testing many firewalls with the same programs. Same program was hanging with Comodo firewall while the installation was straight forward with the built in Windows 7 firewall or with the Private Firewall.

 

FWIW, I block explorer (both 32 bit and 64 bit) from www access.

Sometimes I get winy little messages but 99.9% of the time I can continue on my merry way!

 

Maybe because the other 2 firewalls were simply allowing the action?

 

Don't think so. I would have noticed it.

 

One of the examples why explorer needs to connect out is to get these images of my devices -

 

In the past there was a difference between blocking and dropping/rejecting a packet. Blocking required the application to resend or in general wait. Rejecting was realized by the application, and it stopped trying. No more waiting.

I may have that backwards, but there was a distinct difference in that delay being spoken of when you were given the option.

Haven't paid much attention to my pfSense firewall, but it might be the same there as well as the windows software firewalls.

Sul.

 

Interesting. Has anyone watched that in action to investigate questions such as:

- Is it phoning home to Microsoft a list of your connected devices every time you go in there?
- Is it passing a text description of the device, some kind of device ID, a serial number?
- Is it sending a machine GUID in the lookup so Microsoft can track your connected device history over time?

Edit: Ah, I think finally found the right phrase, "Device Stage". This looks like some introductory material for anyone who is interested:

http://blogs.windows.com/windows/ar...e-device-experience-in-windows-7-updated.aspx

 

I didn't, as I could care less, but according to MS, metadata is submitted by device vendors, by the means of Metadata Authoring Wizard. Here's what they have to say on contents of metadata packages.
Also, it is possible to disable metadata retrieval here -

 

Thanks for sharing that. Once I got hold of a Windows 7 box I found it as well. This is an area I hadn't previously discovered, and there is a bit more too it than I originally thought. So I'm going to put it on my ToDo list and try to research it more later. FWIW though, with that preference enabled I saw DeviceDisplayObjectProvider.exe trying to connect to the net rather than Explorer.exe.

Device Metadata Cache
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ff541426(v=vs.85).aspx