diff --git a/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/explorer.cpp b/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/explorer.cpp
index 87e89f5b42b..2d96fb8cd6d 100644
--- a/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/explorer.cpp
+++ b/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/explorer.cpp
@@ -64,6 +64,17 @@ ExplorerGlobals::ExplorerGlobals()
 }
 
 
+void log(LPCTSTR txt)
+{
+	FmtString msg(TEXT("%s\n"), txt);
+
+	if (g_Globals._log)
+		_fputts(msg, g_Globals._log);
+
+	OutputDebugString(msg);
+}
+
+
 ResString::ResString(UINT nid)
 {
 	TCHAR buffer[BUFFER_LEN];
@@ -244,6 +255,8 @@ int WINAPI _tWinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPTSTR lpCmdL
 
 		g_Globals._log = fdopen(1, "w");
 		setvbuf(g_Globals._log, 0, _IONBF, 0);
+
+		LOG("starting explore debug log\n");
 	}
 #endif
 
diff --git a/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/globals.h b/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/globals.h
index ca1cd14f3ef..85c96e15ba6 100644
--- a/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/globals.h
+++ b/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/globals.h
@@ -45,14 +45,6 @@ extern struct ExplorerGlobals
 #endif
 } g_Globals;
 
-#undef LOG
-
-#define	LOG(x) \
-{ \
-	if (g_Globals._log) _ftprintf(g_Globals._log, TEXT("%s\n"), (LPCTSTR)(x)); \
-	OutputDebugString(FmtString(TEXT("%s\n"), (LPCTSTR)(x))); \
-}
-
 
  /// convenient loading of string resources
 struct ResString : public String
diff --git a/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/shell/shellfs.h b/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/shell/shellfs.h
index 1cf36893161..3fbc07fd5fe 100644
--- a/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/shell/shellfs.h
+++ b/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/shell/shellfs.h
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ struct ShellDirectory : public ShellEntry, public Directory
 		_folder(root_folder, shell_path),
 		_hwnd(hwnd)
 	{
+		CONTEXT("ShellDirectory::ShellDirectory()");
+
 		lstrcpy(_data.cFileName, root_folder.get_name(shell_path));
 		_data.dwFileAttributes = FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY;
 		_shell_attribs = SFGAO_FOLDER;
diff --git a/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/utility/shellclasses.h b/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/utility/shellclasses.h
index 4137cedee97..dbaa7c6b510 100644
--- a/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/utility/shellclasses.h
+++ b/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/utility/shellclasses.h
@@ -723,6 +723,7 @@ struct ShellPath : public SShellPtr<ITEMIDLIST>
 
 	ShellFolder get_folder(IShellFolder* parent)
 	{
+		CONTEXT("ShellPath::get_folder()");
 		return ShellFolder(parent, _p);
 	}
 
diff --git a/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/utility/utility.cpp b/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/utility/utility.cpp
index 8d7ed0b60c7..9630b2d3ce0 100644
--- a/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/utility/utility.cpp
+++ b/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/utility/utility.cpp
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ String Context::getStackTrace() const
 
 	str << "Context Trace:\n";
 
-	for(const Context*p=this; p!=&s_main; p=p->_last) {
+	for(const Context*p=this; p && p!=&s_main; p=p->_last) {
 		str << "- " << p->_ctx;
 
 		if (!p->_obj.empty())
diff --git a/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/utility/utility.h b/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/utility/utility.h
index 9841a639abd..e2ea40f7c7f 100644
--- a/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/utility/utility.h
+++ b/reactos/subsys/system/explorer/utility/utility.h
@@ -55,6 +55,103 @@
 #endif
 
 
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+
+#define	for if (0) {} else for
+
+
+#define	BUFFER_LEN				1024
+
+
+extern void log(LPCTSTR txt);
+
+#define	LOG(txt) log(txt)
+
+
+#ifdef _MSC_VER
+#define	LONGLONGARG TEXT("I64")
+#else
+#define	LONGLONGARG TEXT("L")
+#endif
+
+
+#ifndef _tcsrchr
+#ifdef UNICODE
+#define	_tcsrchr wcsrchr
+#else
+#define	_tcsrchr strrchr
+#endif
+#endif
+
+#ifndef _stprintf
+#ifdef UNICODE
+#define	_stprintf wcsprintf
+#else
+#define	_stprintf sprintf
+#endif
+#endif
+
+
+#ifdef __WINE__
+#ifdef UNICODE
+extern void _wsplitpath(const WCHAR* path, WCHAR* drv, WCHAR* dir, WCHAR* name, WCHAR* ext);
+#else
+extern void _splitpath(const CHAR* path, CHAR* drv, CHAR* dir, CHAR* name, CHAR* ext);
+#endif
+#endif
+
+#ifndef FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NOT_CONTENT_INDEXED
+#define FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ENCRYPTED            0x00000040
+#define FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SPARSE_FILE          0x00000200
+#define FILE_ATTRIBUTE_REPARSE_POINT        0x00000400
+#define FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NOT_CONTENT_INDEXED  0x00002000
+#endif
+
+
+#define	SetDlgCtrlID(hwnd, id) SetWindowLong(hwnd, GWL_ID, id)
+#define	SetWindowStyle(hwnd, val) (DWORD)SetWindowLong(hwnd, GWL_STYLE, val)
+#define	SetWindowExStyle(h, val) (DWORD)SetWindowLong(hwnd, GWL_EXSTYLE, val)
+#define	Window_SetIcon(hwnd, type, hicon) (HICON)SendMessage(hwnd, WM_SETICON, type, (LPARAM)(hicon))
+
+
+ // center window in respect to its parent window
+extern void CenterWindow(HWND hwnd);
+
+ // move window into visibility
+extern void MoveVisible(HWND hwnd);
+
+ // display error message
+extern void display_error(HWND hwnd, DWORD error);
+
+ // convert time_t to WIN32 FILETIME
+extern BOOL time_to_filetime(const time_t* t, FILETIME* ftime);
+
+ // search for windows of a specific classname
+extern int find_window_class(LPCTSTR classname);
+
+ // create a bitmap from an icon
+extern HBITMAP create_bitmap_from_icon(HICON hIcon, HBRUSH hbrush_bkgnd, HDC hdc_wnd);
+
+ // launch a program or document file
+extern BOOL launch_file(HWND hwnd, LPCTSTR cmd, UINT nCmdShow);
+#ifdef UNICODE
+extern BOOL launch_fileA(HWND hwnd, LPSTR cmd, UINT nCmdShow);
+#else
+#define	launch_fileA launch_file
+#endif
+
+ // call an DLL export like rundll32
+BOOL RunDLL(HWND hwnd, LPCTSTR dllname, LPCSTR procname, LPCTSTR cmdline, UINT nCmdShow);
+
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+} // extern "C"
+#endif
+
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 
 #ifdef _MSC_VER
@@ -79,15 +176,6 @@ using namespace _com_util;
 #endif	// _MSC_VER && !_NO_COMUTIL
 
 
-#define	for if (0) {} else for
-
-
-#define	BUFFER_LEN				1024
-
-
-#define	LOG(x) 	OutputDebugString(FmtString(TEXT("%s\n"), (LPCTSTR)(x)));
-
-
  /// initialization of windows common controls
 struct CommonControlInit
 {
@@ -706,9 +794,17 @@ struct Context
 		s_current = this;
 	}
 
+	Context(const Context& other)
+	 :	_ctx(other._ctx),
+		_obj(other._obj)
+	{
+		_last = NULL;
+	}
+
 	~Context()
 	{
 		s_current = _last;
+		_last = NULL;
 	}
 
 	String toString() const;
@@ -717,12 +813,12 @@ struct Context
 	const char* _ctx;
 	String	_obj;
 
-	static Context current() {return *s_current;}
+	static Context& current() {return *s_current;}
 
 protected:
 	Context* _last;
 
-	static Context*	s_current;
+	static Context*	s_current;	///@todo use TLS
 	static Context	s_main;
 };
 
@@ -733,91 +829,3 @@ protected:
 
 
 #endif // __cplusplus
-
-
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-extern "C" {
-#endif
-
-
-#ifdef _MSC_VER
-#define	LONGLONGARG TEXT("I64")
-#else
-#define	LONGLONGARG TEXT("L")
-#endif
-
-
-#ifndef _tcsrchr
-#ifdef UNICODE
-#define	_tcsrchr wcsrchr
-#else
-#define	_tcsrchr strrchr
-#endif
-#endif
-
-#ifndef _stprintf
-#ifdef UNICODE
-#define	_stprintf wcsprintf
-#else
-#define	_stprintf sprintf
-#endif
-#endif
-
-
-#ifdef __WINE__
-#ifdef UNICODE
-extern void _wsplitpath(const WCHAR* path, WCHAR* drv, WCHAR* dir, WCHAR* name, WCHAR* ext);
-#else
-extern void _splitpath(const CHAR* path, CHAR* drv, CHAR* dir, CHAR* name, CHAR* ext);
-#endif
-#endif
-
-#ifndef FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NOT_CONTENT_INDEXED
-#define FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ENCRYPTED            0x00000040
-#define FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SPARSE_FILE          0x00000200
-#define FILE_ATTRIBUTE_REPARSE_POINT        0x00000400
-#define FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NOT_CONTENT_INDEXED  0x00002000
-#endif
-
-
-#define	SetDlgCtrlID(hwnd, id) SetWindowLong(hwnd, GWL_ID, id)
-#define	SetWindowStyle(hwnd, val) (DWORD)SetWindowLong(hwnd, GWL_STYLE, val)
-#define	SetWindowExStyle(h, val) (DWORD)SetWindowLong(hwnd, GWL_EXSTYLE, val)
-#define	Window_SetIcon(hwnd, type, hicon) (HICON)SendMessage(hwnd, WM_SETICON, type, (LPARAM)(hicon))
-
-
-
- // center window in respect to its parent window
-extern void CenterWindow(HWND hwnd);
-
- // move window into visibility
-extern void MoveVisible(HWND hwnd);
-
- // display error message
-extern void display_error(HWND hwnd, DWORD error);
-
- // convert time_t to WIN32 FILETIME
-extern BOOL time_to_filetime(const time_t* t, FILETIME* ftime);
-
- // search for windows of a specific classname
-extern int find_window_class(LPCTSTR classname);
-
- // create a bitmap from an icon
-extern HBITMAP create_bitmap_from_icon(HICON hIcon, HBRUSH hbrush_bkgnd, HDC hdc_wnd);
-
- // launch a program or document file
-extern BOOL launch_file(HWND hwnd, LPCTSTR cmd, UINT nCmdShow);
-#ifdef UNICODE
-extern BOOL launch_fileA(HWND hwnd, LPSTR cmd, UINT nCmdShow);
-#else
-#define	launch_fileA launch_file
-#endif
-
- // call an DLL export like rundll32
-BOOL RunDLL(HWND hwnd, LPCTSTR dllname, LPCSTR procname, LPCTSTR cmdline, UINT nCmdShow);
-
-
-#ifdef __cplusplus
-} // extern "C"
-#endif
-