Regarding your issue with macsearch causing explorer crashes, Im not quite sure what's causing it. I've used macsearch before but didn't really found the need for it as *to me* it was just another unnecessarry program which the simple search function using *F3* could do anyway. Hence, I've been trying to look for a way to just install for a dummy spotlight icon without any programs connected to it but if you really want to use such a functionality there are other spotlight clones out there aside from macsearch. Just give it a good 'google'.

And with the restoration of macclock and finderbar after an explorer crash I, too, same the similar experience. My solution was to 'end the process' of macclock and finderbar from the task manager and reload them again. It's a bit tedious, I know, especially if you have explorer crashing all the time. Other than that, I haven't really found any alternatives to that problem.