Windows 10 File Explorer crashing
Some Windows 10 users have complained about Windows 10 File Explorer crashing. When a user tries to open a folder or drive, File Explorer crashes abruptly.
This article shows four steps you can to take to resolve the problem. These steps, or methods, should be carried out in the order listed below.
- Method 1: Change Display settings
- Method 2: Clear File Explorer history
- Method 3: Launch folder Windows in a separate process
- Method 4: Find the app that is causing the crash, and uninstall it
Method 1: Change Display settings
Sometimes the Display Settings may cause an issue with File Explorer. To change display settings, proceed as follows.
- In the Windows 10 Start menu search box, search for Display settings.
- In the Best match results, click on Display settings, as shown below.
The Settings page opens.
In the left-hand navigation column, ensure you have Display selected.
- Use the slider control to change the size of text, apps, and other items to 200% or 150% or 100%. The recommended size is 100%. Do not let it remain at 175%.
If the problem persists, or your size is already set at 100%, then try Method 2.
Method 2: Clear File Explorer history
To clear the File Explorer history, proceed as follows.
- Open your Windows 10 Control Panel.
- In the Search box at the top right hand corner of the Control Panel type, File explorer options.
- In the list of search results, click File Explorer Options, as illustrated below.
The File Explorer Options window opens on the General tab.
- Click the Clear button, to clear the File Explorer history.
- Click OK.
Method 3: Launch folder Windows in a separate process
The Folder Options window opens, on the General tab.
- Tick the checkbox, Launch folder Windows in a separate process.
- At the bottom of the window, click the Apply button.
Method 4: Find the app that is causing the crash, and uninstall it
If all else fails, then you should find and remove the app that is causing File Explorer to crash. Wait for the next time that File Explorer crashes, then take the following action.
- Just after File Explorer crashes, search for Event Viewer in the Start menu search box.
- Click to open Event Viewer.
- Inside the Event Viewer window, go to Windows Logs and select System.
A list of system events appears, with the latest event at the top of the list.
- Look for the most recent Error message (as shown above).
- Click on the Error message entry to identify and view details of the process or app causing File Explorer to crash.
- Uninstall the app.
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File Explorer Not Responding in Windows 10 [Solved]
If you’re having trouble getting your File Explorer to run on Windows 10, no worries. This post provides the right solutions for you. Read on and follow the easy-doing steps with images below.
Note that File Explorer in Windows 7 is called Windows Explorer. The fixes here also suit for Windows 7 Windows Explorer not working properly as well even though the images are shown in Windows 10.
: Change display settings
1) Follow the path: Start button Settings System.
2) On Display panel, change the size of your text to 100%, 125%, 200% etc. Don’t set it to 175% thought, 175% is reported to be the cause of this problem.
Check to see if you can access to File Explorer now.
: Check for possible faulty programs
Some say that it is the antivirus program AVG that triggered this error. Once shut down from Task Manager, File Explorer is back.
You should do the same as well. Check to see if there are something unusual happen when you lost access to File Explorer. For example, see if you can spot icon disappearance or situation similar to this.
: Restart in task manager
1) Press Ctrl Shift Esc to start Task Manager. Then locate Windows Explorer.
2) Right click Windows Explorer and choose End task.
3) On top of the Task Manager window, click File option and choose Run new task.
4) Type explorer.exe in the box and then hit Enter.
: Clear history cache and create new path
1) Right click the File Explorer icon on the task bar, then choose Unpin from taskbar.
2) On your keyboard, press Windows key and X at the same time, then select File Explorer from the list.
3) Right click the Quick Access link and select Options.
4) Under General tab, choose Clear under Privacy category. This will help you clear the File Explorer history.
5) Right click on the blank spot on the desktop and choose New Shortcut.
6) Then type in the following address: C:\Windows\explorer.exe and click Next.
7) Rename the file to File Explorer and click Finish.
8) Right click the newly created shot cut and choose Pin to task bar.
This should help you fix the problem.
Disable Windows Search
1) Type cmd.exe in the search box. From the list of choice, right click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
Click Yes at the UAC window prompt.
2) In the Command Prompt window, type in the following command:
net.exe stop “Windows search”
Then hit Enter.
If you would like to stop Windows search permanently. please do the following:
a) Press Windows key R at the same time, and type in services.msc.
b) Locate Windows Search option, double click it to enter its Properties window.
c) Change the Startup type to Disabled. Then click OK to save the change.
If things still haven’t gotten any better, you might need to consider perform a clean refresh of your Windows 10. If you want to have more information as to how to refresh Windows 10, you can refer to this post here.
Find Things Faster: How to Search in Windows 10 and 11
The Windows search feature seems pretty simple, but it can be even more effective with the right tweaks. Here are some ways to control your searches in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Finding a specific app, file, or setting buried in the depths of Windows 10 or 11 can be challenging. If you’re having trouble tracking down specific items across the Start menu, File Explorer, and Windows Settings menu, Windows offers a powerful and flexible search tool that can help you find exactly what you want, no matter where it is.
With the Windows search tool, you can conduct narrow searches to find specific items such as apps from the Start menu, music from File Explorer, and preferences from the Settings menu. You can run web searches directly from the search box without first having to open your browser. The tool even gives you easy access to the apps and files you use most frequently.
Windows Search is also integrated into the search function in File Explorer. That means you can type or select a keyword in the search field, and File Explorer suggests files based on your search term. Now, let’s check out how to use the search tool in both Windows 10 and 11.
Starting Your Search
In Windows 10, click the search box at the bottom left of your screen. In Windows 11, click the Search icon. By default, the search window shows the top apps you use, as well as files and apps included in recent searches and quick searches. Click an app or search to open or run it.
Type a Search
Conduct a search right off the bat by typing the item you need into the search box. In Windows 10, type the name of the item directly in the search box. In Windows 11, the cursor automatically jumps into the search box when you click the search icon, so you can immediately start typing.
By default, Windows searches across several categories to deliver results. You can open an item from here or narrow the search results further.
Search by Categories
The search menu consists of several categories, including Apps, Documents, Email, and Web. Click the drop-down menu to access even more categories, including Folders, Music, People, Photos, Settings, and Video. Click a category to filter the results.
You can then check out the other categories. If you’re searching for a specific software program, click Apps to narrow the search field. Looking for a document related to your search term? Select the heading for Documents. If you’re seeking an email connected with your search term, select the heading for Email.
You can even search for a website or specific web page under the Web tab. The search window shows you direct results in the right pane and related searches in the left pane. Click one of the searches and you’re directed to a Bing page.
Type a Category
You can expedite your search by typing the category directly into the search box, and Windows will show you results from the correct category. To do this, type the category followed by a colon and then your search term, such as apps: Spotify or documents: iPhone.
Maybe you think the Windows 10 search box takes up a lot of room on the taskbar, space you could devote to other apps and icons. Shrink it down to an icon by right-clicking any empty space on the taskbar and selecting Search Show search icon.
Search in File Explorer
Now, let’s check out the search functionality in File Explorer. Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder you want to search within. Click in the search field. You should see a list of items from previous searches. Type a character or two, and items from previous searches that match your criteria will appear. Press Enter to see all the search results in the window. Click the correct search result to open the corresponding document or other file.
Change Search Settings
Control your searches to make sure they deliver the results you need. Open the search box in Windows 10 or 11 and click the ellipsis icon in the top-right corner. Select Search settings from the drop-down menu. Alternatively, go to Settings Search. The Search settings screen is the same in both Windows 10 and 11.
You can start by customizing the search results to include or exclude adult content, choosing from strict, moderate, or no filtering. Under Cloud content search, control the ability to find content from any Cloud-based services you use, including Outlook and OneDrive. If you use both a Microsoft account and a work or school account, you can enable or disable either account in your search results by turning the switch on or off.
Control Search History
Microsoft collects certain information related to your searches to deliver the most accurate results, but you can prevent Windows from collecting and saving your search history. By tweaking the settings here, you’re able to protect your privacy but still allow Windows to gather the necessary data to run searches.
Control Search Privacy
Turn off the switch for Search history on this device if you don’t want your searches to be stored on the computer. Click the button for Clear device search history to remove any history of your searches already saved on this PC.
To view a history of searches saved in the Cloud, click the link for Privacy dashboard. Sign into the dashboard and then click the setting for Search history. Click the Show more link to see additional searches. Click the trash can icon for any searches you wish to delete. Click the link for Clear all search history to delete all searches. Click the button for Download your data to review a file of your search history.
Windows 11. How To Fix File Explorer Not Responding
Exclude Files and Folders
You can view and control which folders are included in a search. In Windows 10, go to Settings Search. In Windows 11, go to Settings Privacy security Searching Windows.
Under the Find My Files section, you can opt for a classic search, which looks for items only in your libraries and desktop. Choose the Enhanced option to widen the search to your entire computer. This search mode may find more items but will take longer to index. In the Excluded Folders section, add or remove folders you don’t want included in your searches.
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How to Fix the Windows Explorer Not Responding on Windows 10
Windows Explorer is your primary way of navigating your system. It allows you to see, access, and manage all the files residing on your device. When Windows Explorer is not responding, frozen, or won’t open, you will run into many frustrating problems while trying to use your computer. We’re here to help you with this issue.
This guide focuses on how you can fix Windows Explorer not responding on a Windows 10 operating system.
Note : Windows Explorer is also referred to as File Explorer in newer operating systems. They mean the same thing, just run under a slightly different name.
What causes Windows Explorer not to respond to errors?
Sadly, there’s no definite cause that could be the source of this rather annoying issue.
Based on user reports from the Windows 10 community, we can determine multiple causes that may lead to your Windows Explorer not responding, freezing, or not opening at all.
- The File Explorer history needs to be cleared. There’s a possibility that your File Explorer history is clogged, and it’s causing Windows Explorer to behave incorrectly. Clearing this should do the trick. You can find out how to clear the File Explorer history below.
- Your display settings were changed. Users report that changes to display settings, such as the font size, can cause Windows Explorer to break. If you’ve recently changed the settings or allowed an application to change them, reverting is the best option.
- The Windows 10 version you’re using is out of date. Updating Windows is crucial. While it may bring some annoyances in the form of new bugs, it also patches up many existing issues and security holes. If you’re running an older version of Windows 10, don’t rule out the possibility of updating to the latest release.
- There’s no available space on your system drive. If your system drive is full, Windows Explorer may not be able to function as intended. Make some space following our tips below.
- Something is wrong with your system. Sometimes your system files can cause Windows Explorer to stop responding or opening. There are many general troubleshooting options listed below to help you fix system-level issues.
Fix: Windows Explorer not responding
We’ve identified most possible causes for this problem, and now it’s time to fix your Windows Explorer. We’ve compiled a great number of solutions to help you no matter what causes Windows Explorer to behave in a faulty way.
Method 1: Automatically restart the Windows Explorer in the Task Manager
The first thing to try is restarting Windows Explorer / File Explorer.
Here’s how you can restart the Windows Explorer / File Explorer with the Task Manager in Windows 10:
- Right-click on an empty space in your taskbar and select the Task Manager.
- If your Task Manager launcher in compact mode, make sure to click on details.
- Stay in the default Processes tab and click on Windows Explorer.
- Click on the now visible Restart button in the bottom-right of the window.
- Wait for Windows Explorer to restart. Your taskbar, Windows, and desktop will temporarily disappear — this is normal.
- Check if you can use Windows Explorer now.
Method 2: Manually restart Windows Explorer with the Command Prompt
Another method of restarting the Windows Explorer / File Explorer is using the Command Prompt. Sometimes an automated restart isn’t the best way to go, which is why you can also use a command to get the job done.
This is how you can restart the Windows Explorer / File Explorer using nothing but the Command Prompt:
- Press the Windows R keys to launch the Run application.
- Type in “ cmd ” and press Ctrl Shift Enter to launch a Command Prompt with administrative permissions.
- Input the following command to stop the Windows Explorer, then press Enter to execute the command:
- taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
Method 3: Restart the explorer.exe process with a batch file
Still, no luck restarting? No problem! There’s one more thing to try, which is creating a batch (.bat) file and running it with administrative permissions to end and restart the Windows Explorer / File Explorer.
- Right-click on an empty space on your Desktop. then click on New → Text document.
- Name the file Restart Explorer and open it with any notepad application.
- Paste the following text into the document: taskkill /f /IM explorer.exestart explorer.exeexit
- Go to File → Save as.
- Select “ All Files ” as the file type, then rename the text document to “ Restart Explorer.bat ” and click Save.
- Go to your Desktop and right-click on the Restart Explorer.bat file, then select Run as administrator.
- Check if you can use Windows Explorer now.
Tip : If you keep the batch file you just created, you can easily restart Windows Explorer using it any time!
Method 4: Clear the File Explorer history
As mentioned above, the Windows Explorer / File Explorer history may get clogged and cause problems. You can easily fix this by clearing the history.
- Press the Windows R keys to launch the Run application. Type in “control” and hit the OK button.
- Make sure that your viewing mode is set to Large icons.
- Click on File Explorer Options.
- Click on the Clear button in the Privacy section.
- Check if Windows Explorer works now.
Method 5: Revert your display settings
In specific cases, users report that reverting their display settings to default allowed them to use the Windows Explorer / File Explorer as if nothing happened.
- Click on the Window s logo in the bottom-left of your screen, then choose Settings. You can also use the Windows I keyboard shortcut to open it.
- Click on the System tile.
- Make sure you stay on the default Display tab.
- Under the Scale and layout section, set the scaling for text, apps, and other items to 100%.
- Check if Windows Explorer works properly now.
Method 6: Make space on your system drive
When your system drive (typically the C: drive) is full, many issues can come up. Space is required by all applications to store data, including Windows Explorer itself. When this space is not available, Windows Explorer may not respond or even launch.
Here’s what you can do to clear some space up on your system, allowing the Windows Explorer / File Explorer to run with ease. Use these video guides to quickly free up space on your device.
Method 7: Run the System File Checker scan
The System File Checker. also known as SFC scan, allows you to automatically fix a number of issues on your system. By running it, you may be able to get rid of the Windows Explorer / File Explorer not responding or freezing error.
- Press the Windows R keys on your keyboard to launch the Run utility. Type in “ cmd ” and press Ctrl Shift Enter. This is going to open the Command Prompt with administrative permissions.
- Type in the following command and press Enter: sfc /scannow
- Wait for the System File Checker to finish scanning your computer. If it finds any errors, you’ll be able to fix them automatically through the SFC command itself, which may also fix related errors.
Method 8: Update Windows 10
If none of the methods above worked for you, we recommend simply switching over to the latest version of Windows 10.
Sometimes, installing the latest Windows 10 update is the easiest and fastest way of getting rid of issues like the Windows Explorer / File Explorer not responding. Additionally, you can get access to new features, better security, and more optimization from Microsoft.
Here’s how you can quickly update your system.
We hope these methods were able to help you eliminate the Windows Explorer / File Explorer not responding error on your device!
What Is File Explorer? [Everything You Should Know]
If you are new to using devices such as PCs and laptops, you might not know what File Explorer is. File Explorer or Windows Explorer is an application that helps you manage your files, storage space, and applications.
Windows Explorer Crashes on Right Click FIX. [Tutorial]
This article will FOCUS on what File Explorer is and its functions so your daily device use becomes a smooth and valuable experience.
What Is File Explorer
As we mentioned earlier, File Explorer is also known as Windows Explorer and is a file manager application. The primary purpose of File Explorer is to help you access your files and folders quickly.
You can also edit and manage your data with the help of this application. It usually manages your computer’s drives, folders, and files. File Explorer is a file browser found in every Microsoft Windows version since Windows 95.
File Explorer enables a search feature that provides an advanced search mechanism. This feature will help you to search for any files or data stored on your device based on various attributes.
The best feature is copying and transferring two or more files simultaneously within a single window/screen. Additionally, you can pause, stop or cancel this process of copying the files.
What Can You Do with File Explorer
We have already discussed some common uses provided by File Explorer. In this session, we will look in detail at some of the uses and the features for which you can use this application easily.
Below are some of the examples and features that File Explorer provides:
Open a Document
Opening a document using File Explorer is a common feature that is essential in your computer and is widely used by all users. Microsoft has introduced a folder called “My Documents” in Windows, which makes it easier for users to find their documents in one place.
You can open the folder “Documents” and double-click on the File of your choice to open it.
If your File Explorer doesn’t open in Windows 11/10, you don’t know what to do; the following article may give you an answer:
Does the File Explorer won’t open from the taskbar and cannot open files folders in Windows 10 or Windows 11? This page collects nine easy methods and provides the most efficient solutions.
Search For a File or Folder
In File Explorer, you can quickly locate a file or folder you want to open using the “Search tab”. These search features can also be accessed using F3 as a shortcut key.
Copy a File
With the help of File Explorer, you can copy more than one File from one location to another of your choice.
Step 1. For this, go to the file or folder you wish to copy from your desktop. Highlight and click on the files that have to be copied. Now, right-click the mouse and select the “Copy” option to continue the process. You can also press the “Ctrl C” shortcut key.
Step 2. Open the folder where you want to copy the required file, right-click the mouse and select the “Paste” option. You can also press the “Ctrl V” keys.
Move Files and Folders
You can also move any files and folders from the current location to a destined location of your choice. These can be achieved through the “Cut and Paste” technique or by dragging the files to the required folder.
Method 1. Select the files or folders to be moved, right-click the mouse, and select the “Cut” option. Now in the new location, again right-click the mouse and choose “Paste”. You can also use shortcut keys such as “Ctrl X” to cut the files and “Ctrl V” to paste them into the desired location.
Method 2. The files and folders can also be dragged and dropped from one place to another. Just hold and drag the files you want to move to the new location.
Delete Files From Your Device
Deleting files not only makes space for other essential data but also will help in boosting the speed of your device.
Select the file or folder you wish to delete from Windows Explorer for deleting the required file. You can use the “Delete” key on your keyboard or right-click your mouse and select the”Delete” option.
Rename Files and Folders
Like the copy, move and delete options, File Explorer also enables you to rename any files or folders on your computer. The following methods work for most file types, such as photos, text, documents, etc.
Method 1. Start with highlighting the File or folder that you want to rename. Now, right-click the mouse and select “Rename”.
Method 2. You can use F2 as a shortcut key for renaming any file after highlighting it.
Notice: You can also select multiple files and rename them by highlighting them simultaneously. Further, click “F2” to edit the file names and type the new ones.
Create a Shortcut
Shortcuts help you locate files or folders quickly and access programs. The following method is to create a shortcut from a folder within a few steps.
Open the File Explorer and open the folder required. In the folder, right-click the program you want to use and select the option “Create Shortcut”. This will create a shortcut for the selected program in the current directory.
Open a Program
You can also open programs from the folder “Program Files” in the C: drive using File Explorer. You can run the needed program by finding the executable file from the program’s folder. You can identify a file as executable if the file and the program have the same name.
How to Open File Explorer on Windows 10
File Explorer is an essential and necessary application, and you can open and access this application through several methods. The following are some of the ways through which you can do this:
Method 1. By Using the Keyboard Shortcut
This method is the easiest if you remember the shortcut to open File Explorer. Press the “Windows key E” to launch File Explorer.
Method 2. By Clicking the Taskbar Icon
A taskbar at the bottom of Windows is a graphical user interface.
Step 1. Click the File Explorer icon on the taskbar to open it.
Step 2. Relaunch the icon if it is missing or removed from the taskbar.
Step 3. Launch File Explorer and right-click its icon on the taskbar to do this.
Step 4. Lastly, select “Pin to Taskbar” to keep the icon permanently. You can drag and place it wherever you want in the taskbar.
Method 3. By Using the Start Menu
For this method, you can also open File Explorer by using the Start Menu; the steps are as follows:
Step 1. Go to the search bar at the bottom and right-click on the “Start menu” bar.
Step 2. From the list, select File Explorer to open it. You can also use the shortcut “Windows Key X” for the same method.
Method 4. By Using the Search Box
Using a search box to launch File Explorer is one of the earliest and easiest methods.
Step 1. Write File Explorer on the search bar, showing relevant results.
Step 2. Click on the one you wish to open, and the job is done.
Method 5. By Using Run
File Explorer can also be launched by using the Run app; you just need to follow the next steps:
Step 1. To open the Run window, press the “Windows R” keys, and a dialogue box appears.
Step 2. In the box, type Explorer and click “OK”.
Method 6. By Commanding Cortana
File Explorer can be opened through Cortana if your PC has a microphone. Cortana is the circle icon on the taskbar.
Step 1. Click on “Cortana”, which will open a box.
Step 2. Here, click the microphone icon and say “Open File Explorer”.
Step 3. And then, the File Explorer will be opened with a response from Cortana saying, “I’ll open File Explorer”.
Conclusion
To conclude, even though it might feel tricky to use various applications available on your PC, there is no need to worry about it. Overall, these applications and features can be used when you get the hang of them and understand the most straightforward methods.
In this article, we have discussed the use of File Explorer and the various methods to open it on your device. Next time, try to use any of these methods to open and use this application to have a great PC experience.
File Explorer FAQs
Here are a few answers to some fundamental questions related to File Explorer.
How do I delete duplicate files in File Explorer?
The steps below will help you to remove duplicate files from File Explorer:
Step 1. You can search “Indexing Options” in your search bar. Click on “Modify” and then select “Show all locations”. As a result, a pop-up box will appear and ask you to fill in all the login information. Always make sure to use an administrator account while doing any modification using this setting.
Step 2. Check all the boxes under the “Changed selected locations” section. Click “OK” and select the “Close” button.
Step 3. Open File Explorer and select the “Users” folder. In the upper right corner, click search and enter extensions according to the File you need, like.jpg.png.doc, etc., based on their format.
Step 4. Sort the search results either by “Name or Ascending order”. Now, check for the duplicate files saved in different locations. After checking the files, select the File you wish to delete and finally press the “Delete” button on your keyboard.
How do I make File Explorer always show details?
You can achieve this by changing your settings a little bit. File Explorer tends to show icons of some files and hide the rest. However, you can change it by following the steps below:
Step 1. Open File Explorer and choose “Details” from the “Layout” option in the “View” menu. On the right corner of the menu, select “Options” and then “Change folder and search options”.
Step 2. A dialogue box appears and selects the “View” tab. Now check and uncheck the required boxes.
Step 3. Click on “Apply” and then “Apply to all Folders”.
