File Explorer is a great tool for navigating through files and folders on Windows 10. It gives us a graphical user interface that makes browsing files and folders a breeze.
Unfortunately, there are times when it stops responding or is inaccessible to Windows users. When desktop icons freeze, taskbar randomly disappears, File Explorer often fails to respond, that means something is wrong with File Explorer. As such, here are eight fixes you can try to fix this problem using File Explorer.
1. Restart File Explorer
When Windows develops an annoying problem, sometimes a quick reset is enough to get it back on track. Giving apps and software a fresh start sometimes solves most problems you’ll encounter.
As such, let’s first try to troubleshoot it by restarting File Explorer. To do this, you will need to end the File Explorer (or Windows Explorer) process running in the Task Manager. to do this. Follow next steps:
Noticeable: File Explorer may be named Windows Explorer on some systems.
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Open the task manager by left-clicking on the taskbar.
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In the list, search for File Explorer (or Windows Explorer) And click on it with the left mouse button.
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Click finish the job to close File Explorer (or Windows Explorer).
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In the task manager, click a file tab and then click Run a new task.
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In the box, type explorer.exe and click Yes.
Check to see if restarting File Explorer fixed the problem. If it doesn’t, move on to the next step.
2. Clear the history of Out File Explorer
To make it easier to navigate and manage files, drivers, and folders, File Explorer also stores previous entries in its history. There is a possibility that cached data in File Explorer history is causing the service to behave abnormally.
Follow the steps below to clear File Explorer history:
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open the Windows Control Panel.
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Go to File Explorer Options.
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tap on Clear button next to File Explorer Scan date Under general tab.
Restart your computer and see if File Explorer is now working. If this fix does not work, move on to the next.
3. Free up some space on your hard disk and delete temporary files
If your primary drive has insufficient storage space, you may find that applications and Windows tools crash for no apparent reason. Consider freeing up some space to ensure that insufficient storage is not the issue here. Windows requires at least 2 GB of storage space to function properly.
To keep things running smoothly, consider removing temporary Windows files. Depending on when you last cleaned, doing so may not only improve the performance of your system but also free up a decent amount of space that you can use.
To clean things up, tap Win + R. to open the run command. Type “%temporary%” and hit Yes. Next, remove the files from the Windows operating system temporary Folder.
Every running app uses some of your RAM resources to work. Running too many apps simultaneously can clog these resources, and the apps may not find enough resources to continue processing. Low memory availability leads to crashes, unresponsive errors, and disk space filled with the pop-ups you see often.
Consider closing some of the apps you don’t use to see if that helps. Sometimes resource congestion does not cause problems, but it is a hidden RAM problem that Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool can detect. Before doing that, make sure to close all applications and save your work appropriately.
Type “memory” in the Windows search box and open Windows Memory Diagnostic. Choose Reboot now and check for problems (recommended) From the options in the pop-up window to start the scan immediately. Once this is done, the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool will check and fix any existing memory issues.
If that doesn’t work, move on to the next step.
5. Update the video driver
According to Microsoft Support, An outdated video driver is one of the causes of errors and lag in File Explorer. Since File Explorer controls all your navigation in Windows, having an outdated driver can cause it to malfunction.
You can update your video driver by following these steps:
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Go to management devicer by clicking on the start icon.
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Expand a category Display adapters.
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Right-click on the video converter and select Driver Update.
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Click Automatically search for drivers.
Consider updating all video drivers on your device if you have more than one. Run File Explorer again after updating your video adapter to see if the problem persists.
6. Change your Windows display settings
Messing with the view scale and layout can cause File Explorer to crash. That’s why Windows recommends keeping it at 100%. Make sure not to set it above this level.
To change display settings, go to the Windows Settings app. Then click System and go to an offer Settings on the left sidebar. make sure that Size of text, apps, and other items is set to 100% (recommended).
7. Run a malware scan
If none of the above fixes help, then you should perform a system scan to eliminate the possibility of any virus or malware interfering with your system. A great built-in tool for this is Microsoft Windows Defender.
Here’s how to access and run a scan with Windows Defender:
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Type Windows Security in the Windows search box.
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open the Windows Security Application.
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Go to Virus and threat protection on the left sidebar.
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tap on Quick Scan.
Windows Defender will perform an in-depth scan of your computer and notify you of the threats it will find. You also have the option to perform a much deeper scan by going to a file Scan Options under the Quick scan box.
8. Boot your system in safe mode
Boot your system in Safe Mode to further eliminate the possibility of internal computer problems interfering with File Explorer. This mode loads your computer with very few Windows files.
If booting in safe mode fixes the problem, that’s a sign that a third-party software, service, or driver is the cause of your problems. As such, try to uninstall some recent apps and update your drivers until the problem goes away. If it doesn’t, that’s a sign that you need to reset your system to factory settings.
Get File Explorer back to life
Hopefully, one of the fixes above helped File Explorer breathe again. There are many different causes, so be sure to try them all before you pull the plug and reinstall Windows 10.
Did you know that there are many different ways to open File Explorer as well as restart it from the task manager? If the task manager is causing you trouble, try restarting file explorer from the command prompt or via a batch file.
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