Is Your Windows File Explorer Not Responding? Try These Fixes - MUO - MakeUseOf

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File Explorer is a fantastic tool for navigating through files and folders on Windows 10. It gives us a graphical user interface that makes it effortless to browse through files and folders.

Unfortunately, there are times when it stops responding or isn't accessible for Windows users. When your desktop icons freeze, the taskbar disappears at random, and File Explorer often fails to respond, this means there is something wrong with File Explorer. As such, here are eight fixes you can try to resolve this issue with File Explorer.

1. Restart File Explorer

When Windows develops an annoying issue, sometimes giving it a quick restart is enough to get it back on track. Giving apps and software a fresh start sometimes resolves most of the issues you'll encounter with them.

As such, let's first try troubleshooting by restarting File Explorer. To do that, you will need to end the File Explorer (or Windows Explorer) process running in the Task Manager. To do that, follow these steps:

Note: File Explorer might be named Windows Explorer in some systems.

Open the task manager by left-clicking on the taskbar.
In the list, find File Explorer (or Windows Explorer) and left-click on it.
Click on End task to close the File Explorer (or Windows Explorer).
In the task manager, click the File tab and then click Run new task.
In the box, type explorer.exe and click OK.

Check to see if restarting File Explorer has fixed the problem. If it hasn't, proceed to the next step.

2. Clear Out File Explorer's History

To make the navigation and management of files, drivers, and folders easier, File Explorer also stores past entries in its history. There is a chance that cached data in File Explorer's history could be causing the service to behave abnormally.

Follow the steps below to clear the File Explorer history:

Open the Windows Control Panel.
Navigate to File Explorer Options.
Click the Clear button right next to Clear File Explorer History under the General tab.

Give your computer a restart and see if the File Explorer now works. If this fix doesn't work, move on to the next.

3. Clear Up Some Space on Your Hard Drive and Delete Temporary Files

If your primary drive has insufficient storage space, you may find that apps and Windows tools malfunction for no apparent reason. Consider clearing some space to ensure that insufficient storage isn't the problem here. Windows requires at least 2 GB of storage for it to function correctly.

To keep things running smoothly, consider removing the Windows temporary files. Depending on the last time you did a cleanup, doing so may not only improve your system's performance but also free up a decent chunk of space you can use.

To clean things up, press Win + R to open the run command. Type "%temp%" and hit OK. Then, remove the files from the Windows temp folder.

Deleting All Temporary Files In Windows Temp Folder

Every running app uses some of your RAM's resources to function. Running too many apps at once can cause these resources to clog, and apps may not find enough resources to continue processing. Low memory availability results in crashes, not responding errors, and disk space full pop-ups you see often.

Consider closing some applications you aren't using to see if that helps. Sometimes, it is not the cluttering of resources that causes issues but a hidden issue with your RAM that the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool can detect. Before you do that, make sure you close all applications and adequately save your work.

Type "Memory" in the Windows search box and open Windows Memory Diagnostic. Choose Restart now and check for problems (recommended) from the options in the popup to start the scan right away. Once done, the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool will scan and resolve any existing memory-related problems.

Running Windows Memory Diagnostic To Solve Memory Related Problems

If this doesn't work, go on to the next step.

5. Update Video Driver

According to Microsoft Support, an outdated video driver is one of the causes of errors and lag in File Explorer. As File Explorer controls all your navigation in Windows, having an outdated driver may cause it to malfunction.

You can update your video driver by following these steps:

Navigate to Device Manager by tapping the Start icon.
Expand the category of Display adapters.
Right-click on the video adapter and select Update Driver.
Click on Search automatically for drivers.

Consider updating all the video drivers on your device if you have more than one. Run File Explorer again after updating the video adapter to see if the issue persists.

6. Change the Windows Display Settings

Messing up the display and layout scale can also bring File Explorer to a halt. That's why Windows recommends keeping it at 100%. Make sure it is not set higher than that level.

To change display settings, go to the Windows settings app. Then, click on System and navigate to Display settings on the left sidebar. Make sure the size of text, apps, and other items is set to 100% (recommended).

Changing Scale And Layout In Display Settings Of Widows Settings App

7. Run a Malware Scan

If none of the above fixes has helped, you should run 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 is how you can access and run a scan with Windows Defender:

Type "Windows Security" in the Windows search box.
Open the Windows Security app.
Navigate to Virus and Threat Protection on the left sidebar.
Tap on Quick Scan.

Windows Defender will perform an in-depth scan of your computer and notify you about the threats it'll find. You also have the option to run a much deeper scan by going into the Scan options below the Quick Scan box.

8. Boot Your System in Safe Mode

Launch your system in safe mode to further eliminate the possibility of internal computer issues interfering with the File Explorer. This mode loads your computer with very few Windows files.

If booting up into Safe Mode fixes the issue, it's a sign that a third-party program, service, or driver is the cause of your woes. As such, try uninstalling some recent apps and updating your drivers until the problem goes away. If it doesn't, it's a sign you need to factory reset your system.

Get File Explorer Back to Life

Hopefully, one of the fixes listed above has helped your File Explorer breathe again. There are many different causes, so be sure to give them all a try before pulling the plug and reinstalling Windows 10.

Do you know there are many different ways to open file explorer besides restarting it from the task manager? If the task manager is giving you trouble, try restarting the File Explorer from a command prompt or via a batch file.

4 Ways to Restart File Explorer in Windows 10

Choose one of the many ways to fix your File Explorer issues.

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About The Author

Shan Abdul (73 Articles Published)

Shan Abdul is an engineering graduate. After completing his graduation and MS, he has started his career as a freelance writer. He writes about using different tools and software to help people to be more productive as a student or professional. In his spare time, he loves to watch Youtube videos on productivity.