The 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. Show
When the Windows Explorer is not responding, frozen, or wont open, you will run into many frustrating problems while trying to use your computer. Were here to help you with this issue. This guide focuses on how you can fix the Windows Explorer not responding on a Windows 10 operating system. Note: The Windows Explorer is also referred to like the File Explorer in newer operating systems. They mean the same thing, just run under a slightly different name. What causes the Windows Explorer not to respond to errors?Sadly, theres 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.
Fix: Windows Explorer not respondingWeve identified most of the possible causes for this problem, and now its time to fix your Windows Explorer. Weve compiled a great number of solutions to help you no matter what causes the Windows Explorer to behave in a faulty way. Method 1: Automatically restart the Windows Explorer in the Task ManagerThe first thing to try is restarting the Windows Explorer / File Explorer. Heres how you can restart the Windows Explorer / File Explorer with the Task Manager in Windows 10:
Method 2: Manually restart the Windows Explorer with the Command PromptAnother method of restarting the Windows Explorer / File Explorer is using the Command Prompt. Sometimes an automated restart isnt 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:
Method 3: Restart the explorer.exe process with a batch fileStill, no luck restarting? No problem! Theres 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.
Tip: If you keep the batch file you just created, you can easily restart the Windows Explorer using it any time! Method 4: Clear the File Explorer historyAs mentioned above, the Windows Explorer / File Explorer history may get clogged and cause problems. You can easily fix this by clearing the history.
Method 5: Revert your display settingsIn specific cases, users report that reverting their display settings to default allowed them to use the Windows Explorer / File Explorer as if nothing happened.
Method 6: Make space on your system driveWhen your system drive (typically the C: drive) is full, many issues can come up. Space is required by all applications to store data, including the Windows Explorer itself. When this space is not available, the Windows Explorer may not respond or even launch. Heres 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 scanThe 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.
Method 8: Update Windows 10If 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. Heres 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! |