Top 8 Ways to Fix File Explorer Not Opening on Windows 10
File Explorer is an integral part of the Windows 10 operating system. Microsoft’s built-in file manager is a convenient way to access and manage files, drives, and folders. It’s destined to receive a major overhaul with the upcoming Windows 10 update with UI changes and new icons. In its current state, many users have found File Explorer not opening or responding slowly when accessing a folder with thousands of files.
The behavior can just mess up your workflow because you depend on File Explorer to access files and move them between drives and folders. If you are one of those who are having File Explorer not opening problem, then it is time to fix it using the tips below.
1. Restart File Explorer
You can simply restart the File Explorer application from Task Manager. Follow the steps below.
Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Task Manager.
2nd step: Open Task Manager and find more details.
Step 3: Select the Windows Explorer application.
Step 4: Click Restart in the lower right corner.
The system will restart the File Explorer application for you.
2. Complete the task and restart the file explorer
If you don’t see the Restart option in the tip above, you need to end the Windows Explorer app task and restart the app. Follow the steps below.
Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Task Manager.
2nd step: Open Task Manager and find more details.
Step 3: Right click on Windows Explorer and complete the task.
Step 4: Click File at the top and select Run New Task.
Step 5: Type explorer.exe and press the OK button.
File Explorer will restart quickly and it should fix the app not opening Windows 10 issue for you.
3. Manually restart File Explorer using Command Prompt
This is relatively unknown to most, but you can restart the File Explorer app through Command Prompt commands. If the Task Manager trick doesn’t work for you, try using the Command Prompt to restart File Explorer in Windows 10.
Step 1: Press Windows key and type cmd to open Command Prompt application.
2nd step: Type taskkill / f / im explorer.exe in the Command Prompt window and press Enter.
Step 3: This command will end the explorer.exe process. You will see a blank screen behind the Command Prompt window.
Step 4: To restart the explorer.exe process, type explorer.exe in the windows and press Enter.
The command will restart the File Explorer app on Windows 10.
4. Change the display layout of the PC
This is rather unusual but an effective solution to fix File Explorer not opening on Windows 10. In Windows 10, using non-recommended screen layout and resolution can mess up your files. functions of the file explorer. Follow the steps below to make the relevant changes.
Step 1: Open the Settings application on the Windows 10 machine. You can also use the Windows key + I to access the Settings application.
2nd step: Go to System> Display.
Step 3: Scroll down to the Scale and Layout option.
Step 4: Change the display resolution to the recommended settings.
Step 5: Change the scaling option to Windows recommended.
If your PC’s display scaling is already set to 100%, try changing it to 125% and back to 100%.
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5. Clear File Explorer History
File Explorer keeps a log of all previous activity such as files, folders, searches, address bar entries, etc. recently accessed. machine.
Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for File Explorer.
2nd step: Find the File Explorer option and press the Enter key.
Step 3: Select Clear from the General menu.
Step 4: Click Apply and press OK.
Restart your PC and start using File Explorer again.
6. Update the PC video driver
According to Microsoft, if your PC’s video drivers are outdated or corrupted, it will mess up the File Explorer feature on the machine. Update the video drivers to the latest version using the Device Manager application.
Step 1: Right click on the Windows icon and select Device Manager.
2nd step: Expand Graphics Cards and right-click on Video Drivers.
Step 3: Select Update Drivers and the operating system will try to install the latest video drivers from the web.
7. Scan the PC using Windows Security
If your PC is affected by corrupted files or malware, it’s time to clean them up using the default Windows security app.
Press the Windows key and search for the Windows security app. Go to Virus and Threat Protection and run a quick scan on the PC. Find and remove all harmful files and try to access File Explorer app.
8. Update the Windows 10 operating system
File Explorer not opening or responding on Windows 10 could be caused by recent buggy version released by Microsoft. After all, the software giant isn’t having the best time with quality Windows 10 updates. Open the Settings app and update Windows to the latest version available.
Resume using File Explorer
File Explorer is quite essential for organizing and managing files and applications on your computer. Follow the steps above and troubleshoot File Explorer that doesn’t open problem on Windows 10. While you’re at it, let us know which trick worked for you in the comments below.
Then:
You can easily update Windows 10 offline. Read the article below to learn how to update Windows 10 offline.
Last updated on May 24, 2021
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