Top 8 Ways to Fix File Explorer Not Opening on Windows 10

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.


Fix file explorer not opening on Windows 10

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.

    Select more details


    Select more details

    Step 3: Select the Windows Explorer application.

    Restart File Explorer in Windows 10


    Restart File Explorer in Windows 10

    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.

      End of the task for the file explorer


      End of the task for the file explorer

      Step 4: Click File at the top and select Run New Task.

      Step 5: Type explorer.exe and press the OK button.

      Restart File Explorer


      Restart File Explorer

      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.

        Add command to reset file explorer


        Add command to reset file explorer

        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.

        Command Prompt


        Command prompt

        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.

          Change the scaling and resolution in Windows 10


          Change the scaling and resolution in Windows 10

          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.

            Open File Explorer Options


            Open File Explorer Options

            Step 3: Select Clear from the General menu.

            Step 4: Click Apply and press OK.

            Clear File Explorer History


            Clear File Explorer History

            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.

              Update video drivers


              Update 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.

                Quick scan in Windows 10


                Quick scan in Windows 10

                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.

                  Download Windows 10 Update


                  Download Windows 10 Update

                  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

                  The above article may contain affiliate links that help support Guiding Tech. However, this does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains impartial and authentic.

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