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

File Explorer is an integral part of Windows 10 OS. Microsoft’s built-in File Manager is a convenient way to access and manage files, drives, and folders. It is sure to get a major overhaul with the next Windows 10 update with UI changes and new icons. In its current state, many users have experienced File Explorer not opening or responding slowly when accessing a folder with thousands of files.

Fix File Explorer not opening on Windows 10

This behavior can mess up your workflow because you depend on File Explorer to access and move files between drives and folders. If you are among those who are having trouble opening File Explorer, it’s time to fix the problem using the tricks below.

1. Restart File Explorer

    You just need to restart the File Explorer application from the Task Manager. Follow the steps below.

    Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Task Manager.

    Step 2: Open Task Manager and search for more details.

    Choose more details

    Step 3: Select the Windows Explorer application.

    Restart file browser on windows 10

    Step 4: Click Restart in the bottom right corner.

    The system will restart the File Explorer application for you.

    2. End the task and restart File Explorer

      If you don’t see the Restart option in the above trick, you need to end the task for the Windows Explorer application and restart the application. Go through the steps below.

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      Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Task Manager.

      Step 2: Open Task Manager and search for more details.

      Step 3: Right click on Windows Explorer and End Task.

      End task for file browser

      Step 4: Click File at the top and select Run new task.

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

      Restart the file browser

      File Explorer will restart quickly and it will fix the problem of apps not opening on Windows 10 for you.

      3. Restart File Explorer Manually Using Command Prompt

        This is relatively far-fetched for most, but you can restart the File Explorer application via Command Prompt commands. If the Task Manager trick didn’t work for you, try using the Command Prompt to restart File Explorer on Windows 10.

        Step 1: Press the Windows key and type cmd to open the Command Prompt application.

        Step 2: Enter taskkill /f /im explorer.exe in the Command Prompt window and press Enter.

        Add command to reset file explorer

        Step 3: This command will end the explorer.exe process. You should see a blank screen behind the Command Prompt window.

        Step 4: To start explorer.exe process again, type explorer.exe in the window and press Enter.

        command prompt

        The command will restart the File Explorer application on Windows 10.

        4. Change the display layout of the PC

          This is quite unusual but is an effective solution to fix File Explorer not opening on Windows 10. In Windows 10, using unrecommended screen resolutions and layouts can mess up the functions of Windows 10. File Explorer. Follow the steps below to make the relevant changes.

          Step 1: Open the Settings app on your Windows 10 machine. You can also use the Windows key + I to access the Settings app.

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          Step 2: Navigate to System > Display.

          Step 3: Scroll down to Scale and Layout option.

          Step 4: Change the Screen Resolution to the recommended setting.

          Change scale and resolution in windows 10

          Step 5: Change the scaling option to Windows recommended.

          If your PC display scaling is already set to 100%, try changing it to 125% and back to 100%.

          5. Clear File Explorer History

            File Explorer keeps a log of all previous activities, such as recently accessed files, folders, searches, address bar entries, etc. heap and you will experience slow or unresponsive File Explorer on your Windows machine.

            Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for File Explorer.

            Step 2: Find File Explorer Option and press Enter key.

            Open file explorer preferences

            Step 3: Select Delete in the General menu.

            Step 4: Click Apply and press OK.

            Clear file browsing history

            Restart your PC and start using File Explorer again.

            6. Update PC Video Drivers

              According to Microsoft, if the video driver on your PC is outdated or corrupted, it will mess with the File Explorer functionality on the machine. Update the video driver to the latest version using the Device Manager app.

              Step 1: Right-click the Windows icon and select Device Manager.

              Step 2: Expand Display Adapters and right click on the video driver.

              Video driver update

              Step 3: Select Update Driver and the Operating System will try to install the latest video driver from the web.

              7. Scan PC with Windows Security

                If your PC is affected by corrupted files or malware, it’s time to clean them up with the default Windows Security application.

                Quick Scan in Windows 10

                Press the Windows key and search for the Windows Security application. Navigate to Virus and threat protection and run a quick scan on your PC. Find and delete any harmful files and try accessing the File Explorer app.

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                8. Update Windows 10 operating system

                  File Explorer not opening or responding on Windows 10 could be due to a recent buggy build released by Microsoft. After all, the software giant doesn’t have the best time with quality Windows 10 updates. Open the Settings app and update Windows to the latest version available.

                  Windows 10 Update Download

                  Start using File Explorer again

                  File Explorer is quite essential for organizing and managing files and applications on your computer. Follow the steps above and fix the problem of File Explorer not opening on Windows 10. While you’re on it, let us know which trick worked for you in the comments below.

                  Next: You can easily update Windows 10 offline. Read the article below to know how to update Windows 10 offline.

                  Categories: How to
                  Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/

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