Windows Explorer not responding is a quite common error happen in Windows PC. This is annoying because you cannot access your files like copy, paste or do other things. However, we have some solutions for this issue on this post.
There are several reasons why Windows Explorer not responding while you try to open it:
- Outdated, damaged, or corrupted video driver
- Corrupted system files
- Virus or malware
- Applications or services running in the background
If you are suffering because of this problem, then you should take a look at the solutions we will discuss below.
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How to Fix Windows Explorer Not Responding Issue
Before you conduct any method that we will discuss down below, you should try to restart your computer. It could be that there is a service or software running in the background that causes Windows Explorer not responding issue happens. But if after restarting the PC and the error keeps showing up, you can try the following methods.
CHECK ALSO: Solutions to Fix Windows 10 Taskbar Not Working Error
Method 1: Restart Windows Explorer in Task Manager
In the first method, we will try to restart the Windows Explorer from the Task Manager. Read the detailed steps below:
- Go to the Windows 10 taskbar and right click on it.
- Select Task Manager to open it.
- In the Process tab, find Windows Explorer in the Apps section.
- Press the Restart button in the bottom right.
The Windows Explorer will restart. Try to open the Windows Explorer and check if the error has resolved.
Method 2: Restart explorer.exe via Command Prompt
There is another method to restart the Windows Explorer: using Command Prompt. This method is quite similar to the first method, that is to restart the Windows Explorer but from the Command Prompt. Check on the instructions below:
- In the Search box, type cmd. Right click on the Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
- Press Yes in the User Account Control Panel to continue.
- Type taskkill /f /im explorer.exe and press Enter.
After you’ve killed the explorer.exe, now it’s time to run the explorer.exe once again, still using the Command Prompt.
- In the Command Prompt window, type start explorer.exe.
- Hit Enter and the Windows Explorer will open.
Method 3: Restore/Update Windows
The third method you can do to fix Windows Explorer not responding issue is to restore or update Windows. Let’s start with restoring Windows 10. If you have ever created a restore point in advance, you are safe. You can use this feature to restore to the last stable state.
How to Restore Windows:
- In the Search box, type system protection.
- Hit Enter to open System Protection tab (System Properties window).
- Press on the System Restore > Next.
- Choose the restore point and hit Next button.
- Confirm the selection and click Finish.
- Select Yes in the pop-up window to start restoring the system.
It may take for a while so you should be patient.
However, if you have never created a restore point in advance, you can just try to update Windows 10. The updates may bring a lot improvements for your system.
How to Update Windows:
- In the Search box, type update.
- Choose Check for updates from the search results.
- Press on the Check for updates button and wait for Windows checking the available updates.
READ ALSO: 5 Best Driver Updater for Windows in 2019
Conclusions
That’s all! Now, the Windows Explorer not responding issue should have fixed. It is not a dreadful error, but you should fix it asap so that you can have the access to your files in your computer.
If you happen to have any questions and suggestions about the methods, feel free to contact us. Thank you for reading, Folks!