Windows File Explorer is one of the most-used tools on any PC, and when it starts to act up you are guaranteed to have a bad day. Your device becomes almost unusable, and if it’s a work device productivity can take a serious hit. The good news? Not only do you not have to purchase a new device, but you most likely don’t even have to reinstall your system! Here’s some practical steps to get things up and rolling again.
Symptoms You Might See
You might notice File Explorer behaving odd; folders may hang when opened, files or drives might trigger a “Not Responding” message, and right-clicking on items can freeze the application entirely. In more severe cases, File Explorer may close and restart randomly, disrupting your current workflow.
Quick Fixes to Try
If you are experiencing these issues, here are some steps you can take for remediation:
Restart File Explorer (sometimes a quick restart is all it takes)
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
- Find Windows Explorer, right-click, and select Restart
Clear File Explorer History (corrupted history files can slow or break functionality)
- Open Control Panel > File Explorer Options
- Under Privacy, select Clear
- Uncheck “Show recently used files/folders” if needed
Disable Quick Access (Quick Access can trip on corrupted shortcuts)
- In File Explorer Options, set “Open File Explorer to:” This PC
- Disable recent files and folders if still enabled
Update Display Drivers (outdated graphics drivers can cause UI crashes)
- Open Device Manager > Display Adapters
- Right-click your GPU and choose Update Driver
- Use your PC/motherboard manufacturer’s site for the latest version
Advanced Fixes
If none of the steps above helped fix your File Explorer, it’s time to step a little out of your comfort zone. The System File Checker (SFC) is a built-in Windows tools that scans and repairs corrupted files. To run it:
- Open Command Prompt as Administrator
- Type sfc /scannow and press Enter
- Wait for the scan to complete, this might take several minutes
Hopefully the System File Checker can fix your issues, but on rare occasions it will not be able to repair corrupt files. If this is the case, you will then need to use the Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management (DISM) tool. To do this, keep Command Prompt open as administrator and enter the following commands one at a time in order:
- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
These commands scan the Windows image for deeper issues and repair them using Microsoft’s online update sources. Each command will take several minutes to complete. The restore health will take the longest of the three, and will commonly get stuck on specific percentages. Here’s what they mean:
- 20%: Initialization, checking component store
- 40%: Detecting and analyzing corruption
- 62.3%: Downloading and replacing corrupted files
- 84%: Final integrity checks
- 100%: Finalizing and cleanup
After DISM completes, run the sfc /scannow command again to check for a successful repair. If your issue still persists, or if the crashes are tied to specific files, network drives, or sync tools (like OneDrive or SharePoint), it’s time to consult your IT provider. Persistent issues could indicate an even deeper corruption, failing hardware, or possibly malware. If you don’t have a current IT provider, feel free to reach out to Canopy IT!