The File Explorer which is also known as Windows Explorer is the program that allows users to view folders and files and is also responsible for displaying the desktop. Have you ever found yourself in a situation whereby Windows 10 File Explorer encounters a problem, where it gets stuck in a Not Responding state?
Here we will share with you simple solutions that will help you get back to work as it should so you know how to fix file explorer not responding on Windows 10.
Option 1: Restart Windows Explorer to Fix Unresponsive File Explorer
Step 1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
Step 2. Right-click Windows Explorer in the Task Manager and then select End Task.
Step 3. Now, click on the File on the upper left corner and then select Run New Task.
Step 4. Type explorer.exe in the box and press the key Enter
This way, File Explorer will start very quickly and smoothly. And, congratulations the issue has now been resolved completely.
Option 2: Manually Restart the Explorer.exe Process through Command Prompt to Fix Unresponsive File Explorer
Step 1. Type cmd in the Windows 10 Cortana box and click the best match to open Command Prompt window.
Step 2. Now, type taskkill /f /im explorer.exe in the Command Prompt window and then press Enter. This command will finish the explorer.exe process. You will see a blank screen behind the Command Prompt window.
Step 3. To start the explorer.exe process again, enter start explorer.exe in the windows and then press Enter.
After doing this desktop icon, Taskbar, and all other elements on the desktop will come back.
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Option 3: Restore Defaults the Explorer to fix Unresponsive File Explorer
Step1: Open the Start menu, then type: file explorer options, and press Enter to search.
Step 2: Now, select the General Tab.
Step3: And click Restore defaults
Its all done now and the issue has been resolved successfully.
It could be an issue with your display driver.
Step1: Uninstall the display driver then restart.
Step 2: Now, press Windows key + X.
Step 3: Click Device Manager
Step 4: Expand Display adapters. Then, right-click the current display adapter.
Step 5: Now, click on Uninstall. Then Exit Device Manager.
Step 6: Restart your PC and everything will be fine.
Option 4: Run a System File Checker Scan to Fix Unresponsive File Explorer
The System File Checker is a built-in Windows utility for users to scan for damage to Windows system files and restore damaged files. If your Windows 10 file browser does not respond, it may be due to damaged files on your drive.
Many users said they solved the problem of the file browser that was not responding by scanning the System File Checker. You can try this method if it works for you too.
Step 1. Type cmd into Windows 10 Cortana search box and press enter key to find the best match, right-click it and choose Run as Administrator.
Step 2. Now, input sfc /scannow and press Enter.
Step 3. After the scan, restart the computer and check whether the issue has been resolved or not.
Option 5: Clear File Explorer History to Fix Unresponsive file Explorer
80% of Windows users who have a Windows browser that does not respond to the problem said that this method worked for them. Therefore, if you have tried all the previous solutions and have not found any of them useful, you can try this one.
Step 1. Type Control in the Windows 10 Cortana search box. Then click on Control Panel from the Best Match result.
Step 2. Select File Explorer Options from the interface and then click on it.
Step 3. Now click on Clear and then OK to clear File Explorer history.
Afterward, try opening the file Explorer again.
We hope we were able to solve your unresponsive file explorer on your device with the above easy step-by-step solution on how to fix file explorer not responding on Windows 10.
Would you like to read more about Fix File Explorer Not Responding-related articles? If so, we invite you to take a look at our other tech topics before you leave!
