What is the Windows file explorer? What does it help a Windows user? How to fix it if it stops working?
Windows explorer (File Explorer in Windows 8(.1) and 10) is the file manager that grants us access to files, and allows us to copy, paste, install, modify them, as well as to manage network connections, among the multitude of tasks resting on its back. It is also responsible for the toolbar, and the desktop environment. It is available in every Windows version, including Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10. If it stops working properly, we won't be able to use our Windows PCs.
The most frequent causers of the Windows Explorer has stopped working are the following ones:
Based on expert opinion, and on users who had this issue, the solutions listed below will help you diagnose the causer and fix the issue with the file explorer, if you follow them carefully, and to the detail.
Aside from Windows Explorer, there are many other programs, and processes running in the background we aren't aware of. If at least one of them misbehaves, it can affect the stability and performance of the Windows Explorer.
The first thing you should consider, when the Windows Explorer stops working is to restart the computer, as restarting may be all you need to do, in order to fix this issue. Restarting the computer will restart the operating system, as well as all the background processes, including the one that has misbehaved.
Another reason why Windows Explorer is not responding may be a malware (a virus), which has found a way to invade your computer and damaged some system files. Removing the virus using an antivirus software is what you need to do to fix Windows file explorer. After removing the virus, make sure to make the below a habit:
For more tips on how to scan for and remove viruses, feel free to check the Viruses / Spywares / Malware guide.
Note: If you didn't have an antivirus software installed in your computer, or if you want to replace the current one, but you are not sure which one to install, consult the don't know which antivirus software to install guide.
The purpose of the video card driver is to convert the code of the program in a way the human eye can understand it. If it weren't for the video card drivers we would only see pieces of text on our screens, and most certainly we wouldn't be able to play games. If the Windows Explorer has stopped working error appears when you play games, maybe outdated or corrupt video drivers are the reason behind it. In this case, you will definitely need to update the video driver, or if updating fails, to reinstall it, in order to fix this issue.
You can update drivers in the following ways:
Identify your video card and search for drivers
Update the driver via the Device Manager
For more information on how to update drivers, feel free to consult the don't know how to update drivers guide.
"Startup" programs are programs that start automatically when you power on your computer. The list of such programs is set by you, as a user. Sometimes however, when you install a program it will add an entry among the startup services which you didn't approve of. Maybe a startup service is the reason for the explorer.exe error, and in this case, to repair Windows Explorer, you need to stop all the startup services from third-party, non Windows programs you installed in your computer, and then enabling them one by one. Once you identify the program that's causing the issue, you can uninstall it.
Feel free to follow the steps below, if you aren't sure how to stop startup services:
The hard drive (HDD or SSD) is where all the files, as well as the operating system are stored. Each file has its own place on the hard drive, i.e. is stored in a sector. Over time and usage, the sectors can become corrupt, making the files stored there inaccessible. Those sectors are known as "bad sectors." Maybe bad sectors on the computer’s hard drive are the reason why Windows Explorer stops working from time to time. Microsoft has developed a utility for fixing bad sectors, if it's possible for them to be fixed, called Check Disk Utility (CHDSK). The utility is user-friendly, and easy to use.
To scan for and fix (if possible) such sectors, follow the steps below:
RAM (Random Access Memory) is the computer’s "short-term" memory, and one of the most important components of a computer, smartphone, tablet, and more. It stores (remembers) every process running on your PC, temporarily, making your computer experience much faster, and sparing your CPU (processor) from searching through the slower hard drives for those processes. Maybe the RAM is the culprit for this issue. If you tried all the other solutions, but none of them worked, you will need to replace the RAM.
Before replacing the RAM, as a last test, run the Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool, which will test the RAM. To run the tool:
The video below shows how the memory diagnostic tool works:
Reinstalling Windows means that you will lose most, if not all the files stored to your computer's memory, i.e. that you will start afresh. If you tried all the other solutions, but none of them worked, consider reinstalling Windows.
Before reinstalling Windows, you may want to make a backup of your files. You can make a backup to:
Please bear in mind that this is not a simple procedure, and that involves data loss. To learn the safest way to reinstall Windows, check out the don't know how to install and operating system guide.
Drivers are the facilitators of the communication between Windows and the computer's hardware (RAM, CPU, Hard Drive). As time goes by, trends change, and often times, system updates are released to keep up with the changes. If updates aren't installed regularly, errors can occur. Maybe an outdated driver is the reason why the Windows Explorer has stopped working error appears. As a way of resolving this issue, try updating the computer drivers.
To update your computer's driver, follow the steps below:
Note: The don't know how to update drivers guide will be of great help, if you are not sure how to update them.
Maybe a program you recently installed on your computer is the reason why the error message appeared, as the program might have damaged some of your computer’s system files. In this case or in case if Windows explorer has stopped working on startup, consider running the System File Checker.
To run it, follow the steps below:
If the Windows Explorer stops responding after right clicking on Windows 7, what you can try to do is to turn off the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP). To disable it, follow the steps below:
Maybe a program you installed in your computer is the reason for the explorer.exe error. To fix it, you need to uninstall the program which is causing this error. Think of the program you ran when you got this error message as it might be the one causing it.
If this issue occurs immediately when you turn on the computer, it may be one of the programs which start when Windows starts and in this case you need to disable all of them in order to identify the culprit (see the don't know how to disable startup programs guide if you are not sure how).
Aside through Programs and Features (found in the Control Panel), you can uninstall programs via utilities like Ccleaner, iObit Uninstaller and more. These tools, aside from uninstalling the program, will also scan for all the leftovers left by the program, and remove them, too, one of which might have been blocking the Explorer.
The System Restore feature ‘rewinds' Windows to a certain restore point in the past when your computer was working properly, and system files were intact, especially the one related to the Windows Explorer. Maybe restoring the computer will solve this problem with explorer.exe.
To restore your computer, follow the steps below:
Note: Do not interrupt the process to avoid irreversible software damages and data loss. If you use a laptop, make sure to connect it to the AC adapter before you start restoring Windows.
Maybe the reason why Windows Explorer crashes when right-clicking is caused by corrupted menu entries. Aside from the "traditional" menu entries, some software tend to add new entries (e.g. "unpack the file," "protect the file," etc., depending on the software). If something goes wrong with that software, then the leftover entries may crash Windows Explorer. The best way to fix this is to fully uninstall the software (even though this may not always work). What you can do is to delete these entries manually. To do so, follow the steps below:
Applying the latest Windows updates is of great importance in order to prevent issues like the Windows Explorer has stopped working error. Usually updates are downloaded and installed automatically, by the operating system, however, it's best if you check for updates manually. To do that, follow the steps below:
Maybe the printer's driver (i.e. if its files are corrupted), is the reason why windows explorer crashes when printing. In this case, all you need to do is to reinstall the printer's driver and the problem should be solved:
Installing the game or any other program is like moving into a house. When you move in, you unpack your belongings and place them in the area allocated for that purpose. Maybe the game itself is the reason why Windows explorer stops working when you are playing it. If you have issues only when playing a particular game, consider reinstalling the game, i.e. uninstalling and installing it again, as it might be the culprit (due to missing game files, or for other reasons).
To uninstall the game, follow the steps below:
Note: For more ways of uninstalling games, feel free to consult the don't know how to uninstall a program / an application guide.
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