In my experience with Windows, I have encountered various issues related to Explorer.exe. This article aims to provide essential tips and solutions to fix these problems effectively.
Restart File Explorer
If you’re experiencing issues with Explorer.exe on your Windows computer, restarting File Explorer can often help resolve the problem. Here’s how you can do it:
1. Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard.
2. In the Task Manager window, click on the “Processes” tab.
3. Scroll down the list of processes and locate “Windows Explorer” or “explorer.exe”.
4. Right-click on it and select Restart from the context menu.
This will close and restart File Explorer, refreshing its settings and potentially resolving any issues you were experiencing. You may notice that your desktop icons and taskbar briefly disappear and reappear during this process, which is normal.
If the problem persists, you can try a few additional troubleshooting steps. First, make sure your Windows operating system is up to date by running Windows Update. This can often fix any bugs or compatibility issues that may be causing problems with File Explorer.
You can also use the System File Checker tool to scan for and repair any corrupted system files that may be affecting Explorer.exe. Open a Command Prompt window with administrative privileges by typing “cmd” in the Windows Search bar, right-clicking on “Command Prompt”, and selecting “Run as administrator”. Then, type the command “sfc /scannow” and press Enter. This will initiate the scanning and repair process.
If none of these steps resolve your issue, you may need to consider more advanced troubleshooting methods or seek assistance from Microsoft support.
Update PC
Fixing Explorer.exe Problems on Windows
If you are experiencing issues with Explorer.exe on your Windows PC, you can follow these steps to resolve the problem:
1. Restart your computer: Sometimes, a simple restart can fix Explorer.exe problems. Press the Start button, click on the Power icon, and select Restart.
2. Run the System File Checker tool: This tool scans for and repairs any corrupted system files that may be causing the issue. Open the Command Prompt by pressing Windows key + X and selecting Command Prompt (Admin). Then, type sfc /scannow and press Enter. Wait for the scan to complete and follow any on-screen instructions.
3. Check for Windows updates: Keeping your Windows operating system up to date can help resolve compatibility issues. Go to Settings, click on Update & Security, and select Windows Update. Click on Check for updates and install any available updates.
4. Reset the Taskbar: If the Taskbar is causing problems with Explorer.exe, you can reset it. Right-click on an empty space on the Taskbar, select Task Manager, and find Windows Explorer under the Processes tab. Right-click on it and select Restart.
5. Clear the File Explorer history: File Explorer stores a history of recently accessed files and folders, which can sometimes cause issues. Open File Explorer, click on the View tab, and select Options. Under the General tab, click on Clear under the Privacy section.
Change the size of virtual memory
1. Open the Control Panel by pressing the Windows key and typing “Control Panel”. Then, press Enter.
2. In the Control Panel, search for “System” and click on “System” when it appears in the search results.
3. In the System window, click on “Advanced system settings” on the left-hand side.
4. In the System Properties window, click on the “Settings” button under the Performance section.
5. In the Performance Options window, go to the “Advanced” tab.
6. Under the Virtual memory section, click on the “Change” button.
7. Uncheck the “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives” checkbox.
8. Select the drive for which you want to change the virtual memory size (usually the C: drive) and click on the “Custom size” radio button.
9. Enter the initial size (in MB) and maximum size (in MB) for the virtual memory. The initial size should be set to the recommended value displayed on the screen, and the maximum size can be set to a higher value if needed.
10. Click on the “Set” button to apply the changes.
11. Click “OK” on all the open windows to close them.
python
import subprocess
def check_explorer_status():
try:
subprocess.check_output("TASKLIST /FI \"IMAGENAME eq explorer.exe\"", shell=True)
print("Explorer.exe is running.")
except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
print("Explorer.exe is not running.")
def restart_explorer():
try:
subprocess.call("taskkill /f /im explorer.exe", shell=True)
subprocess.call("start explorer.exe", shell=True)
print("Explorer.exe has been restarted.")
except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
print("Failed to restart Explorer.exe.")
def main():
print("Welcome to the Explorer.exe Problem Tool!")
while True:
print("\nPlease choose an option:")
print("1. Check if Explorer.exe is running")
print("2. Restart Explorer.exe")
print("3. Exit")
choice = input("Enter your choice (1-3): ")
if choice == "1":
check_explorer_status()
elif choice == "2":
restart_explorer()
elif choice == "3":
print("Exiting...")
break
else:
print("Invalid choice. Please try again.")
if __name__ == "__main__":
main()
This script provides a basic command-line interface with three options: checking if the explorer.exe process is running, restarting the explorer.exe process, and exiting the tool. It utilizes the `subprocess` module to execute the necessary Windows commands (`TASKLIST`, `taskkill`, and `start`) to perform the desired operations.
Disable Fast Startup
To disable Fast Startup, follow these steps:
1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard and type “Control Panel”. Press Enter to open the Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel, click on the “Power Options” link.
3. In the Power Options window, click on the “Choose what the power buttons do” link on the left-hand side.
4. In the System Settings window, click on the “Change settings that are currently unavailable” link.
5. Scroll down to the “Shutdown settings” section and uncheck the box next to “Turn on fast startup (recommended)”.
6. Click on the “Save changes” button to apply the changes.
Once you have disabled Fast Startup, restart your computer and see if the Explorer.exe problems have been resolved.
Note that disabling Fast Startup may slightly increase the time it takes for your computer to start up, but it can help resolve issues with the Explorer.exe process. If you continue to experience problems, you may need to investigate other potential causes or seek further assistance from Microsoft support.
Run SFC and DISM scans
To run an SFC scan, follow these steps:
1. Press the Windows key + X on your keyboard to open the Power User menu.
2. Select “Command Prompt (Admin)” or “Windows PowerShell (Admin)” from the menu. This will open a command prompt with administrative privileges.
3. In the command prompt, type sfc /scannow and press Enter. This will start the System File Checker (SFC) scan.
4. Wait for the scan to complete. It may take some time, so be patient.
5. If any corrupted files are found, the SFC scan will attempt to repair them automatically. If the scan is unable to repair all the files, you may need to run the DISM scan.
To run a DISM scan, follow these steps:
1. Open the command prompt with administrative privileges as mentioned earlier.
2. In the command prompt, type dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth and press Enter. This will start the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) scan.
3. Wait for the scan to complete. Again, this may take some time.
4. If any issues are found, the DISM scan will try to fix them automatically.
Once both scans are complete, restart your computer and check if the Explorer.exe problems have been resolved. If the issue persists, you may need to seek further assistance or consider other troubleshooting methods.
Perform a ChkDsk operation
Performing a ChkDsk operation can help fix Explorer.exe problems on Windows. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Press the Windows key and type “cmd” to open the Command Prompt.
2. Right-click on “Command Prompt” in the search results and select “Run as administrator” from the context menu.
3. In the Command Prompt window, type “chkdsk C: /f” and press Enter.
4. You may be prompted to schedule a disk check for the next restart. Type “Y” and press Enter.
5. Restart your computer for the ChkDsk operation to run.
During the ChkDsk operation, Windows will check the integrity of your hard drive and fix any errors it finds. This can help resolve Explorer.exe problems related to file corruption or disk errors.
It’s important to note that the ChkDsk operation may take some time to complete, depending on the size and condition of your hard drive. It’s best to let it run without interruption.
Once the ChkDsk operation is finished, your computer will restart and hopefully, the Explorer.exe problems will be resolved. If not, you may need to consider other troubleshooting steps or seek further assistance.
Scan PC for Malware
To scan your PC for malware and fix Explorer.exe problems on Windows, follow these steps:
1. Open Microsoft Defender by clicking on the Start menu and typing “Windows Security.” Select the Windows Security app from the search results.
2. In the Windows Security app, click on the “Virus & threat protection” tab.
3. Under the “Current threats” section, click on the “Quick scan” option. This will scan your PC for any known malware and viruses.
4. Wait for the scan to complete. If any malware or viruses are detected, follow the prompts to remove them from your PC.
5. If the quick scan doesn’t resolve the issue, you can perform a full scan by clicking on the “Scan options” link under the quick scan button. Select the “Full scan” option and click on the “Scan now” button.
6. The full scan will thoroughly scan your PC for any malware or viruses. This scan may take longer to complete, so be patient.
7. Once the scan is finished, follow the prompts to remove any detected threats.
8. If the malware scan doesn’t fix the Explorer.exe problem, you can try resetting the Windows Explorer settings. Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys simultaneously to open the Task Manager.
9. In the Task Manager, click on the “File” menu and select “Run new task.”
10. Type “explorer.exe” in the “Open” field and click on the “OK” button. This will restart the Windows Explorer process.
11. If the issue persists, you can try updating your Windows operating system. Press the Win + I keys simultaneously to open the Settings app.
12. In the Settings app, click on the “Update & Security” option.
13. Click on the “Windows Update” tab and then click on the “Check for updates” button. If any updates are available, follow the prompts to install them.
14. Restart your computer after the updates are installed and check if the Explorer.exe problem is resolved.
