Are you experiencing frequent freezing and crashing of Windows Explorer on your Windows 10 or 11 computer? Here are some effective solutions to resolve this issue.
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Restart File Explorer or Your Computer
To fix Windows Explorer freezing and crashing on Windows 10/11, you can try restarting File Explorer or your computer. To restart File Explorer, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Look for “Windows Explorer” under the Processes tab, right-click on it, and select Restart. This may help resolve any issues causing Windows Explorer to freeze or crash.
If restarting File Explorer doesn’t work, you can try restarting your computer. To do this, click on the Start button, select the Power icon, and choose Restart. Once your computer restarts, check if Windows Explorer is still freezing or crashing.
Restarting File Explorer or your computer can help refresh the system and resolve any temporary issues causing Windows Explorer to freeze or crash. This simple troubleshooting step may help improve the performance of Windows Explorer and prevent further freezing or crashing.
If the issue persists, you may need to explore other troubleshooting options such as running Windows Update, checking for software bugs, or using the System File Checker tool to scan for and repair corrupted system files.
Check for System Updates
First, check for Windows updates by:
– Opening the Settings app
– Clicking on “Update & Security”
– Selecting “Windows Update”
– Clicking on “Check for updates”
If there are updates available, download and install them to ensure your system is running the latest version of Windows.
Another important update to check for is your antivirus software. Make sure it is up to date and running the latest version to prevent any conflicts or issues with Windows Explorer.
In addition, running a system file checker scan can help identify and fix any corrupted system files that may be causing the freezing and crashing. To do this, open the Command Prompt as an administrator and type “sfc /scannow” and press Enter.
Regularly checking for and installing updates for both Windows and your antivirus software can help prevent Windows Explorer from freezing and crashing.
Disable or Uninstall Third-Party Extensions and Antimalware Software
- Open Windows Security by typing it into the search bar and selecting it from the list
- Click on Virus & threat protection in the left sidebar
- Click on Manage settings under Virus & threat protection settings
- Toggle off Real-time protection
- If you have any third-party antimalware software installed, open the software and disable real-time protection
- If the issue persists, consider uninstalling the third-party antimalware software
- Open File Explorer and go to the following location: C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local
- Locate the folder named Extensions
- Rename the folder to Extensions.old
Clear File Explorer History and Cache
To fix Windows Explorer freezing and crashing on Windows 10/11, one potential solution is to clear the File Explorer history and cache. This can help resolve any issues related to corrupted or outdated cache files that may be causing the problem.
To clear the File Explorer history and cache, start by opening File Explorer and then clicking on File in the top left corner. Next, select Change folder and search options and then click on the Clear button under the Privacy section.
After clearing the history, you can also clear the cache by opening File Explorer, clicking on View in the top menu, and then selecting Options and Change folder and search options. From there, under the General tab, click on the Clear button next to Clear File Explorer history.
Once you have cleared the history and cache, restart your computer to see if the issue has been resolved. If Windows Explorer is still freezing or crashing, you may need to explore other troubleshooting options.
Perform System File Checks with DISM and SFC Tools
Performing System File Checks with DISM and SFC Tools can help to fix Windows Explorer freezing and crashing issues on Windows 10/11. To begin, open Command Prompt as an administrator by searching for “Command Prompt” in the Start menu, right-clicking it, and selecting “Run as administrator.”
First, run the DISM tool to check for and repair system file corruption. Enter the following command:
“`
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
“`
This will scan for any issues and attempt to fix them automatically. Once the process is complete, restart your computer.
Next, use the SFC tool to scan for and repair corrupted system files. Enter the following command:
“`
sfc /scannow
“`
Allow the scan to complete, and restart your computer once it’s done.
Performing these system file checks can help to resolve Windows Explorer freezing and crashing issues. If the problem persists, consider seeking further assistance from Microsoft Support or a professional technician.
Update or Reinstall Graphics Drivers
To update or reinstall your graphics drivers, follow these steps:
1. Press Windows key + X and select Device Manager from the menu.
2. In Device Manager, expand the Display adapters category and right-click on your graphics card.
3. Select Update driver and choose Search automatically for updated driver software.
4. If Windows doesn’t find any updates, you can also visit the manufacturer’s website to download and install the latest driver for your graphics card.
5. If updating the driver doesn’t resolve the issue, you can try uninstalling the current driver by right-clicking on your graphics card in Device Manager and selecting Uninstall device. Then restart your computer and Windows will reinstall the driver.
6. In some cases, a clean installation of the graphics driver can resolve freezing and crashing issues. To do this, use a tool like Display Driver Uninstaller to completely remove the current driver before installing the latest version.
By updating or reinstalling your graphics drivers, you can often resolve Windows Explorer freezing and crashing issues on Windows 10/11.
Reset Network Settings and TCP/IP Parameters
To reset network settings and TCP/IP parameters on Windows 10/11, you can try the following steps. First, open the Command Prompt as an administrator by searching for “cmd” in the Windows search bar, right-clicking on Command Prompt, and selecting “Run as administrator.”
Next, type the following command into the Command Prompt and press Enter:
netsh winsock reset
After that, restart your computer to apply the changes. Additionally, you can also reset your TCP/IP settings by typing the following command into the Command Prompt and pressing Enter:
netsh int ip reset
Once again, restart your computer to complete the process. These steps can help reset your network settings and TCP/IP parameters, which may resolve issues with Windows Explorer freezing and crashing on your Windows 10/11 system.
