Solutions to Fix Windows 10 File Explorer Not Responding

Practical solutions
Step-by-step troubleshooting

Solution 1. Delete Registry
Delete registry keys – “BagMRU” and “Bag” using regedit command…Full steps

Solution

2. Clear File Explorer
Clear file history in the Privacy section by clicking Clear

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Full Steps

Solution

3. Disable Quick Access
Disable Quick Access – “Show Recently Used Files” and “Show Frequently Used Folders”…Full Steps

Solution

4. Change display settings
Change display settings, set size to 100% or 200% in scale and layout…Full steps

Workaround

5. Update graphics driver
Update graphics card driver in Device Manager…Full steps

Windows 10 file explorer not responding

File Explorer, originally known as Windows Explorer, is the built-in file management application on Windows. It is arguably one of the most frequently used applications on a PC. However, although Microsoft has continuously improved File Explorer, it still has some issues like File Explorer keeps crashing in Windows 10. This is an issue that bothers a lot of users, causing various difficulties. If you are bothered by the “windows 10 file explorer not responding”, you may find yourself in one of the following scenarios.

Symptoms

There are common situations where users report “File Explorer crashing in Windows 10”.

• Windows 10 File Explorer not responding
• Windows 10 File Explorer has stopped working
• File Explorer does not open in Windows 10
• File Explorer keeps closing
• File Explorer closes when right-clicking a file
• File Explorer is often used

Possible causes

For some users, File Explorer seems to crash for no reason. In fact, every error has a cause. There are various factors that can trigger the “File Explorer keeps crashing” issue, including:

• Incorrect system settings
• Incompatible third-party software
• Authorization issues
• Other unknown causes

If you can’t identify the cause of Windows File Explorer crashing, it doesn’t matter, you can follow the tips below in order.

10 Solutions to Repair Windows 10 Explorer

The solutions below are ranked by tip efficiency.

Solution1. Delete registry keys

You can remove these keys to reset the settings of all folders on your computer, which is helpful to fix “File Explorer keeps crashing in Windows 10” issue.

Step 1. Press “Windows + R” simultaneously and enter regedit. In the prompt asking for permission, click “Yes”.

Step 2. Go to:

\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell

Step 3. Expand “Shell” and delete the two keys “BagMRU” and “Bag” by right-clicking on the folder and choosing “Delete”. (It is safe to delete these keys as Windows will automatically rebuild them after a reboot).

Step 4. Restart your computer and check if File Explorer still crashes.

Solution 2. Clear File Explorer History

It’s not clear how File Explorer history causes the app to crash. But many users have fixed their file explorer that keeps crashing simply by clearing its history.

Step 1. Click the “Start” button and enter File Explorer.

Step 2. Choose “File Explorer Options” from the result.

Step 3. In the “Privacy” section, click “Erase”. The erasing process will be completed in a few seconds.

Solution 3. Disable Quick Access and Configure Open File Explorer on This PC

Although Quick Access allows you to open a folder you frequently visited more quickly, it could be the reason why your File Explorer keeps crashing in Windows 10. Try disabling this feature and fix it. ‘File Explorer to open on This PC instead of Quick Access.

Step 1. Click the “Start” button and enter File Explorer.

Step 2. Choose “File Explorer Options” from the result.

Step 3. In the box next to “Open File Explorer to”, select “This PC”.

Step 4. In the “Privacy” section, uncheck “Show recently used files in quick access” and “Show frequently used folders in quick access”.

Step 5. Click “Apply” > “OK”.

Solution 4. Change display settings

Have you ever changed the size of text, apps, and other things on your computer? If you did, that’s probably why your File Explorer crashes so often. Make sure the size of text, apps, and other items is 100% or 200%.

Step 1. Click the “Start” button and enter the display.

Step 2. Choose “Change display settings” from the list.

Step 3. In the Settings window, navigate to the “Scale and Layout” section.

Step 4. Set the size as “100% (recommended)” or “200%” if available.

Solution 5. Update graphics card driver

An outdated graphics card driver can also be the culprit that causes File Explorer to crash in Windows 10. To rule out this factor, you can update the graphics card driver on your computer. p>

Step 1. Right click on “This PC” and go to “Manage” > “Device Manager”.

Step 2. Expand “Display Adapters”, right click on the graphics card driver and choose “Update Driver”.

Solution 6. Enable Windows Launch Folder in separate process

By default, all File Explorer windows, including the desktop shell, run in a single process called explorer.exe. If one of the File Explorer windows freezes or crashes, all File Explorer windows will freeze or crash. So, to improve the stability of File Explorer, you can enable folder windows to launch in a separate process.

Step 1. Click the “Start” button and enter File Explorer.

Step 2. Choose “File Explorer Options” from the result.

Step 3. Switch to the “View” tab and scroll down to check “Launch folder windows in a separate process”.

Step 4. Click “Apply” > “OK”.

Solution 7. Check account authorization

If Windows 10 File Explorer keeps crashing when accessing a specific folder, you need to check if you have access rights to that folder.

Step 1. Find the file/folder you want to delete and right-click on it, then choose “Properties”.

Step 2. Click the “Security” tab and choose “Advanced” at the bottom.

Step 3. Click the ‘Edit’ link next to ‘Owner’.

Step 4. In the box, enter everyone and click “OK”.

Step 5. Go back to “Security” tab, click “Edit” to change permissions.

Step 6. In the “Permissions for the system” section, choose “Allow” for all permissions.

Solution 8. Run Netsh Winsock Reset

The “netsh Winsock reset” command is used to recover the computer from any socket error that occurs when you download an unknown file, or due to a malicious script on the computer. In some cases, running this command will help users to fix “Windows File Explorer keeps crashing” issue.

Step 1. Click on the “Start” button and type cmd.

Step 2. Right-click “Command Prompt” and choose “Run as administrator”.

Step 3. In the command prompt, enter netsh winsock reset and wait for the Winsock catalog to reset.

Step 4. Restart your computer.

Solution 9. Disable or remove recently installed anti-virus software

Did you install anti-virus software before File Explorer crashed so consistently? If so, try disabling the software or removing it completely.

Solution 10. Keep Windows updated

“File Explorer keeps crashing in Windows 10” can occur due to Windows OS bugs. Microsoft continues to improve the operating system by rolling out Windows updates. Thus, keep your Windows updated if a new update is available.

Step 1. Click “Start” and type “Update”.

Step 2. Choose “Check for updates”.

Step 3. Windows will show you the new updates available. Click “Install Now” to update your Windows.

Additional tip: How to recover a lost file on Windows

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Conclusion

I think one of the above solutions can help you fix your Windows 10 PC file explorer not responding. If you need to recover data, don’t hesitate to try EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, which is 100% safe, virus-free and plug-in-free.