Operating Systems

File Explorer Keeps Crashing: 10 Ways To Fix This Issue Now!

File Explorer Keeps Crashing

If Windows File Explorer keeps crashing, what will you do? If you’re unsure of how to solve this issue, this page will provide you with the solution. There are numerous techniques offered here.

On Windows PCs, one of the most utilized programs is Windows Explorer, sometimes known as File Explorer. However, occasionally you could experience severe problems with it, such as when File Explorer stops working and Windows Explorer has to be restarted.

How To Fix The “File Explorer Keeps Crashing” Issue On Windows?

Here are ten ways to fix the “File Explorer keeps crashing” issue on Windows.

1. Update Windows

Maintaining an updated version of Windows is the first and simplest thing you may try. Updating your operating system might help you fix a lot of system issues.

However, if you are unsure whether your Windows system is current, use the steps listed below to check for updates:

  1. Open Windows Settings by pressing The Win + I keys
  2. Click on Update & Security.
  3. Here, select Windows Update.
  4. Then, click on Check for Updates.
  5. If any updates are available, click on them to download and install them.
  6. After they get installed, reboot your computer.

See whether Windows File Explorer keeps crashing after you install the most recent operating system. If so, try the following techniques.

2. Disable All Thumbnails

Windows 10 Explorer may frequently crash due to thumbnails, particularly if a folder contains a lot of photographs. Therefore, removing thumbnails might be a helpful fix for the problem that Windows 10 Explorer frequently crashes. Here’s a little explanation:

  1. Click on the Search bar
  2. Search for the Control Panel and open it.
  3. Click on View by: Large Icons.
  4. Next, click on File Explorer.
  5. Now, click on the View tab.
  6. Select Always Show icons, never thumbnails.
  7. Finally, click on Apply and then OK.

Now, whether the File Explorer keeps crashing has been solved or not.

3. Clear Search History On File Explorer

Clearing your File Explorer Search History might help you solve this problem. To do so, follow the steps below:

  1. Open Windows File Explorer.
  2. Next, open the General tab.
  3. Now, navigate to the Privacy tab.
  4. Finally, click on Clear History.

4. Launch File Explorer As A Separate Process

By default, the explorer.exe process is where all File Explorer windows run. As a result, the issue with Windows File Explorer crashing will manifest whenever one of the File Explorer windows crashes.

You should turn on the “Launch folder windows in a separate process” setting to fix the issue. Here’s a little explanation:

  1. First, click on File Explorer to open it.
  2. Next, navigate to the View tab.
  3. Now, click on Launch folder Windows in a separate process.
  4. Finally, click on Apply and then on OK.

5. Run SFC Scan

If your File explorer keeps crashing, you can try running some command prompts like SFC scan to solve the issue. You can do so by:

  1. Open the search box and type in cmd and then click on Enter.
  2. Open the Command Prompt option and Run as Administrator.
  3. Type – sfc/scannow and click on Enter.

Wait for Windows to discover any corrupted system files; if it finds any, it will automatically fix them. In order to determine whether Windows 10 Explorer keeps crashing, restart your computer. If it does, consider the following solutions.

6. Run CHKDSK Scan

Instead of an SFC scan, you can also try out the CHKDSK scan as well. To do so, you need to:

  1. Open the search box and type in cmd and then click on Enter.
  2. Open the Command Prompt option and Run as Administrator.
  3. In the cmd window, type in chkdsk/f/r, followed by pressing Enter.
  4. Now, you need to confirm your actions. Here, press Y as it appears on the cmd screen.

After the command has run its course, restart your computer and check if File Explorer keeps crashing or not.

7. Update Add-Ons

Installed add-ons may be to blame for the Windows 11 Explorer constantly crashing issue. Several programs add add-ons to Windows Explorer. Although some add-ons are incredibly useful, they have the potential to slow down or break Windows Explorer.

As a result, you should check to verify if Windows Explorer add-ons are installed. If add-ons have been installed, you should disable or remove all third-party add-ons. If this fix resolves the issue, you may then individually re-enable each add-on to identify the offending one. 

These third-party add-ons can be used to view comprehensive information and to deactivate installed add-ons.

8. Run The Netsh Winsock Command

Running the Netsh Winsock command can help you solve this problem with Windows Explorer. To do so, you need to:

  1. Open the search box and type in cmd and then click on Enter.
  2. Open the Command Prompt option and Run as Administrator.
  3. Type – Netsh Winsock reset and hit the Enter key.

After doing so, restart your computer and check if the problem still persists or not.

9. Check File Explorer Permissions

If you see that Windows 11 Explorer frequently crashes when you attempt to visit a certain folder, you should confirm that you have full control of it. To achieve it, adhere to the directions listed below:

  1. Right-click on File Explorer and then click on Properties.
  2. Here, navigate to the Security tab and click on Advanced.
  3. Next to the owner option, click on Change.
  4. Now, navigate to the section here called Enter the object name to select.
  5. Here, click on the option called Check Names and ensure that your name is there.
  6. Finally, click on OK and exit the Select User or Group section.
  7. Next, navigate to the Properties window again.
  8. This time, open the Security tab and click on the Edit option.
  9. Here, you will see a section called Permission for Administrators. Go to it and click on the option called Allow for Full Control.
  10. Finally, click on Ok to save all the permission changes you have made.

10. Disable Quick Access

Most of the time, opening a folder can be made simpler and quicker with Quick access. But it’s possible that this is the reason why Windows 10 Explorer keeps crashing. So, you could try turning off Quick access to solve the issue. Here is how you can disable quick access:

  1. Right-click on File Explorer and then click on Properties.
  2. Now, click on the General tab.
  3. Here, set Open File Explorer to This PC. By default, it will be set to Quick Access.
  4. Then, go back and open the Privacy tab.
  5. Here, click on this option to uncheck it- Show frequently used folders in Quick Access.
  6. Net, click to uncheck the following option as well – Show recently used files in Quick Access.
  7. Finally, save all the changes made by clicking on Apply and then on OK.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Here are some answers to questions people ask regarding the file explorer keeps crashing issue:

Q1. Why Does File Explorer Keep Closing On Its Own?

Ans: Missing or damaged files are among the most frequent reasons for File Explorer crashes. You may use Windows PowerShell to run the System File Checker utility (SFC) to look for (and fix) any missing or damaged system files.

Q2. How Do I Restart Explorer From Crashing?

Ans: To restart explorer from crashing, follow these steps:
i. Open Windows Task Manager by pressing these together – Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
ii. Here, right-click on Windows Explorer.
iii. Now, click on Restart.

Q3. How Do I Clear The Cache In File Explorer?

Ans: You can clear the Windows File Explorer cache by:
i. First, open File Explorer.
ii. Next, click on View.
iii. Then click on Options.
iv. Here, open the General tab.
v. Then go to the Privacy Section.
vi. Finally, click on Clear.

Conclusion

Try the strategies described above if you want to find some workable solutions to the Windows File Explorer keeps crashing problem. Regularly backing up your system might also assist you in protecting your files and system.

Leave a comment below if you have any more suggestions for resolving this issue, or if any of the methods are unclear to you.

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