Windows Explorer has a long history of stability issues, and the rebranding of Explorer in recent versions of Windows has done little to improve. Thus, it is not uncommon to experience random freezes and crashes with accompanying error messages such as "Windows Explorer is not responding" and "Windows Explorer has stopped working" when interacting with the file system on the PC.

Most difficulties with Windows Explorer or File Explorer are one-time problems that only appear when the operating system is under stress. But if you keep running into the same problem, the troubleshooting tips below will help you fix it.

How do I fix Windows explorer not responding?

Restart File Explorer

Restarting Windows Explorer (which is still the main process behind File Explorer) is a quick fix for minor system-related glitches that cause it to freeze or crash.

1. Right-click the taskbar and select the Task Manager option. If the taskbar is not responding, use the Shift + Ctrl + Esc keyboard shortcut to launch the Task Manager.

2. Select "Details" to expand the default Task Manager view.

3. On the Processes tab, find and right-click Windows Explorer. Then select "Restart".

How do I fix Windows explorer not responding?

Reopen File Explorer

In addition to managing files, File Explorer also supports user interfaces behind elements such as the taskbar and desktop. Therefore, if it crashes completely (for example, you cannot see the taskbar and desktop), you will have to reopen it manually.

1. Press Shift + Ctrl + Esc to open the Task Manager.

2. Open the File menu and select Run New Task.

3. Enter explorer.exe and click OK.

How do I fix Windows explorer not responding?

Disable Details and Preview Panes

If you only encounter "Windows Explorer is not responding" or "Windows Explorer has stopped working" errors when you select files and folders in File Explorer, try disabling the Info and Preview panels.

1. Open a new explorer window.

2. Select the "View" tab.

3. Inside the Panels group, deactivate the preview pane and the details pane.

How do I fix Windows explorer not responding?

4. Restart the Windows Explorer process through the task manager.

5. Restart File Explorer and check if the problem is still there. If so, proceed to fix the rest.

Change Default File Explorer View

If File Explorer freezes or crashes when you open it, changing the default view from Quick Access to This PC can prevent this from happening. You will no longer see a list of recent files and folders, but it allows you to eliminate problems caused by outdated or broken entries in the history of the explorer.

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run window. Then enter control folders and click OK. The Explorer Options dialog box should appear.

2. On the General tab, open the drop-down menu next to Open File Explorer In and select This PC.

How do I fix Windows explorer not responding?

windows explorer not responding on startup