Windows Explorer provides file access through a graphical interface implementation. We can safely call it the main visual shell of the operating system. Sometimes users face the fact that file explorer not responding or does not start at all. When such a situation arises, there are several basic methods for solving it.
Overview of the error ‘file explorer not responding.’
The Windows operating system has proven itself in a variety of roles. This is a powerful gaming platform and a support office worker who appreciates speed and reliability. With everyday work from the OS of this level do not expect problems.
But they arise with noticeable periodicity, and you need to be ready for them. We are talking about a situation where Explorer does not respond in Windows 7 and upwards, how to correct this misunderstanding? Let’s try to figure it out.
What causes the problem ‘file explorer not responding’?
There are a lot of situations that cause an error. When Explorer in Windows 10 does not work, the system tries to correct the problem itself. In earlier versions of such productive initiative, one cannot always wait. The user can receive the message: ‘file explorer not responding’, in the following cases:
- Affect the lack of RAM. The computer is outdated, and new programs consume more and more RAM resources. To permanently get rid of such an error, you will have to purchase a memory bar, or even two.
- Slows Windows Explorer What to do? The answer is simple. Check the system requirements of installed programs. If they do not match the configuration of the computer, it is better to update the components of the system unit.
- When you click Explorer with a right mouse click, the reason may be the following: there is an oversupply of components in the context menu. And some of them do not respond to the challenge. To independently edit the context menu, it’s necessary to install a program like Windows 7 Manager. This software has a lot of useful features – you can not go wrong.
- An experienced specialist will tell you if Windows 7 Explorer is not responding, what to do in this case? Of course, you can close the window. This will be a simple and effective solution when there is no risk of losing important documents.
Other possible reasons for file explorer do not start at all
Faulty video card
The video card act in all processes inside the PC. In particular, it indirectly affects the operation of Windows Explorer. Why Explorer does not work on Windows 7, you can find out by running a simple diagnostic subsystem video. To start, try updating your video card drivers in the following ways:
- Download them from the official website of the manufacturer.
- Apply the program that comes with the card.
- Go to Windows Update.
Ways to fix the problem ‘file explorer not responding’ in Windows
Most often it happens that the Explorer simply stops responding or does not start. This can be due to various factors, such as software failures or system load. Before starting the execution of all operations, the application should be started independently if it has completed its work. To do this, open the “Run” utility, holding down the key combination Win + R, type explorer in the field and click on “OK.”
# Method 1: Virus Cleansing
First of all, we advise you to perform a standard computer scan for malicious files. This process is carried out through special software, which on the Internet is a huge amount.
After completing the analysis and removing the viruses, if they are detected, remember to restart the PC and repeat the scan at startup to surely get rid of possible threats.
# Method 2: Cleaning the registry
In addition to garbage and temporary files in the Windows registry, various errors often occur, leading to system crashes and a general slowdown of the computer.
Therefore, sometimes, it is necessary to carry out its cleaning and troubleshooting with any convenient method. A detailed guide to cleaning and adjusting the operation of the registry, read our articles at the following links.
# Method 3: Optimize PC performance
If you notice that not only Explorer stops responding for a while, but the performance of the entire system has decreased, you should take care to optimize it, reducing the load on certain components.
In addition, we advise you to clean the system unit of dust, and it will help reduce the temperature of the components and increase speed. Below you will find a list of articles that will help to deal with these tasks.
# Method 4: Error Correction
Sometimes in the operating system, there are various errors that cause failures in certain applications, including in Windows Explorer. Their diagnosis and correction are made using the built-in or additional tools. Read the detailed troubleshooting guide for the individual material.
# Method 5: Work with updates
As you know, for Windows 10 OS Microsoft Corporation release innovations quite often. Usually, they are downloaded and installed in the background, but this process is not always successful. We recommend the following actions:
- Open the “Start” and go to the “Options” menu by clicking on the icon with the image of the gear.
- Find and open the Update and Security section.
- Make sure there are no updates not installed. If they are present, complete their installation.
- In the case when the new files were set incorrectly, they can provoke failures in the OS. Then they should be removed and reinstalled. To do this, click on the “View log of installed updates.”
- Click on the “Delete Updates” button.
- Look for fresh components, uninstall them, and then reinstall them.
# Method 6: Manual fix
If you do not get results with the above methods, you can independently find the reason why Explorer is not working and try to fix it. You can do this by following:
- Through the “Start” menu, go to “Settings.”
- Here in the search bar, find the application “Administration” and run it.
- Open the Event Viewer.
- Through the directory “Windows Logs” expand the category “System,” and you will see a table with all the events. Open the one that has information about stopping Explorer, and find the description of the program or action that caused it to stop.
If the cause of the inoperability were third-party software, the best option would be to remove it by any convenient method.
Above, we put out instructions to the six options for fixing errors in the operation of the Explorer system application. If you have questions on this topic, feel free to ask them in the comments.