Windows Explorer isn’t usually a program that causes a lot of problems, but sometimes it can stop responding. This can cause all sorts of frustrating problems, from not being able to open files or folders to not being able to access your computer at all. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, here are some troubleshooting tips that may help.
What Is File Explorer
File Explorer is a windows application that lets you browse your computer for files and folders. You can use File Explorer to open files, drag and drop files, and preview files in the app.
You can search for files and folders, and view the contents of files and folders. You can use File Explorer to open files in Windows Explorer, or copy files and folders to other locations.
How to Fix Windows Explorer not responding
The quickest thing to try is restarting your computer. If Windows Explorer isn’t responding, sometimes simply restarting the service can temporarily fix it.
Right Click on Taskbar and select Start Task Managerย or press Ctrl+Alt+Delete Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc This will open up a list of all running programs Use the down arrow key until you find File Explorer Select “End Process” or Restart Tab and then Close You may also be able to try repairing the File Explorer service by right clicking on “File Explorer” and selecting Properties from the menu.
Update your current video driver
Microsoft has a long list of video drivers available online that you can download and install. View their website to see what the latest driver is or search for your GPU model number in order to start searching. In most cases, this should be enough to get things working again.
Start your PC in Safe Mode to check for startup issues
Start your computer in Safe Mode. To do this, press and hold the F8 key as your computer starts up. In the Advanced Boot Options window, select Safe Mode with Networking and then click OK.
Test your systems RAM memory
To test the RAM memory of your computer, open Windows Memory Diagnostic. Click on the Start button and type in โmemory diagnosticsโ into the search bar. This will bring up a window that will allow you to test different aspects of your computerโs RAM.
Perform a System Restore
To perform a system restore, follow these steps:
- On your keyboard, press the Windows key and R together to open the Run dialog box. Type system restore and click OK.
- In the System Restore window that opens, select your backup drive (if you have more than one) and click Next.
- On the Select Restore Point page, select a restore point before you started experiencing problems and click
Next.
- On the Choose Restore Settings page, click Next to open the Restore Your Computer dialog box.
- In the Restore Your Computer dialog box, click Add a restore point and select a recent backup from your backup drive (or select a restore point from another computer if you want to restore your computer to its previous state).
- Click Next to open the Confirm Restore Point Selection dialog box.
Make space on your system drive
Your hard drive is the part of your computerโs hardware that contains all system files and programs. Since Windows operates off of its own file hierarchies, when things start to slow down in Windows it can become difficult for you to find what you are looking for if your C:\ or D:\ drives are running overfilled with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of different types of files from many different applications โ a lot more than any one person will likely ever need or want to access at the same time.
A Windows 7 system typically installs around 150GB of files on the C:\ drive and 150GB of files on the D:\ drive. While thatโs not an unlimited amount of space, it is more than enough for most people, especially if you regularly store only a few large files on each disk (for example, pictures, videos, music).
Conclusion
Conclusion from Sohne, if you are running out of space on your C:\ or D:\ drives and want to free up some space, you should make sure to delete any large files that you no longer need or use Windows 7โs Storage Spaces feature which can allow you to combine multiple hard drives into one larger volume that uses less disk space.