How to fix File Explorer crashes in Windows 10

• The File Explorer tool is probably the most used function in the Windows OS, since everything that involves accessing the contents of your PC is done through it.
• Unfortunately, issues such as improper system settings or incompatible third-party software can cause the File Explorer to crash, and that is precisely what this article is here to talk about.
• Our website contains a dedicated hub for troubleshooting System Errors, so make sure you visit that as well if there are other Windows 10 issues that are bothering you.
• For more articles of great interest, visit out Windows 10 Fix page.

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Microsoft is planning to overhaul File Explorer in the future, but the current version of this file manager app is still plagued by many issues. One of the most common and annoying problems are the frequent crashes users have been complaining about for a long time.

When users try to open a folder, the File Explorer window and taskbar immediately close down and sometimes reopen after a few seconds.

Microsoft has already rolled out a series of cumulative updates aimed at fixing this issue, but many users are still reporting Files Explorer crashes.

Users are complaining about File Explorer crashes in Windows 10

Today I was checking one of my music hard-drives for folders with ‘WCBS’ in the title. It found 19 sub-folders. If I click any one of the found 19, file explorer will close, the task bar on the bottom of screen goes black (with only the Start button and Task view icon showing). After about 20 seconds the screen refreshes (for lack of a better description) and the rest of the 12 displayed icons will shown up.

This happens on all hard-drives and my SSD when a file search done within the windows file explorer.

If you’re experiencing File Explorer crashes, use the workarounds listed below to fix this bug.

How to fix File Explorer problems in Windows 10

• The File Explorer is a useful tool meant to enable easy browsing and management of files and folders stored on a PC running Windows.
• If one day, the file mangement app decides not to work properly as in not open, not load or crash, your workflow will surely get interrupted. Check out the solutions below to quickly get the file manager up and running again.
• Looking for in-depth infos on the topic? Go straight to the File Explorer page and get all the right fixes in one place.
• Whenever you’re ready, dig into our Windows 10 errors hub and keep your Windows PC in perfect condition at all times.

Many users have already switched to Windows 10, but it seems that some of the users that have switched to Windows 10 are experiencing certain issues.

Some users are having file explorer problems with Windows 10, but fortunately, there are few solutions that you can try.

How can I fix File Explorer problems on Windows 10?

File Explorer problems can be rather annoying, and in this article, we’re going to cover the following issues:

• File Explorer Windows 10 not responding, working, opening, loading, showing – There are various problems with File Explorer that can occur, and in this article, we’re going to show you how to fix most of these problems.
• Windows 10 File Explorer hangs – Many users reported that File Explorer hangs on their PC. This can be an annoying problem, but you might be able to solve it by using one of our solutions.
• Windows 10 File Explorer won’t open, keeps closing – According to users, they are unable to start File Explorer on their PC. According to them, File Explorer keeps closing and won’t stay open at all.
• File Explorer Windows 10 slow, crashes – Many users reported crashes and slowdowns while using File Explorer. We already covered File Explorer crashes and File Explorer slowdowns, so be sure to check those articles for more information.
• File Explorer freezes Windows 10 – Many users reported that File Explorer freezes on their PC. We already covered this issue in our File Explorer freezes article, so be sure to check it out for more solutions.

Users report problems with Windows Explorer saying that Windows Explorer crashes, or that it hangs when the user right-clicks something.

As you can see, this is a big problem since it can drastically limit your user experience, so here are few solutions that you might want to try.

1. Run netsh and winsock reset

1. Run Command Prompt as administrator. You can do so by pressing Windows key + X and choosing Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu. In addition, you can type cmd in the Search bar and right click the Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
   
2. Type netsh in Command Prompt and press Enter.
3. Next type winsock reset into Command Prompt and hit Enter to run it.
4. After the process is completed you’ll be notified and then you just need to restart the computer for changes to take effect.

2. Uninstall KB3081449 and KB3081448 updates

Several users reported that update KB3081449 was the cause of the issue, so let’s see how to delete it.

1. Go to Settings and navigate to Update & Security section.
   
2. Next, go to View installed update history > Uninstall Updates.
   
3. Find update KB3081449 and uninstall it. If this doesn’t help, find update KB3081448 and uninstall it as well.

3. Hide hidden files and folders

If you’re having problems with File Explorer such as crashes, you might be able to fix the issue simply by hiding hidden files and folders. Some files are hidden by default, but you can reveal them by changing your settings.

If hidden folders are revealed, you might experience issues with File Explorer, so you should revert these settings by doing the following:

1. Press Windows Key + S and enter file exploreroptions. Select File Explorer Options from the list of results.
   
2. When File Explorer Options window opens, go to the View tab and select Don’t show hidden files, folders or drives. Click on Apply and OK to save changes.
   

After making these changes, the problem with File Explorer should be resolved. Many users reported that this solution worked for them, so be sure to try it out.

4. Enable Launch folder windows in a separate process

Another way to fix File Explorer problems on Windows 10 is to enable Launch folder windows in a separate process option. This is rather simple and you can do it by following these steps:

1. Open File Explorer Options like we showed you in the previous solution.
2. Now navigate to the View tab and check Launch folder windows in a separate process. Click Apply and OK to save changes.
   

This solution reportedly worked for many users, so we strongly encourage you to try it out.

5. Disable Quick Access and File Preview features

If you’re having File Explorer problems, you might be able to fix them simply by changing a few settings. According to users, you just have to disable Quick Access and File Preview features.

This is rather simple, and to do it, you just need to follow these steps:

1. Open File Explorer Options.
2. In the General tab, set Open File Explorer toThis PC. Now uncheck Show recently used files in Quick access and Show frequently used folders in Quick access options. If you want, you can click the Clear button to clear the history, but it’s not mandatory.
   
3. Now go to the View tab and uncheck Show preview handlers in preview pane. Now click on Apply and OK to save changes.
   
4. Lastly, make sure that preview pane is disabled. You can disable it once you open File Explorer by pressing Alt + P on your keyboard.

After changing these options, check if the problems with File Explorer still appear.

6. Perform a clean boot

Sometimes certain startup applications can interfere with your PC and cause File Explorer problems to occur. However, you can easily find the problematic application by performing a clean boot.

To do that, you need to follow these steps:

1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog. Now enter msconfig and press Enter or click OK.
   
2. Navigate to Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services and click on Disable all button.
   
3. Go to the Startup tab and click on Open Task Manager.
   
4. A list of startup applications will now appear. Right-click the first entry on the list and choose Disable from the menu. Repeat this step for all entries on the list.
   
5. Once you disable all startup applications, go back to System Configuration window. Now click on Apply and OK to save changes.
   
6. When asked to restart your PC, choose the option to restart it now.

Once your PC restarts, check if the problem with File Explorer still appears. If not, it means that one of your disabled applications or services was causing the issue.

To find the problematic application, you need to repeat the steps above and enable applications and services one by one or in groups.

Keep in mind that you need to save changes and restart your PC in order to apply them. Once your PC restarts, check if the issue appears. Keep enabling applications and services until you find the problematic application.

Once you find the problematic application, you can disable it, uninstall it or update it and check if that solves the issue.

Many users reported that disabling startup applications fixed the problem for them, so be sure to try this solution.

In case this solution is too complicated for you, you can try to do your file management work by using Frigate3, a great file manager that has some extra features to successfully replace File Explorer.

It will archive and compresses your files, will find them in advance, and will quickly help you edit, delete or move them. This tool is designed to work fast even on slow PCs and its compatible with Windows 10.

7. Reset the file associations

If you have File Explorer problems such as freezing, the problem might be related to your file associations.

However, you can easily fix that problem by resetting file associations to default. To do that, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app. You can do that quickly by pressing Windows Key + I.
2. Once the Settings app opens, navigate to Apps section.
   
3. From the menu on the left select Default apps. In the right pane, scroll down to the Reset to the Microsoft recommended defaults and click the Reset button.
   

After resetting file associations to default, the problem with unresponsive File Explorer should be resolved.

8. Remove IDT Audio

According to users, many File Explorer problems can be caused by IDT Audio, and in order to fix them, you need to remove this application. Once you remove it, it’s advised to delete all files and registry entries associated with it.

This is too complicated to do manually, so it might be a good idea to remove IDT Audio using an uninstaller software.

There are many great uninstaller tools available, but many users reported that they removed this application and all its files by using IObit Uninstaller (free download), so feel free to download it and try it.

It is a great software from IObit and it will help you remove all the leftovers of an app or program so they won’t interfere with your system’s functionalities.

Once you remove IDT audio, the problem should be completely resolved and your File Explorer will start working again.

9. Change scaling settings

File Explorer problems can occur sometimes due to your scaling settings. Users reported that their File Explorer isn’t responding, but they managed to fix that issue with this simple trick.

Keep in mind that this solution only works if you’re using scaling higher than 100%. To change the scaling, do the following:

1. Open the Settings app and go to the System section.
   
2. Set Change the size of text apps, and other items to 100%.
   
3. Check if File Explorer works. If it does, resize it and make it smaller than usual.
4. Now restore scaling back to the original value.

After doing that, the problem should be resolved and you’ll be able to use File Explorer without any problems. Keep in mind that this might not be a permanent solution, so you’ll have to repeat it if the problem reappears.

10. Make sure that your PC is set for dual monitors

According to users, File Explorer can become missing if your PC is configured for dual monitors. Apparently, File Explorer can open on a second monitor, that isn’t currently attached, so it might seem that File Explorer isn’t working for you.

However, you can easily fix that simply by changing your computer configuration and setting your PC to work with only a single monitor.

Looking for the best dual-monitor software for Windows? Look no further as here are the best options.

As you can see, problems with file explorer can seriously limit your Windows 10 user experience but we hope that these solutions were helpful to you.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, just reach for the comments section below.