Windows Explorer hangs, open windows freeze/tremble very quickly and inability to maximize windows by clicking in taskbar icons

In the past weeks I’ve been facing very inconvenient and annoying issues with Windows Explorer in Windows 8.1 Update 1 (came pre-installed with my ASUS K56C laptop), described in detail below. These apply only to the desktop, not to the Modern interface, and happen constantly during operations involving the desktop taskbar and/or open windows. The problems occur with all different kinds of desktop programs, not being restricted to a single application. It appears to be, indeed, a window manager malfunction.

-When changing focus from one window to another, it freezes and remains flickering for several seconds, displaying «not responding». It is the most intolerable issue, relatively to the others.

-Taskbar icons constantly swap positions without user intervention.

-Clicking on a taskbar icon or window preview often DOES NOT cause the respective to window maximize. The workaround has been either minimizing all other tabs in front until the desired window is visible or right clicking the preview and selecting «Maximize» or navigating using ALT+TAB.

-Eventually, although less frequently, Windows Explorer hangs for a while, becoming unresponsive and sometimes even crashing.

-Also less frequently, programs disappear from the taskbar. Sometimes they remain running and can be retrieved via ALT+TAB, but other times they crash altogether (e.g. Microsoft Office Excel 2013).

I am using this system for 9 months without ever reinstalling. In the first couple months, I installed some third-party software. I am aware that third-party code might cause conflicts. However, Windows continued to work just fine until some weeks ago, so I can’t really relate these issues with any software that I’ve installed before.

In fact, there aren’t many system level changes that I’ve done in recent times, other than Windows updates and NVIDIA GeForce driver updates. The problem started not long after the latest NVIDIA GeForce 740M driver update, however, I’ve reverted to the previous version of the driver, which worked fine for the entire time it was installed, and the problem remains unchanged so far. I’ve been switching between integrated and dedicated graphics as well but, whichever way, the result is the same.

Other potential culprits have also been addressed, but nothing worked so far:

-Disabled Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit 4.1 Update 1 (EMET);

-Uninstalled Classic Shell;

-Run system scans against virus and malware infections with various tools (Windows Defender, Malwarebytes, Spybot and others) — no threats were found;

-Disabled all visual effects under «Performance options»;

-Created a new user account.

Please consider Windows refresh, reset or reinstallation as last resort options, given that this is my main operative system, so if possible I would prefer a more specific solution. The reason I’m asking for help online is because I can’t figure out how to solve the problem without the hassle of reinstalling from scratch. If I wanted to, I would have done it already. If there is anything else left that I could try before such low-level procedure, I will be glad to hear.

Windows Explorer hangs/freezes when right click on folders.

Never happened with my Win 8.1 OS.

But happens randomly now that I am using WIN10.

Havent downloaded anything since upgrading and this is annoying as. yeah..

do not feel like havin to restart pc a dozen times just to get it work normally.

All the other «answers» deal with 3rd party stuff being culprit..but as it worked before and nothing except OS was changed shouldn’t be the case 😐

You think they would make a popup that requires you to click it when something would interfere with the context menu :|..

Replies (4) 

The above issue might have occurred due to unused/unwanted files retained in the computer. The issue might also occur due to presence of virus/malware content in the computer.

Run the antivirus security software installed just to make sure the computer is free of virus/malware content. If the issue persists even after scanning for virus/malware content, follow the methods below and check if either helps in resolving/detecting the issue on the computer.

Method 1 : Run System Maintenance troubleshooter by following the steps below and check the status of computer behavior. System freezes and other irregular behaviors is mostly caused due to the unwanted/unused files retained in the PC.

System Maintenance troubleshooter will find and clean up unused files and shortcuts present on the system and perform maintenance tasks which will enhance the performance of the PC.

1. Press Windows logo key on the keyboard, type Troubleshooting and select the top most search result.
2. Select View all from the left side panel of the window.
3. Select System Maintenance from the listed options, click on Advanced option and check Apply repairs automatically option.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions and wait for the troubleshooting to complete.
5. After the troubleshooting is completed, check the status for any missing system components on the computer.
6. Close the window and check if the changes are effective.

Method 2 : If the issue persists, boot the computer in Safe mode with networking and check if similar issue persists on the computer.

Safe mode is a diagnostic mode that starts your computer with limited drivers necessary to run Windows. The words Safe Mode appear at the corners of your monitor to identify which Windows mode you are using. Logging into Safe mode will help in diagnosing if the issue is caused due to the corrupted user profile or the services disabled on the PC.

Select appropriate options to boot the computer into Safe Mode . Reboot the computer to exit from Safe mode.

To know more about Safe mode, refer to the article on Windows Startup Settings (including safe mode) .

Write to us with the status of system performance issues on the computer in the same post for further assistance. Your reply is most important for us to ensure we assist you accordingly.

Windows 10 File Explorer hangs when trying to load Quick Search

This is what I had to do to resolve this issue:

I could not even open File Explorer to change this setting. I did find another way to change the File Explorer Options:

1. Open the Start Menu, and click on the Gear to go to Settings
2. Type File Explorer in the Search. You should then get an option to select File Explorer Options.
3. Click on File Explorer Options. Change the «Open File Explorer To» dropdown to «This PC».
4. Click Apply, then OK.

Replies (2) 

You mean the Quick Access view?
Do you have a lot of network drive connections, mapped drives?
This can cause network browsing to hang if you are not connected to your VPN or network.

Try this first. to rule out corruption.
You can try a couple things.

Right click your start button and select Command prompt (Admin) to bring up elevated Command prompt.
In Command prompt type sfc /scannow and press enter.
Restart the computer.

If that doesn’t work then try this,

Right click your start button and select Command prompt (Admin) to bring up elevated Command prompt.

In the Administrator: Command Prompt window, type the following commands.
Press Enter key after each command:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

Important: When you run this command, DISM uses Windows Update to provide the files that are required to fix corruptions.
To close the Administrator: Command prompt window, type Exit, and then press Enter.
Restart your computer.

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I’m Diego Rios, an Independent Advisor willing to help other Microsoft customers.

Regarding your question:
Try these procedures:

Option 1: Close Programs like Anti-viruses
If you are using the anti-virus then it may be the cause of this error. In which case, you just have to use your task manager to close the program. Once closed, the file explorer will start working properly. To close your anti-virus, do the following:

1. Press CTRL, SHIFT and ESC key simultaneously (CTRL + SHIFT + ESC).
2. This should open the Task Manager.
3. In the Task manager, click the Processes
4.. The Processes tab has a number of columns, look at the Description column and find the process that is related to the anti-virus.
5.Select the anti-virus process from the list and click End Process (bottom right corner).
6. Click Yes when prompted for confirmation.

Once done check if the problem is solved or not. If you are still experiencing the problem then make sure there aren’t any other security related programs running in the background. There might be programs other than the security programs that might be causing this issue. Try to turn off as many applications as you can to see if the problem is solved.

option 2: Restart the File Explorer
Some of the technical problems can be solved by a simple restart, It does tend to solve the problem from time to time; to do so, follow these steps:

1. Press CTRL, SHIFT and ESC key simultaneously (CTRL + SHIFT + ESC).
2. This should open the Task Manager.
3. In the Task manager, click the Processes
4. Locate and select the Windows Explorer.
5. Click the Restart bottom at the bottom right corner

This will restart the file explorer and that will be the end of the problem.

Option 3: Change File Explorer Options
Changing the File Explorer’s “Open File Explorer To:” option has helped solve the issue for a lot of users. The problems seems to appear if this option isn’t set to “This PC” option. Follow the steps given below to change this setting.

1. Press and Hold Windows key and press R
2. Type control panel and press Enter or click Ok
3. Type File Explorer Options in the search bar
4. Select File Explorer Options
5. This will open the Folder Options
6. Select the General tab if it isn’t already
7. Select This PC from the drop down menu in Open File Explorer To:
Once done, click Ok and the problem should be resolved.

Option 4: Clear the Cache & Create New Path

Clearing the cache or history of the Windows Explorer and creating a new path has solved the issue for a lot of users. So, here are the steps for clearing cache and creating a new path.

1. In the toolbar, right click the File Explorer icon and select Unpin from toolbar.
2. Press and Hold Windows key and press R
3. Type control panel and press Enter or click Ok
4. Type File Explorer Options in the search bar
5. Select File Explorer Options
6. This will open the Folder Options
7. Select the General tab if it isn’t already
8.In the General tab, click the Clear button in the Privacy section.
9.Now, close the Windows Explorer by clicking the X at the top right corner of the window
10. Right click on the Desktop at any empty space.
11. Click New and then click Shortcut.
12. This will open the Create new shortcut
13, In the dialog box, type C:\Windows\explorer.exe and click Next.
14. Rename this file to File Explorer and click Finish.

Note: This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.

In case the steps above didn’t works you can reference to these Links below:

Windows Explorer hangs or freezes

Original Title — Windows Explorer

I upgraded to Windows 8.1 from Windows 8. The longer the OS is up and running, it keeps starting Windows Explorer session automatically, sometimes 30 or 40, the resources. Eventually, I have to power cycle the computer. I don’t have enough resources to reboot.

Replies (1) 

Are you using a 3rd party antivirus/antispyware/security program? If so many of those
can cause startup and running problems. Uninstall 3rd party antivirus and use Windows
Defender which in Windows 8/8.1 is a full antivirus product.

Check with the System Maker Support (Motherboard Maker for custom systems), their
on-line documentation and drivers, and ask in their forums about any known issues.
Update the BIOS, low level chipset drivers, and the major on-board and separate
device drivers (all of those can have a definite impact on boot speed and performance).

Note using Win Key + X and Win Key + W (to get to Control Panel, Run, and Settings
as needed). Win Key + D calls the desktop and the using Win Key toggles Desktop and
Start Screen.

Check Startup Programs.

Right Click in the lower left hand corner — Task Manager
Or WinKEY + X — Task Manager
Or Right Click the Taskbar — Task Manager

Check the StartUp tab.

How to perform a clean boot to troubleshoot a problem in Windows Vista, Windows 7,
or Windows 8/8.1
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135

Other programs to help :

Autoruns — Free — See what programs are configured to startup automatically
when your system boots and you login. Autoruns also shows you the full list
of Registry and file locations where applications can configure auto-start settings.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

Process Explorer — Free — Find out what files, registry keys and other objects
processes have open, which DLLs they have loaded, and more. This uniquely
powerful utility will even show you who owns each process.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx

Process Monitor — Free — an advanced monitoring tool for Windows that shows real-time file system, Registry and process/thread activity. It combines the features of two legacy Sysinternals utilities, Filemon and Regmon, and adds an extensive list of enhancements including rich and non-destructive filtering, comprehensive event properties such session IDs and user names, reliable process information, full thread stacks with integrated symbol support for each operation, simultaneous logging to a file, and much more. Its uniquely powerful features will make Process Monitor a core utility in your system troubleshooting and malware hunting toolkit.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon

Try doing a «Refresh your PC without affecting your files» (or changing your personal
settings) or even a Restore. Be prepared to re-install the programs, Apps will remain.
And having redundant backups of your files off of the main hard drive is always a
good idea.

Windows 8 includes special methods to Refresh (keep files and settings) or a Reset
(new install removing all).

You can also make a Recovery USB drive.

On Nov. 15, 2013 Windows 8.1 Back-up Media will be available for purchase. Newegg and
others will be offering the disc,

Hope this helps.
———————————————————————————————
Rob Brown — Microsoft MVP Rob Brown — past Microsoft MVP — Windows Insider MVP 2016 — 2021
Microsoft MVP Windows and Devices for IT 2009 — 2020

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