Internet Explorer 11 is missing after Windows 10 update in December 2017

I have seen others post as they are having a similar problem.

After a recent Windows 10 update Internet Explorer is missing — to be clear it is not disabled and simply needs to be switched back on. The actual iexplore.exe file is missing, the icons are no longer there and it does not appear in the start menu.

I know other browsers, including Edge are available but I use a couple of older accounting programs that require IE to be available on the computer and these will no longer open and the information they contain is critical.

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We’ve noticed that the post is idle; we’re sorry about the delays. We are here to check if you’re still having the mentioned issue. A week had past since the post became idle, so we’re having the assumption that you’ve found a solution for this already. Would you mind sharing it to us?

If you still need help, the first thing that we need to check is the Windows App and Features. To access it:

Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & Features > Manage optional features.

Ensure that the Internet Explorer 11 is properly installed under that section. If you cant find it there, you have to check if it is enabled/selected and active under Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on and off.

Get back to us, for us to continue.

12 people found this reply helpful

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn’t help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

We’ve noticed that the post is idle; we’re sorry about the delays. We are here to check if you’re still having the mentioned issue. A week had past since the post became idle, so we’re having the assumption that you’ve found a solution for this already. Would you mind sharing it to us?

If you still need help, the first thing that we need to check is the Windows App and Features. To access it:

Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & Features > Manage optional features.

Ensure that the Internet Explorer 11 is properly installed under that section. If you cant find it there, you have to check if it is enabled/selected and active under Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on and off.

Get back to us, for us to continue.

Internet Explorer is not listed in the turn windows features on and off..

Windows cannot find explorer.exe [8 fixes that really work]

• Windows may fail to find or read the explore.exe file and throw this Windows cannot find explorer.exe error. This error leads to system crashes, BSOD, black screen and missing taskbar.
• One of the common causes of Windows cannot find explorer.exe error is the possibility of virus infection. The virus may disable the filexplorer.exe file altogether to prevent the user from accessing the local drive thus saving itself from being deleted.
• There are plenty of other File Explorer problems but if you have another one, you can find a solution in our Fix File Explorer errors hub
• Most of our articles focus on Windows 10 errors since they are pre predominant cause of distress for the users. Check our Windows 10 errors hub to find solutions for any such problems.

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File Explorer is one of the most frequently used tools by any Windows user. Unless you are good with Command prompt, File Explorer is the way to go.

However, at times Windows may fail to find or read the explore.exe file and throw this Windows cannot find explorer.exe error.

This error leads to system crashes, BSOD, black screen and missing taskbar.

What causes Windows cannot find explorer.exe errors?

There is no specific reason why you may see this error on your Windows PC. In fact, different users had given different reasons when this error first popped up on the screen.

Some users have reported that the error only appears if an administrator or the new user tries to access the account.

Others have reported the error to be random and appear on PCs that were not in use for an extended period.

An external peripheral device can also cause this error.

If Windows fails to recognize any of your external peripheral devices like a keyboard or mouse and if the device creates conflict with the explorer.exe file you may end up with this error.

Another reason for Windows cannot find explorer.exe error could be a virus-infected PC or file corruption. You may also face this error while trying to access Desktop properties function.

It is also possible that you or someone else may have accidentally deleted the explorer.exe file resulting in this error.

How can I fix Windows cannot find explorer.exe errors?

Depending on whether your PC has a hardware issue or infected with a virus, there are multiple solutions to this problem.

In this article, I have listed all the possible solutions to fix this error on Windows. Here they are:

Solution 1: Check your computer for Virus Infection

One of the common causes of Windows cannot find explorer.exe error is the possibility of virus-infected PC.

The virus may disable the filexplorer.exe file altogether to prevent the user from accessing the local drive thus saving itself from being deleted.

We have a detailed guide on the best antivirus software you can use on Windows PC. Follow the guide to download the best antivirus in case you don’t have one already installed.

If you are in a hurry, download Malwarebytes antivirus and scan the PC.

If you have an antivirus installed, scan the PC for a potential virus. If found, quarantine the virus and restart your PC. Some traces of virus may remain even after removing the file.

After removing the virus, check the report in your Antivirus program and find the location where the virus was installed.

Navigate to the location and delete any file and folder associated with the virus.

Solution 2: Manually Start Explorer.exe from Task Manager

You can try to restart the explorer.exe process manually from the task manager.

You can open the task manager by right-clicking on the Taskbar and Start button. If these options are inaccessible, do the following.

1. Press Control + Alt + Delete key on your keyboard. From the options, click on Task Manager to open it.

Or

2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.

3. From the Task Manager window, click on File and select Run a New Task option.

4. Type explorer.exe and check the option Create this task with administrative privilege and click OK.

This will run the explorer.exe process. In a few seconds, you should see the File Explorer window and get it to work again.

If that didn’t work, try the following steps.

1. After running a scan for Virus infection, open the Task Manager.
2. Click on File > Run a new Task.
3. In the Task Runner, type C:Windows and hit enter.
   
4. Now search for Explorer.exe file. Right-click on Explorer.exe and select Run as Administrator.
   
   

Wait for a few seconds, and the Windows File Explorer should start working again.

Solution 3: Change File Explorer Options

You can tweak the preference in File Explorer Options to fix the Windows cannot find explorer.exe error in Windows. Here is how to do it.

1. In the Cortana/Search bar type, File Explorer Options and open it from the result.
2. In the General tab, click the drop button for Open File Explorer to: and select Quick Access. If the option is already set to Quick Access, set it to This PC.
   
3. Click OK and then Apply to save the changes.

Now try to open the File Explorer to see whether the error is resolved or not.

Run a System Scan to discover potential errors

Solution 4: Run System File Checker Sfc / Scannow

Windows 10 comes with a built-in system file checker tool that scans the PC for missing or corrupt system files and replaces it with fresh system files from the local drive.

Here is how to run the System File Checker tool on Windows.

Open Command Prompt as admin. To do this, click Search / Cortana bar and type cmd. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

Press Windows Key + R. Type cmd but don’t hit enter yet. After typing cmd, press Ctrl + Shit and hit enter. This will open the Command Prompt with administrative privileges.

In the Command Prompt enter the following command and hit enter:

Sfc /scannow

Now the System File Checker will scan and check for the corrupted or missing files and fix them. If Filexplorer.exe file has been altered in any way, this scan should fix it.

Solution 5: Delete Explorer keys from the Registry Editor

You can try to fix the problem by deleting two key entries from the Registry Editor. Here is how to do it.

Note: Before making any changes to the Registry Editor, it is recommended that to create a Restore Point using the guide. Proceed with the below steps after the Restore Point is created.

Press Windows Key + R. Type regedit and hit enter.

In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path. You can copy and paste this path in the registry editor for easier navigation.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options

Under this key, you will find two subkeys named Explorer.exe and iexplorer.exe. Delete both the keys completely.

Next, you need to navigate to the following path in the registry editor.

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Click on Winlogon key and from the right pane and look for an entry named Shell.

Double click on Shell. Under its Value Data: You should see explorer.exe. If there are other entries apart from explorer.exe in the field, highlight and delete them.

Close the Registry Editor and restart the PC.

Upon restart, you should be able to access the File Explorer without any error.

Solution 6: Restore PC using Restore Point

Windows PCs automatically create Restore Points in your local drive. These Restore Points consist of a working image of your Windows System that can be restored in case of file corruption or system crash.

Here is how to use Restore Point to fix Filexplore.exe not found error in Windows.

1. In the Cortana/Search bar, type Restore, and select Create a Restore Point from the result.
   
2. Next, click on the System Restore button.
3. In the System Restore Window, you will see two options. Select Choose a different restore point and click Next.
   
   
4. Next, check the Show more restore points option. This will show all the Restore Points in your system.
5. Select one of the Restore Points and click on Scan for affected programs. This will display all the programs that will be installed/reinstalled during the restoration process.
6. Click Finish to initiate the process.

Wait for the System Restore process to complete. The PC will automatically restart possibly fixing your problem.

Solution 7: Check your External Peripheral devices

At times, an incompatible peripheral device can cause the explorer.exe related error on Windows.

Begin by removing all the external devices connected to your PC like the USB drive, USB dongle for Bluetooth device, USB mouse, keyboard, external hard drive, webcam, etc.

Restart your PC after removing all the devices and see if the error is resolved.

Solution 8: Perform a clean install

If none of the above solutions work for you, you may try to clean install Windows.

Doing so, you will able to install the latest version of Windows but also lose all the installed programs on your PC.

Make sure you create a complete backup of your data before proceeding with the clean install.

To clean install Windows, you need installation media. You can create a Bootable USB flash drive using Windows ISO. Follow the guide for more instructions.

Conclusion

The Windows cannot find explorer.exe error can occur due to several reasons. Prime reasons being virus infection and system file corruption.

Follow the solution given in this article, and you should be able to fix the problem on your computer.

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Let us know which of these solutions helped you fix the problem or if you have a new fix in the comments.