Why is my PC’s File Explorer Not Responding and how to fix it?

Without the file explorer, it would be very difficult for us to find files that we have stored on our computer or device. It is for this reason that it is vital keep this program running and in optimal conditions. However, on certain occasions an error may occur when starting it.

When a file explorer stops working, there are some actions the user can take to fix it. This can be anything from a simple reboot, to something more drastic than format the computer from scratch. The solutions depend on the error and/or the causes that cause the malfunction.

What is the reason why the file explorer on your PC is not working?

Among the main causes that we can point out regarding the file explorer malfunction, we can mention some of the most common, which are the following:

• The video driver that is installed is not the latest version. Although there is also the possibility that this program is damaged.
• It is likely that some file hosted on the computer is damaged or failing, has become corrupted by downloading some file or executable program.

• There is a possibility that an important file from this program can’t match other files. In such a case, it is necessary to carry out a diagnosis, review files that have been added, verify its source, defragment the disk, among other actions.
• The system in general can be affected by a virus of any kind, causing this and any other program to malfunction.
• A process or program may be running in the background without knowing it, which is causing the main program to not work properly.

There are many other reasons that we will not mention, but what we can recommend is that you evaluate each possibility on your computer. On the contrary, You will not be able to transfer files from the cell phone to the PC and vice versa.

What can you do to reset the file explorer on your computer?

Assuming that you have not yet been able to find the exact cause of this problem, it is best to opt for the browser restart. To do this, you have various methods which we will detail below. You probably need to know that the process belonging to this program is Explorer.Exe

Using a keyboard command

To do this, you have to follow a series of simple steps that we will mention shortly. Of course, it does not matter if you have Windows 7, 8 or 10 since the steps are the same for all cases:

• Press the CTRL + ALT + DEL key combination or right-click on a blank space on the Windows taskbar and choose Task Manager.
• Now the task manager will open or the screen may change and show you a series of options to choose from. In the second case, you have to choose Task Manager.
• You are going to go to the processes tab and there locate the Explorer.exe process
• When you select it, an option will be enabled that will allow you to end that process.
• When you finish this process, you will go to the File tab or menu and there choose a New Task.
• It will ask you to write something, there you will place explorery and then OK.
• Then you have to exit Task Manager and you are good to go.

with control panel

With the control panel it is basically the same as the aforementioned, with the difference that it is an alternative for cases where the task manager cannot be enabled.

However, you can reset this program manually and as long as the OS allows you to run the file explorer. Note that while have File Explorer active, it is possible to customize the Advanced mode in Windows 10. The steps to follow are the following:

• Open the task manager and then go to the processes tab
• Locate the explorer process and with right click, select the process
• Choose the option ‘Go to Details’
• Locate the corresponding process and with right click, select it until an additional option appearsl.
• You are going to select it and wait around 10 minutes for the reboot to complete.

Via CMD

For this process, a little knowledge and knowing what is being done is required. However, you just have to do the following:

• Activate the Command window by pressing Windows + R
• now you’re going to type CMD to activate command prompt
• In the command line that you are enabled to write, you will place the following: taskkill /f /im explorer.exe.
• Then you are going to press Enter and wait for the command to be executed
• After a few seconds, you will type the following command line to restart the process: start explorer.exe

How to fix your file explorer with task manager on your PC?

You just have to follow the steps that we have mentioned before and you will not have the need to format the computer.

Of course, after you have done everything explained, you can try to open the File Explorer with the keyboard. If it runs, it is because the reboot has finished successfully. Otherwise, you will have to evaluate the causes of why the problem continues to persist.