When File Explor­er Not Work­ing on Win­dows 11, Fixing It in 7 Easy Steps

File Explorer is a crucial tool in Windows 11 for browsing files, folders, and even cloud storage like OneDrive, Google Drive, and iCloud. But what if the File Explor­er Not Work­ing or completely stops working? Many Windows 11 users have reported similar issues.

It’s safe to say that any issues with File Explorer can effectively disrupt your workflow and cause anxiety. To assist you, we’ve put together a list of fixes that should have you browsing files again in no time. Let’s get started.

Related: Missing Thumbnails in Windows 10, Here are 10 Solutions

Try To Restart Windows Explorer

If the File Explor­er Not Work­ing or becomes unresponsive or crashes, first try restarting the Windows Explorer process to see if that helps. Here’s how to do it.

1. To quickly launch the Task Manager, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard.
2. To expand the More details option in the Task Manager window, click it.

   

3. Scroll down to Windows Explorer in the Process tab. Select it, then press the bottom-right Restart button.

   

Wait for Windows to restart the File Explorer, then check to see if everything is working properly.

Related: How to Fix Slow Google Chrome on Win­dows 11/10: 7 Easy Fixes

Try To Reboot Pc

If restarting Windows Explorer doesn’t work, you might want to try restarting your computer. This will restart all of the apps and processes that are currently running on your computer.

Try to Clear File Explorer Cache

The more you use file explorer, the more information it gathers. If not cleared at regular intervals, this cache data can cause the File Explorer to slow down or even crash. As a result, you can attempt to remove it by following the steps below.

1. Press Enter after clicking the Search icon in the taskbar and typing in File Explorer options.

   

2. Switch to the General tab in the File Explorer Options window that appears. To clear the File Explorer cache, go to the Privacy section and click the Clear button, then OK.

Try to Run Sfc and Dism Scan

The SFC (System File Checker) scan is a useful Windows utility that can locate corrupted system files and restore them to their previous state. If the File Explor­er Not Work­ing on Windows 11 and  keeps crashing, try running an SFC scan using the instructions below.

1. Select the Windows Terminal (admin) option from the resulting menu by right-clicking on the Start menu icon.
2. Press Enter after typing the command listed below.

    SFC /scannow

Wait for the process to finish (it may take a while) before restarting your computer. If the problem persists, run a DISM scan, which stands for Deployment Image Servicing and Management. DISM is a system utility that, like SFC scan, is designed to repair system images and files on Windows. Here’s how to make it work.

Start Command Prompt with admin rights and type the commands below one by one.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

After that, restart your computer and check if File Explorer is working properly.

Related: When Microsoft Store Not Open­ing in Win­dows 11, Here are 8 Fixes

Try to Run System Maintenance Troubleshooter

If the above methods don’t work, you can use the System Maintenance Troubleshooter to fix the File Explorer issues on Windows 11. It can improve your PC’s overall performance by resolving issues like broken desktop shortcuts, unused icons, and disk volume errors, among others.

Continue reading to learn how to use Windows 11’s System Maintenance Troubleshooter.

1. Press Enter after clicking the Search icon in the taskbar and typing control panel.
2. If it isn’t already, change the view type to large icons in the Control Panel window and go to Troubleshooting.
3. Select Run maintenance tasks from the System and Security menu.

Then, to run the troubleshooter, follow the on-screen instructions. Then restart your computer to see if the problem has been resolved.

Try to Scan for Malware

It’s possible that a malicious virus has infected your computer and is interfering with normal Windows 11 operations. You can double-check by running a quick scan on your computer for malware and viruses.

Related: How to Select Multiple Files on Win­dows 10 File Explorer, Here 4 Tricks

Try to Check for Windows Updates

Finally, if none of the above solutions have worked, check your PC for any pending updates. If that’s the case, go ahead and set them up first. When it comes to releasing fixes, Microsoft is usually very quick. The current File Explorer-related issues you’re experiencing may have been resolved by the newer Windows 11 build.

To check for updates, open the Settings app by pressing Windows key + I. To install any pending updates, go to Windows Update.

To see if the problem has been resolved, install all of the updates and restart your computer.

Try to Explore Your Pc

Many of the solutions that helped you fix the File Explorer problems in Windows 10 will also work in Windows 11. The method for applying those fixes has changed slightly. Hopefully, the solutions listed above have helped you get File Explorer up and running again for the time being.