PRO Courses Hot Guides Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade QUIZZES All Quizzes Hot Community Quizzes Love Quizzes Personality Quizzes Trivia Quizzes Taylor Swift Quizzes EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard Trending Forums Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Quizzes Love Quizzes Personality Quizzes Fun Games Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth LOG IN Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. Facebook Google wikiHow Account No account yet? Create an account Browse Articles Quizzes & Games All Quizzes Hot Community Quizzes Personality Quizzes Dating Simulator Learn Something New Support wikiHow Log in / Sign up Computers and Electronics Operating Systems Last Updated: March 14, 2026 Fact Checked This article was reviewed by Stan Kats and by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly . Stan Kats is a Professional Technologist and the COO and Chief Technologist for The STG IT Consulting Group in West Hollywood, California. Stan provides comprehensive technology solutions to businesses through managed IT services, and for individuals through his consumer service business, Stan's Tech Garage. Stan holds a BA in International Relations from The University of Southern California. He began his career working in the Fortune 500 IT world. Stan founded his companies to offer an enterprise-level of expertise for small businesses and individuals. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 67,001 times. Do you need help with Windows File Explorer? If you're having issues using or launching the application, it's easy to get it working again! Here's how to troubleshoot the File Explorer in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Fixing File Explorer in Windows If File Explorer isn't working on your Windows device, make sure it's fully updated. Open the Task Manager, select Windows Explorer , and then select Restart to reset it. Use the System File Checker tool to find and repair any corrupted files. Check for updates. Make sure your Windows computer is up to date. Since File Explorer is a built-in Windows tool, you'll need to install system updates regularly when they arrive. If the error is due to Microsoft, updates will ensure the File Explorer performs regularly again. [1] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source To check for updates , do the following: Click the Start menu and select Settings . Click Windows Update . Click Check for updates . Install any new updates. Restart your computer. Click the Start menu and select Settings . Click Windows Update . Click Check for updates . Install any new updates. Restart your computer. Restart File Explorer. Force-restart the File Explorer. If your File Explorer isn't opening or responding, you can easily restart it using the Task Manager. This has a different name in the Task Manager, so be sure to select the correct process. Do the following: Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager . Find and select Windows Explorer . Click Restart task at the top. Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager . Find and select Windows Explorer . Click Restart task at the top. Clear File Explorer's history. If you search often in the File Explorer, the cache may have gotten corrupted over time. When you clear the File Explorer history, you won't see any past searches in the search fields or address bar. Do the following: Open the Start menu. Type "file explorer options" and click File Explorer Options . Click the General tab. Click Clear under the Privacy header. Open the Start menu. Type "file explorer options" and click File Explorer Options .

Click the General tab. Click Clear under the Privacy header. Use the System File Checker tool. Windows has a built-in tool called the System File Checker (SFC) that can help scan and detect corrupted system files. If you have a lot of files and data, this process may take some time. [2] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source Be sure your computer remains on for the entire scanning process. To open and use the System File Checker tool, do the following: Open the Start menu and type "cmd". Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator . Type sfc /scannow and press Enter . Wait for the scan to reach 100% completion. Restart your computer after corrupted files are found. Open the Start menu and type "cmd". Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator . Type sfc /scannow and press Enter . Wait for the scan to reach 100% completion. Restart your computer after corrupted files are found. Reset File Explorer folders. Reset the File Explorer folders to their default settings. If you recently changed some settings in File Explorer, it may have affected its performance. Luckily, you can easily revert the changes to the default settings. Do the following: Open the Start menu. Type "file explorer options" and click File Explorer Options . Click the General tab. Click Restore Defaults at the bottom. Open the Start menu. Type "file explorer options" and click File Explorer Options . Click the General tab. Click Restore Defaults at the bottom. If all else fails, consider resetting your PC. You can fully reset it , use a System Restore point, or reinstall Windows . Be sure to back up all your data before doing so; resetting your computer will erase all files and data on it. [3] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source You Might Also Like ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/fix-file-explorer-if-it-won-t-open-or-start-ce614e06-be97-fe4a-a7ce-d6bf13a8cb98 ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/use-the-system-file-checker-tool-to-repair-missing-or-corrupted-system-files-79aa86cb-ca52-166a-92a3-966e85d4094e ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/recovery-options-in-windows-31ce2444-7de3-818c-d626-e3b5a3024da5 About This Article Send fan mail to authors Is this article up to date? Quizzes & Games You Might Also Like Trending Articles Trending Articles Take the Quiz. Face the Truth. 🔥 Decode Yourself 🧩 Featured Videos Hot Takes Only 🔥 Your Daily Dose of Fun 🎉 Computers and Electronics Operating Systems Do Not Sell or Share My Info Not Selling Info Keep up with tech in just 5 minutes a week!