8 Ways To Fix “Windows Explorer Has Stopped Working” In Windows 11/10/8/7

Windows Explorer has stopped working | Fix “Windows Explorer has stopped working” in Windows 11/10/8/7 | How to Fix Windows Explorer has stopped working

Unable to open the File Explorer folder normally on Windows 7/8/10 32 or 64 bit because Windows Explorer stopped working? Follow the solutions here to fix and remove this error. Windows Explorer (explorer.exe), later called File Explorer in Windows 10, is a file management system for Windows.

Stay calm when “Windows Explorer has stopped working” an error occurs in Windows 7/8/10/11 (32 or 64 bit). Here are 8 ways to help you get rid of this problem, get your File Explorer back to work:

About “Windows Explorer has stopped working”

Windows Explorer takes you to the hard drive and displays the contents of the folders. Windows Explorer (or File Explorer) is automatically launched whenever you open a folder in the Windows operating system. But most of the time, we usually open it from the shortcuts in the Start menu, taskbar, my computer (This PC in Windows 10), Windows folder, etc.

If you get the “Windows Explorer has stopped working” in Windows 7/8/10/11 (32 or 64 bit) while working in the File Explorer folder, you may not be able to continue working in the folder normally. In fact, in addition to this information, there are two other notifications that indicate that Windows Explorer has stopped working, including:

• Windows Installer has stopped working
• Windows Explorer / File Explorer (Unresponsive)
Such as “File Explorer hangs on Windows 10”, “File Explorer will not open”, and “File Explorer opens and closes immediately”, These errors all mean that File Explorer crashed. Why did Windows File Explorer stop working?

Generally, the following problems can cause error:
• The video driver on your computer is out of date or damaged
• Some system files on your computer are not found or damaged
• Some operating systems or operating systems are in conflict with Windows Explorer
• The file you are trying to open or manage is corrupt
• Your computer is infected with a virus or malware
According to the causes below, you have five compatible solutions for fixing “Windows Explorer has stopped working”. Apart from that, there are more effective ways to solve the problem.

8 Ways to Fix “Windows Explorer Off” Windows 11/10/8/7

In most cases, users, including you, who may have experienced a “Windows Explorer shut down” problem do not know what the cause is. Therefore, follow the steps below one by one to identify the problem and fix it easily.

Method 1. Update Video Driver

Damaged or outdated video driver has been a valid reason for Windows File Explorer to stop working. To find out if a problem results in a problem video driver, all you need to do is update the video driver to your PC.
Step 1. Right-click “This PC” and go to “Manage”> “Device Manager”.
Step 2. Expand “Display Adapters”, right-click on the graphics card driver and select “Update Driver”.
Step 3. In the new windows, click “Automatically search for updated driver software” to continue.

Method 2. Launch the System File Test Tool

Since “Windows Explorer has stopped working” may be caused by loss or corruption of system files, you can use the System File Checker tool which helps to scan and repair system files and fix the problem.

Step 1. Click “Start” and type cmd.

Step 2. Right-click “Command Prompt” and select “Run as administrator”.

Step 3. Enter the following command lines in sequence. (DISM command is used to create a Windows image to protect your data.)

DISM.exe / Online / Cleanup-image / Restorehealth
sfc / scannow

Step 4. Restart the computer and check that the problem persists.

Method 3. Launch Your PC in Safe Mode to Check for Getting Started Problems

Safe Mode starts your computer with only the necessary drives and services. By doing so, it limits your Windows performance to basic functions, which can serve as a troubleshooter. There are several steps you can take to get your computer started in safe mode.

Here we will show you how to get in safe mode from Settings. (The next steps require you to restart your computer. So, open this article on another device to refer to it and finish working.)

Step 1. Click “Start”> “Settings”> “Update & Security”> “Restore”.

Step 2. In the Advanced Launch section, select “Restart now”.

Step 3. Then your computer will restart on the “Select an option” screen, go to “Troubleshooting”> “Advanced Options”> “Startup Settings”> “Restart”.

Step 4. After restarting your PC, you can select safe mode in which you can turn on your computer.

If Windows File Explorer works properly in safe mode, it may be the first thing or third-party operating system causing Windows File Explorer to stop working. To find out where the problem is, you can uninstall the newly installed application or disable startup resources by following the steps below:

Step 1. Press “Windows + R” and enter msconfig.

Step 2. In the System Configuration window, switch to the “Services” tab.

Step 3. Check “Hide all Microsoft services” and then click “Disable all”> “Apply”> “OK”.

Check that “Windows Explorer has stopped working” still exists after each method. By doing so, you can discover the cause and solve the problem using the corresponding fix.

Method 4. Enable “Always show icons, never show icons”

Windows Explorer may stop working because the files you are trying to open are corrupt. This happens every time you try to open image files on your computer. To adjust it, you can enable the “Always show icons, never show icons” option. Windows 10 and Windows 8:

Step 1. Open “This PC” and switch to the “View” tab.

Step 2. Click “Options” and then click the “View” tab.

Step 3. Check the “Always show icons, never icons” option and click “Apply”> “OK”.

In Windows 7:
Step 1. Open “Computer” and go to “Edit”> “Folder and search options”.

Step 2. Switch to the “View” tab and check the “Always show icons, never show icons” option.

Step 3. Click “Apply”> “OK”.

Method 5. Remove Virus or Malware Infections

Apart from the common causes, a virus or malware may cause your Windows Explorer to shut down. To remove any possible virus or malware, use anti-virus software on your computer.
Step 1. Install and install anti-virus software on your PC.

Step 2. Remove the entire computer hard drive and remove any virus or malware that is unknown to the computer.

Step 3. Recover lost files downloaded by antivirus software.

Method 6. Clear Log In Event Viewer

Many users have reported efficiency in removing the event login viewer. It ‘s good to try if you are still worried that Windows Explorer is not working. (The following steps are performed in Windows 10.)
Step 1. Click “Start” and enter the event viewer.

Step 2. Right-click on “Event Viewer” and select “Run as administrator”.

Step 3. Expand “Windows Logs” and select “Application”.

Step 4. In the “Actions” section, select “Clear Log …”, then click “Delete” to confirm your operation.

Method 7. Check Your RAM System Memory

Problem RAW may also cause “Windows Explorer to stop working”. Check your computer’s RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic.
Step 1. Open the “Start” menu, type Memory, and select “Windows Memory Diagnostics”.

Step 2. Choose whether to restart the computer and use the tool immediately or configure the tool that will be used for the next restart.

Step 3. Windows Memory Diagnostics works automatically after the computer restarts and performs a standard memory test automatically. If you want to do a few or more tests, press F1, use the Up and Down arrow keys to set the Test Mode as Basic, Normal, or Extended, then press F10 to apply the settings you want and start testing.

Step 4. When the test is complete, the computer restarts automatically. You will see the test results when you sign in.

Method 8. Perform System Restore

Final fixes always help to remove the “Windows Explorer stop” problem properly. However, dangers do exist. Restoring your previous version of Windows allows you to return to operating mode before a question arises, however, all recently added data or applications installed after that point will be permanently deleted. Therefore, always remember to keep a copy of important computer data to avoid major data loss.

Conclusion

“Windows Explorer has stopped working” is one of the most common problems in Windows. Many users experienced it at one time. If the correction in this article is helpful to you, do not hesitate to share it with others to help them, too.

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