If you are having issues with File Explorer crashing Windows 10 or 11, don’t worry – you are not alone. And we have some helpful solutions for you. This post will discuss why File Explorer is crashing on Windows 10 & 11 and how to fix it. There are several reasons for this problem, such as updates to other Microsoft products not working correctly with Windows 10 and the system being overloaded, which can happen when too many apps start simultaneously. Another reason why File Explorer could be crashing is due to a bad device driver.
File Explorer is now the default way for users to access the file system on Windows 10. When you open File Explorer, you’ll find the familiar Windows 8-style ribbon graph on top of a new dark-themed interface. Installing any apps or using any other tools that use shortcuts or libraries will also affect File Explorer.
File Explorer Crashing Windows 10 & 11 | Causes & Fixes
Windows 10 and 11 are the latest versions of Microsoft’s operating system. It seems like many people are struggling with the update, and one of their biggest complaints is that File Explorer is crashing. This is a widespread issue among PC users because the File Explorer application is one of the most used Windows applications. It’s also vital in our daily lives, whether it’s to transfer files between different devices or access all our cloud services from one place. Unfortunately, some users have reported crashing issues after updating to the latest versions of Windows. Windows 10 may be running better than ever for some people, but for others, it’s been nothing short of an exercise in frustration.
Causes why File Explorer is Crashing
Suppose you’re opening up a document for the first time, you need to go back and edit some of your text, but instead of accessing your files normally, File Explorer crashes unexpectedly. This is a common problem that many users experience on Windows 10 and 11. Following may be some of the causes behind this issue.
- The beginning of the document you are editing may not have been saved before it crashed. If so, there may be an issue with saving or closing/opening corruption issues in File Explorer under certain circumstances.
- The document may have been corrupted.
- You might have installed an add-on that has caused File Explorer to crash.
- The crash may be associated with a virus or spyware installation, but this is rare.
- Under certain circumstances, some users experience crashes while accessing network shares (NFS, SMB, CIFS).
Fixing The Issue | File Explorer Crashing Windows 10 & 11
Windows 10 / 11 crashes are one of the most frustrating bugs a user can experience. Windows 10 comes in two flavors, Home and Pro, so there are many different installation methods for each version. However, all versions of the operating system have a similar bug; whenever you’re browsing the files in your computer explorer window, it will crash and cause your device to reboot.
Here are some steps you can follow to get rid of problems with File Explorer:
- Clear Cache: Clearing Cache will help you fix File Explorer crashing and some of the other annoying problems you might have had.
- Reinstall: If clearing the cache doesn’t work, try uninstalling and reinstalling programs, drivers, and Windows updates – this will target the files more specifically for your particular computer.
- Uninstall Temp Files: It is possible that deleting temporary files will help fix the problem with File Explorer crashing Windows 10 & 11 – check for any temp files that might be causing you problems and delete them if necessary.
- Reset Your PC: This will delete all temporary files and other unnecessary files from your hard drive – it is possible that these are causing problems with File Explorer crashing in Windows 10 & 11.
- Reset File Explorer: If you reset the file explorer, it will bring them back to how they were before you had any issues (as well as solve problems with File Explorer crashing Windows 10 & 11).
- Update Drivers: If your computer keeps crashing, you should update all the drivers on your computer; this will target the files more specifically for your particular computer.
- Update Windows: You should also check for updates to Windows if you’re having problems with File Explorer crashing in Windows 10 & 11 – this will help to solve your issues.
- Repair Corrupted System Files: Some corrupted system files might be the reason behind File Explorer crashing on your PC. This would require you to check and then repair the corrupted system files.
You should also ensure you’ve downloaded all your files to a folder before running an update because sometimes an update could cause OS corruption.
FAQs | File Explorer Crashing Windows 10 & 11
My File Explorer window is blank or it just keeps loading and going away.
This could be one of two issues. If your application has a bug that does not let the window load properly, then File Explorer will not start properly, and you will see the title bar disappear in place of the title bar text and no contents appear. If the window just loads and goes away, it may be a problem with the system.
I’m having trouble with File Explorer Crashing even when I’m not working on a laptop.
If you have ultra-high resolution monitors, the File Explorer window may not be scaling properly, which can cause this issue. This problem occurs when the window is too large for your screen resolution.
File Explorer has crashed, and I can’t access any files.
Your computer may be encountering issues due to the Windows 10 update 1809. A faulty Surface driver might cause the problem, so check that there isn’t a conflict on your PC before further troubleshooting. You can also try disabling Windows Defender to see if any of the apps are causing issues.
Is there an easy fix if Windows 10 File Explorer crashes?
For those who have experienced the problem with File Explorer crashing, you may find it torturous. However, don’t worry. There are actually a few possible fixes that can resolve this issue. One way to resolve the problem is to restart the computer. Another is to uninstall the incompatible apps via Control Panel, then reinstall the app. You may also need to use “Repair this PC” to resolve the problem.
See Also: AMC Plus Not Working? Here’s What You Can Do
Conclusion
Many Windows users reported that their File Explorer crashes on Windows 10 and 11. Users, in general, faced a lot of issues with File Explorer. Even though most users are satisfied with the performance of Windows 10, a significant number of Windows 10 users have been reporting sudden crashes in File. In the end, we hope you found this article helpful in solving the mystery of your File explorer crashing Windows 10 & 11.