How to Restart Windows Explorer Without Rebooting Computer

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Quick ways to safely reset Windows Explorer

Co-authored by Rain Kengly

Last Updated: March 29, 2024 Fact Checked

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Using Task Manager

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Using Command Prompt

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Using Exit Explorer

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Windows Explorer renders the file manager, desktop icons, taskbar, task switcher, and a few other elements. When Windows Explorer becomes unresponsive and freezes, it's often necessary to restart it. Luckily, there are ways to do this without turning your PC off. Here's how to restart Windows Explorer without rebooting your computer.

Quick Steps

Right-click the Start menu and click Task Manager.
Right-click Windows Explorer.
Click Restart.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Task Manager

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1
Open the Task Manager. You can right-click the Start menu and select Task Manager.
- If your taskbar is missing, press CTRL + ALT + Del and click Task Manager.
2
Right-click Windows Explorer. This will be underneath the Name header, next to a folder icon.
- If you aren't already on the Processes tab, click it to navigate there now.
- If you don't see any apps listed, click More details at the bottom of the window.
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This will restart Windows Explorer.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Command Prompt

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1
Open the Command Prompt. Click the Start menu and type "cmd". The Command Prompt will be the first result.
- Alternatively, press the Windows key + R to open the Run program. Type "cmd" and press Enter.
This will run the code to stop explorer.exe.
This will run the code to start explorer.exe again.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Exit Explorer

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Keep these keys pressed down.
When the pop-up menu opens, you can release the keyboard keys.
This is at the very bottom of the menu.
4
Open the Task Manager. You can right-click the Start menu and select Task Manager.
- Alternatively, press CTRL + ALT + Del and click Task Manager.^{[1]
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5
Click File. This will be at the top-right corner.
- If you don't see anything listed, click More details at the bottom of the window.
A new window will open.
This will start explorer.exe again.

Community Q&A

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Question

What should I do if I have a blank screen after following all the Windows 10 instructions?

Community Answer

Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), expand Task Manager into the detailed view, click "File", type "cmd", click "OK" or hit "Enter". In Command Prompt, type "explorer" and hit "Enter". Your desktop should appear.

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Question

My computer wrote a bios error then it just switched off on screen. Any tips?

Community Answer

1.Open the Task Manager. Since the taskbar is likely to be frozen along with Windows Explorer, pressing Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Esc will also open the Task Manager.

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Question

Is it safe to restart Windows Explorer while it is deleting something?

Jasneet Singh Saini

Community Answer

No. If you do so, your computer might hang, crash or the file might not be deleted.

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Video

Warnings

If Windows Explorer is closed and not re-opened, any keyboard shortcuts using the Windows key will not function until Windows Explorer is restarted.

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Tips

The Windows 7, Vista, and XP method can be used with Windows 10 and 8, but you'll need to end the Windows Explorer task by right-clicking the listing and clicking End task.

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