Explorer does not work on Windows 7. Explorer has stopped working or Explorer is restarting. Causes of programs freezing and their solutions

20.08.2020

Hello, today we will talk about a fairly common problem, namely that Windows 7 Explorer does not respond or begins to freeze.

When I first encountered this problem, I thought that I could not solve it on my own, but after searching the Internet for half a day, I finally found a way to fix this error. So that you don’t have to look for an answer for just as long, I will write about this method here.

So, errors with Windows 7 Explorer can occur for many reasons, for example, lack of RAM (random access memory). To find out if this is the problem, open the task manager, to do this, hold down the key combination “Alt + Ctrl + Delete”; if you can’t hold down the buttons at the same time, turn on sticky keys.

Next, click on the “performance” tab and look at the RAM usage monitor. As you can see in the picture, my RAM load is about 50%, if yours is the same or less, then this is not the problem. The main thing is that the workload is less than 90%.

If you wish, you can also check the processor temperature, since in 60% of cases this is the problem.

There are, of course, a lot of methods to correct this error, the first and most reliable of which is to reinstall the Windows operating system. But most likely, this method is not suitable for everyone. But the second method is much easier, you need to download special program, called ShellExView, which you can find on the Internet by entering the name into the Google or Yandex search engine. I want to warn you that if you have Windows 7, then download the 64-bit version of the program. After downloading it, follow the following instructions:

Run the program as an administrator; if you do not know how to do this, then read the article on how to enable administrator rights.

After launching the program, a window will open in which you can see all running extensions. Now, using the slider, scroll through the list of extensions to the right, find the line “Company” and click on it. As a result, the program will highlight one of the extensions that needs to be disabled. You must do so by pressing the “F7” button. Then all that remains is to restart the computer. That's it, now you have corrected this error and it should no longer bother you.

In this guide, you learned what to do if Windows 7 Explorer stops responding and displays an error window. If the problem is still not resolved, then let me know, I will definitely help fix it. And it’s time for me to say goodbye to you, thank you all for your attention.

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What to do if Explorer is not responding in Windows 7

Hello. Have you encountered a similar situation when, after booting the PC, instead of the desktop with shortcuts and other elements, only the background was displayed? Similar situation indicates that the File Explorer process is not responding in windows 7. How to fix this?

Why did Explorer stop working?

This defect is typical for unofficial versions of Windows that have been hacked or activated by pirated utilities. But there may be other reasons, which include the following solutions.

First you need to start displaying the interface. Press Win + R on the keyboard and enter the command:

The desktop should load. Let's move on to specific solutions.

The video driver is broken

This software is responsible for processing the visual component of the system. And if errors occur at this level, then the explorer may not be displayed correctly.

It is necessary to do a number of manipulations:

In the control panel we find the device manager, or go to it by selecting from the context menu after right-clicking on the “My Computer” icon:

When a window with a list of equipment opens, select “Video adapters” and go to the properties of the graphics adapter. On the “Driver” tab, click the “Delete” button:

Now you need to download new version drivers for the device from the official website. I talked about this in detail in the article at the link. You can automate the procedure using the IOBit utility Driver Booster. Just install it, start scanning and wait for the process to complete:

Malicious scripts

If you used activators to hack your license, it is likely that a virus entered your system along with them. If Windows 7 Explorer does not respond for this reason, what should I do?

Most likely, the antivirus you installed missed the threat, and you will need to use portable utilities for a deeper scan. I advise you to download AdwCleaner and DrWeb CureIt and run them one by one (in any order).

After each scan, reboot the computer.

Checking the integrity of the file system

Windows has a great tool that helps you find critical errors. To use it, you need to call the command line console by typing the CMD query in the search bar:

Be sure to open with administrator rights!

Now you need to use the command and wait for the verification to complete:

Usually errors are corrected automatically, but this will require rebooting the laptop.

Reduced resource consumption

When the processor and RAM are loaded, the “Explorer has stopped responding in Windows 7” problem occurs. You need to reduce the load by ending in the task manager unnecessary services and tasks:

It would be a good idea to optimize autoloading. Read more about these important manipulations here.

Cloud services

It’s one thing when you use the “cloud” on the Internet, but it’s quite another thing to install additional file managers on your PC. They are convenient, I agree, but such software also makes changes to Explorer, causing errors. This happens infrequently, but this solution option should not be ruled out.

Just deactivate everything installed services, like OneDrive, Dropbox. Yandex Disk, etc. To find the “culprit”, you should disable them one by one. This way you can determine which software is causing the problem.

So we figured out why Windows 7 Explorer is not responding, and how to fix it. If you have other recommendations, please share them in the comments.

Sincerely, Victor!

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How to fix frozen Windows Explorer

The Windows operating system has proven itself in a variety of roles. This is both a powerful gaming platform and a support for an office worker who values speed and reliability. In everyday work, you don’t expect any problems from an OS of this level. But they arise with noticeable frequency, and you need to be prepared for them. We are talking about the situation when Explorer does not respond in Windows 7, how to fix this misunderstanding? Let's try to figure it out.

Algorithm of actions to solve the problem of Windows Explorer freezing.

What caused the problem?

There can be quite a lot of situations that cause an error. When Windows Explorer doesn't work in Windows 10, the system tries to fix the problem itself. In more earlier versions Such productive initiative cannot always be expected. The user may receive a message that the Explorer program has stopped working in the following cases:

Setting up Windows Explorer

Surely many users have encountered such an unpleasant message from their operating system as “Windows 7 Explorer has stopped working.” This happens very often when opening a folder or when you try to empty the Recycle Bin. It happens that with such an emergency termination, you see the message “Explorer is not responding to Windows 7.”

In principle, the essence of the problem does not change. This can happen either once a week or every ten minutes. In addition to the fact that this significantly slows down the computer, it is very capable of affecting the user's nervous system. Let's figure out how to fix the situation so that Windows Explorer works normally.

In such cases, many may begin to blame Microsoft for producing a low-quality product. This, by the way, is an excellent excuse for those who don’t even try to figure something out. What could be easier than blaming someone for your incompetence? But you shouldn’t rush to conclusions. Most likely, the reason lies in the various add-ons that have been integrated into Windows Explorer. Typically this is done third party applications without your knowledge, or when you do not bother to look during the installation of the program, which items are checked. To make it clear what we are talking about, right-click on any file. IN context menu you will see the same points.

Of course, sometimes it is very difficult to determine which of all these applications Windows Explorer conflicts with. Therefore, we offer you instructions that will help you detect the problem and correct the situation.

Download the utility called Shell Ex View version 1.47 – Shell Extensions Manager. It will give you the opportunity to manage all existing extensions. It is worth noting that you can download it anywhere, since it is distributed free of charge. Another advantage is that both a version for a 32-bit operating system and a 64-bit one are available to you. Depending on what operating system you have installed, download one or another option.

As soon as you have downloaded this software, run the application with administrator rights, and then start sorting the list of all add-ons by the name of the developer company. To do this, you need to click on the “Company” column.

Now it’s better to restart your computer and then let it work for a while with a clean context menu. If, after working for some time, Windows Explorer does not “swear”, then you can use the applications you need one at a time. Moreover, having launched one, reboot and work for a while without adding more. If everything is fine, there are no failures - connect the next add-on to work. Do this until you identify the “culprit” of all your computer’s troubles. Using this method a large number of people solved this problem in less than one hour. You will definitely succeed too!

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Windows 7 Explorer does not work, the computer freezes when it starts | Computer help

The problem is in the work of Explorer: the computer is working, but as soon as you open the Computer Explorer (My Computer in Windows XP), or My Documents, an error message appears: “The Explorer program has stopped working,” and the computer freezes completely. If you look detailed information error, it says that the Explorer.exe error occurred due to the sdata.dll module.

At starting windows 7 in safe mode the computer works fine. Checked for viruses - clean. Then I decided to do a system restore (Start - Accessories - System Tools - System Restore) - recently, by the way, when various problems arose, it helped many times like never before. I returned the system 2 weeks ago because... Apart from updates to Windows itself, no programs were installed. After the system restore process was completed, the computer booted and was already working normally. Once again, it seems that the problem was caused after updating the operating system (even a licensed one), so advice: Turn off windows updates, or if the computer asks, then simply ignore it.

I’ll add that I solved the problem in a different way.

Because system restore did not work and started looking for the cause in the system. I started looking for a file on the disk and in the registry with the name sdata.dll, because... The Explorer.exe error occurred due to the module sdata.dll.

I didn’t find anything in the registry, but on the disk in the directory C:\windows\ProgramData\srtserv there was this file sdata.dll, and with it the file nadfolder.exe

I deleted the srtserv folder in safe mode, rebooted it and the Explorer crashes stopped

Reading time: 37 min

Explorer is an application that allows you to use a visual interface to navigate from one hard section disk to another to search for items. Error conductor stopped working occurs in rare cases and causes the application to crash.

Why did the Explorer program stop working?

Windows Explorer stops working for several reasons, mainly caused by separate program. At the moment the guide contacts her, she is not available and acts as the root of the problem. The malfunction can be expressed in one-time failures, since the conductor is knocked out infrequently, then it is quite difficult to determine the source. In other cases, every time the application is opened, an error occurs.

Explorer stops working in Windows 7 and other versions due to the following problems:

Integrated context menu elements;
Faulty codecs, mainly video codec;
Elements included in the control panel;
Rarely, but the reason lies in the video adapter;
Sometimes the file explorer process becomes corrupted due to viruses.

Any reason is relevant and can significantly harm the conductor. Diagnose the breakdown and fix it one by one.

Explorer stopped working: context menu fix

Windows 7 Explorer stopped working, how can I fix it if the error is in the context menu? – You should return it to its basic state, that is, remove all non-essential applications, most often this will be the answer.

The easiest way to complete the task is to use the ShellExView utility. The application shows programs that have contextual display.

In the main menu of the program, sort the parameters by “Type”;

Find everything that is of the “Context Menu” nature;
Disable all elements in the path that have an asterisk using RMB or F7, except Microsoft;
Reboot and check the result.

If the expected result does not occur, disable other items, but be sure to leave the processes produced by Microsoft; all others can be disabled. We will have to use a selection method to identify and eliminate the problem.

You can also check that the problem is in minor utilities using safe mode. You can go to it by pressing F8 at startup. In theory, the error Windows 7 Explorer has stopped working should not appear, otherwise you will have to run the sfc agent.

Windows Explorer stopped working, faulty codecs

An urgent question: the Explorer program has stopped working, how can I fix it, because codecs are an invisible part of applications? Let us immediately note that most often the problem is in video codecs, thanks to them a thumbnail of the video file is formed and their absence causes a failure. In some cases, other applications also trigger the error.

To diagnose whether the problem is in the codecs or not, you should disable the display of thumbnails. You can do it like this:

Go to the Control Panel, if this problem occurs, it should open;
Select the Folder Options tile;

In the “View” tab, uncheck the “Display file icons in thumbnails” option.

The type of problem will immediately become obvious; if the codecs are still faulty, then you should simply reinstall them, since there are a lot of them on the Internet.

The integrity of the conductor is broken

If the OS has been subjected to a virus attack or other damage, it may experience changes in operation system files. The problem is not necessarily in the conductor, although there is not much difference. You just need to run a special sfc scan.

Press Win + R and enter cmd;
Paste sfc /scannow into the console;

Only the administrator has rights to perform the procedure.

After checking and eliminating the error using this method, it is still necessary to destroy the viruses; they can be easily processed using antiviruses.

Diagnostics of service health

Many applications have their own services that sometimes crash. It is necessary to disable all third-party elements one by one and then, inevitably, a problematic application will be found. To do this you need:

Win + R and enter msconfig;
Go to the “Services” tab;
At the bottom, select “Do not display system services”;

You should not disable, at least first of all, driver services; everything else can be deactivated.

When the root of the problem is determined, you should update the drivers for the application or completely stop using it.

Driver for video adapter

The cause of multiple problems, especially those related to the video component, is the video driver. It consists of complex mechanisms, frequently updated, adapters and varieties of drivers exist great amount– all this causes the risk of application failures.

You just need to update the driver, to do this:

Start and RMB on “Computer”;
Next, select “Properties”;
Now open "Device Manager";

In the “Video adapters” section, select the item with a discrete card;
Double click and go to the “Driver” tab;
Now select "Update".

An alternative is to use GUI from the driver manufacturer, but it does not always work correctly.

By using one of the proposed approaches, there is a high probability that you will be able to eliminate the error and return to correct processing of the conductor. Quite often the problem is in minor programs, and much less often the cause is system failures.

If you still have questions on the topic “Fixing the error “Explorer has stopped working””, you can ask them in the comments

Like many others Windows programs, the conductor may also not work as desired, sometimes there are malfunctions in its operation, sometimes it simply stops responding. And what to do in this case? And okay, if a failure occurs extremely rarely and one-time, but what if failures occur constantly, what to do in this case. After all, this can interfere with your work at the computer. Today we will figure out what to do if the conductor hangs, and where the problems lie.

Causes.

There may be several reasons:

1. Problem with video card drivers.
2. Lack of RAM memory.
3. Viruses.
4. Corrupted files with drawings.
5. System recovery.

We will look at all these reasons and figure out what to do below, but now let’s see what can be done to close Explorer without restarting the computer.
To close Explorer, go to the Task Manager; if Explorer is frozen, you won’t be able to do this as usual, through the bottom panel, so we’ll use hotkeys. Press the combination Ctrl+Shift+Esc on your keyboard and the Task Manager will appear. Select the Processes tab, and in the lower list we find the “explorer.exe” application. For convenience, you can sort everything open applications by "Image name". Now click on the found file and click on “End Process”.

Now you should see a window confirming that Explorer is closing. Feel free to click End process.

After you do this, absolutely everything from your desktop will disappear, this is normal. Now we need to restore the work of Explorer. Go to the File tab and click “New task (Run)”

In the pop-up window, enter explorer.exe and click “OK”

That's it, our explorer has completely restarted, and now it should work more correctly.

Reason 1. Video card drivers.

The method above is only suitable if a conductor failure occurs very rarely and does not greatly interfere with your work, but if failures occur on an ongoing basis, then you need to look for the reason for all this. One of the reasons may just be a malfunction of the video card, or rather its drivers.
To do this, you can simply reinstall the drivers for your video card. You just need to go to the official website of the video card manufacturer and install the new version of the drivers.

You will find a website with drivers for video cards at the end of the article.

After this, you need to restart the computer and that’s it, if the problem was in the video card drivers, then it should have been resolved.

Reason 2: Lack of memory.

The problem may also lie in the lack of memory in your dies. In the modern world, many people have enough memory, but there are those who do not use the computer for games or other processes that require a lot of memory. But only for simple sitting or work, and here you don’t need a lot of memory. Of course, you can solve this problem simply by buying more dies and upgrading your processor. But not everyone needs this, or the funds are not always available. To free up some memory, you need to open the task manager again, go to processes there and sort by the “Memory” tab and close processes that weigh too much. Pay attention to what you cover. For example, if you are currently using a browser, then you should not close it. Close only what you don't need.

To free up some CPU memory, we do the same thing, but sort by “CPU”. It is advisable to close those processes that take up more than 10% of the CPU load.

After you close all resource-intensive processes, the explorer should start working. And next time, to avoid this problem, monitor the memory and CPU load, and close those applications that you do not use.

Reason 3. Viruses.

Problems with Explorer can cause your computer to become infected with viruses. Even if there are no other signs of infection, it is still worth checking your computer for viruses. You can do this with any program that you like and is more convenient. If you don’t have an antivirus, then in any case you need to install it; it definitely won’t be superfluous.
If you have an antivirus, then run it and check for infected files, if there are any, it will offer best option solutions to this problem.

Reason 4. Corrupted files with pictures.

The problem may also arise if the thumbnails of downloaded images are displayed incorrectly. When opening them or editing pictures, interruptions may occur, and subsequently the thumbnail of the pictures may not be displayed correctly. And due to the fact that the thumbnails are displayed incorrectly, crashes in Explorer may occur. To be sure that this is not the problem, you need to disable the display of thumbnails and enable the display of just the file.
To do this, go to “My Computer” and click the “Arrange” button, there you will find “Folder and Search Options” and click on it.

Then in the window that opens, select the “View” tab, and there you will find “Display file icons on thumbnails” and uncheck the box from there, click apply.

Well, if the reason for the explorer freezing was the incorrect display of thumbnail images, the problem should have been solved.

Reason 5. System files.

It is always possible that the Windows 7 system files have already been damaged, and this causes Explorer to malfunction. In these cases, Windows has a special utility that restores damaged files automatically.
To do this, press the Win + r icon, enter cmd in the pop-up window, and press Enter.

In the window that appears, enter sfc /scannow and press Enter.

When scanning of files is finished, restart your computer.

That's all, if the files were damaged, they should have been restored, and Explorer should work normally.

Drivers for your video card from NVIDIA

Video card driver update

The above method of solving the problem is good if it occurs only once. But when the situation repeats itself over and over again, this means that you do not need to deal with the consequences, but look for the root cause of the problem. It may consist, for example, in video driver malfunctions. Let's see how to fix this situation.

Click the "Start" button. Go to the “Control Panel”.

Now click on “System and Security”.

In the window that appears, in the “System” group, click “Device Manager”.

The Device Manager window appears. Click on the name of the “Video adapters” group.

A list of devices opens, among which must be the name of the video card connected to your computer. Double-click on the name of this element with the left mouse button.

The properties window for the selected device will open. Go to the "Driver" tab.

After the object is deleted, you need to search for the driver by device ID. The found file should be downloaded and installed on your PC. If you do not want to perform the search and installation operation manually, this task can be entrusted to specialized programs, in particular DriverPack Solution.

System Restore

But there are cases when viruses or other external factors have already damaged system files, which ultimately results in unstable operation of Explorer. Then the system needs to be restored. Depending on the complexity of the problem and the previously taken preventive measures to eliminate it, the following actions can be taken:

Roll back the system to a previously created restore point;
Restore the system from a previously created backup copy;
Check the integrity of system files using the SFC utility and then restore them;
Completely reinstall the OS.

The first of the two methods above assume that you have a restore point or backup of the system created before File Explorer began to freeze regularly. If you did not take care of security in advance, then in this case only the last two options remain. Of these, reinstalling the system is the most radical of the methods described in this article, and therefore it should be used only as a last resort, if all other methods have failed.

Check for updates

Installation process latest updates allows you to restore the integrity of system files. You may notice the disappearance of various kinds of problems after installing a new version of the operating system, even with complete preservation of user data. This pattern exists provided that you update to the next version (only major system updates).

Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
Click the Check for updates button and wait until they are downloaded and installed. Windows Update
Major updates often fail to download to automatic mode. You need to go in and check for updates yourself.

Restore file integrity

Constant installation of applications from unreliable sources, as well as improper shutdown of the computer, can harm the operating system as a whole. For such cases, tools have been added to the system to check and restore the integrity of system files. The verification process takes long time, depending on the location of the system.

First of all, open the command prompt as an administrator in Windows 10. In the command line interface, just run the command: sfc /scannow.

After the system scan is complete, Resource Protection detects damaged files will restore them. Detailed information is saved in logs on the system disk. Often the data displayed in command line enough for the user to understand whether the files were damaged or not.

Ways to check file integrity regular means There are a few. Other possible solutions problems, see the instructions: How to check the integrity of system Windows files 10. It is best to check and restore integrity using several means. If the first one does not produce results, this cannot guarantee that other means will not find problems.

Conclusion.

Today we figured out what could be the reason for Explorer freezing. There are many reasons and they are very different, there are no unsolvable problems, and if you try, identifying and solving what the problem is is not as difficult as it might seem. I hope this article was useful to you, and you were able to figure out what the problem is with your Explorer freezing.

Explorer is the most important utility in Windows. In fact, even the desktop is part of Explorer. However, the standard Windows 7 Explorer is not perfect. The program, which seems simple at first glance, has several pitfalls that it is better to know about in advance.

How to open Explorer

By default, the File Explorer icon should be located to the right of the Start menu. You can also launch Explorer by going to any folder, including Computer, Archive, or Trash.

"Explorer" can be launched by going to any folder, including "Computer", archive or "Trash"

Hot keys to launch Explorer - Win + E. You can also find Explorer by searching in the Start menu.

You can find File Explorer by searching in the Start menu.

However, there are more complex ways to launch Explorer, which can be useful in critical situations. For example, launching via the command line.

Explorer settings

Depending on your needs and preferences, Explorer can be customized. There is not much room for editing here, but you can change some things.

You won’t be able to return Explorer to its standard view by pressing one button: you will have to return everything the same way the changes were made.

First, let's describe the simplest changes: appearance and ordering.

To change the size of files and folders displayed in Explorer, click on the unnamed icon in the upper right corner of Explorer and move the slider there.

Click on the icon in the upper right corner of Explorer and move the slider there

You can also change the view, order and grouping by right-clicking on an empty space in Explorer.

You can change the view, order and grouping by right-clicking on an empty space in Explorer

You can enable the display of hidden files and folders, as well as known file formats. Sometimes this can be done from Explorer itself, but such a function is not always available. You are guaranteed to be able to access these settings through the “Control Panel”.

Expand the Start menu and open Control Panel.
Expand the Start menu and open Control Panel
Go to "Design and Personalization" when categorizing.
Go to "Appearance and Personalization"
Click on "Folder Options".
Click on "Folder Options"
Uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types" and check "Show hidden files, folders and disks." Look at other items as well: you may want to change something here.
Uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types" and check "Show hidden files, folders and drives"

You can also change the font size in Explorer, or more precisely, increase it slightly. But remember that changing the font size will inevitably entail changing the size of some elements of the system interface.

Video: changing the Windows 7 Explorer background using Folder Background Changer

Changing the Explorer background using standard tools is not possible. If you are not satisfied standard design, you will have to use third-party software.

Problems with Explorer and their solutions

As with all important Windows applications, various malfunctions are possible during the operation of Explorer. Fortunately, they are very easy to solve.

Windows 7 rarely provides reports of failures in Explorer, so it is not possible to determine the exact cause of the problem. You will have to use each of the suggested methods until the error disappears.

Most errors associated with Explorer have identical solutions. To avoid confusion, we will first describe which solution corresponds to which problem, and then we will consider in detail each of the proposed methods. If none of the methods help, the last resort would be to reinstall the system.

Table: ways to solve possible problems with Explorer

Error	Suitable solutions
Error "Explorer is not responding"	closing processes; registry treatment; disabling autoloading; restoration of "Explorer".
Error: "Explorer has stopped working"	registry treatment; disabling autoloading; editing the context menu; Windows update.
Constant self-restart of Explorer	restoration of "Explorer"; virus removal; Windows update.
Explorer slows down	closing processes; registry treatment; virus removal; restarting Explorer.
Computer turns off	deleting damaged media file; Windows update.
Nothing happens on startup	restoration of "Explorer"; virus removal.
The desktop or recycle bin has disappeared from Explorer	return of the “Trash” and desktop; registry treatment.

Closing processes

The cause of the problem when starting Explorer may be overload random access memory. « Explorer does not consume many resources, and the system itself can usually free up some space to run it. However, there may be times when Windows cannot kill any of the remaining processes. For example, if they are active and have a high priority, or one of them simply cannot close due to some error.

In this case, when you try to launch Explorer, the computer will freeze for a while so that the system tries to free up memory, and when the timeout expires, an error message will appear. To resolve the error:

Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the “Task Manager”. Here you need to go to the “Performance” tab. Look at the memory load: if more than 90% is occupied, you need to close several processes; if not, this method is not suitable for you.
Look at the memory load: if more than 90% is occupied, you need to close several processes; if not, this method is not suitable for you
Go to the “Processes” tab and sort the list by the amount of RAM used. Try to find processes that belong to a long time ago closed programs: Most often the culprit is incorrectly closed browsers. If there are none, you need to close the heaviest one.
Close the heaviest processes or those belonging to long-closed programs
Right-click on the selected process and click on “End process tree” in the context menu that opens.
Right-click on the selected process and click on “End process tree” in the context menu

Windows Update

Very often, Explorer startup errors are a consequence of a faulty Windows build that was installed on the computer. IN similar cases the problem does not come alone and is accompanied by many related errors in other areas. To avoid a similar problem in the future, never download system images from unreliable sources.

Fortunately, you most likely won't have to reinstall Windows. You can try updating the system via special utility. After this, all unwanted changes should disappear. If after this method the problem disappears, be sure to check your computer for viruses.

Open Control Panel and go to the System and Security category.
Open Control Panel and go to the System and Security category
Click Check for Updates.
Click "Check for updates"
Click on “Enable automatic installation updates", confirm permission to make changes and wait for the end of the analysis. The button you need may have a different name.
Click on "Enable automatic installation of updates"
If you find anything, install it. Most likely, this will take a very long time.
Installing updates will take a very long time

Restoring "Explorer"

You cannot reinstall Explorer, but you can restore it. However, these actions perform the same task and occur in almost the same way, so they can be equated.

Many users try to remove Internet Explorer, which is indirectly related to “Explorer”. As a result, the “Conductor” is damaged and has to be restored. Also, damage to Explorer may be a consequence of viruses or one of the registry errors.

The Windows update described above includes an update to File Explorer.

To restore Explorer:

Registry treatment

Main part system settings Windows is stored in its registry. Any error that occurs in it is potentially dangerous and can have consequences in completely different areas. But most often this is expressed in displaying deleted, changed and non-existent files and folders or, conversely, hiding them.

Manually cleaning the registry is an extremely difficult task even for very experienced users. It will be much easier and more effective to entrust this process to one of the specialized programs. We will look at cleaning the registry using the example of using the CCleaner program.

First you need to download and install CCleaner program. As soon as you launch it, immediately open the “Registry” tab.
Open the Registry tab
Click on "Search for Problems".
Click on "Search for problems"
When the analysis is complete, click Correct Selected.
Click "Fix Selected"
CCleaner will prompt you to save backups modified files so you can roll back if something happens unexpected errors or system failure during repair. Problems happen very rarely, but it's better to agree.
Keep backups just in case
Click "Fix flagged". Afterwards it is advisable to restart the computer.
Click "Fix flagged"

Removing viruses

Viruses on a computer can cause any problem, and errors when starting Explorer are no exception. Even if you have a built-in antivirus that you completely trust, this does not guarantee that your computer is completely protected.

It is worth checking the system with an alternative antivirus from time to time, but it is not at all necessary to leave it on the computer. We will look at finding and removing a virus using the free Dr. utility as an example. Web CureIt.

Removing a damaged media file

You've probably noticed that a picture or video located on a computer has icons in Explorer that correspond to its content. These icons are called "thumbnails".

When you open a folder, Explorer very quickly scans through all the media files to analyze them and create the thumbnails you need.
But when it comes across a damaged segment, it catches a critical error and stops working, sometimes causing the entire system to crash. This will happen every time you try to open the corresponding folder.
Right-click on Computer and select Properties. Right-click on "Computer" and select "Properties" Go to "
Extra options
systems."
Go to "Advanced system settings"
In the “Advanced” tab, in the “Performance” section, click on the “Options” button.
In the “Performance” section, click on the “Options” button

In the window that opens, in the “Visual Effects” tab, find the “Display thumbnails instead of icons” item, uncheck it and click “OK”. Now open the problematic folder and identify the problematic media file by opening everything one by one. When you find it, delete it. Then return the unchecked box to its place.

Another common cause of Explorer crashes is startup conflicts. Some processes responsible for the functionality of Explorer should turn on automatically when you turn on the computer. But if you install a program that has a utility that interferes with autorun (for example, an application that checks for updates), there is a small chance that the utility will conflict with the inclusion of one of the important processes.

All applications that get into startup slow down turn on Windows, so it's better to disable them anyway. However, this must be done with caution so as not to disable processes that are this moment used by the system.

Video: disabling startup of unnecessary programs

Editing the context menu

Some programs, for example, archivers, during installation can build their own items into the Explorer context menu. This is quite convenient, but if there are errors in the corresponding program module, periodic crashes of Explorer may occur.

You won't be able to edit the context menu using standard tools. You need to download free utility ShellExView (runs without installation). Launch the program and press F7 to disable everything unnecessary. Then restart your computer.

Launch ShellExView, press F7 and restart your computer

You can run the utility again and use the elimination method to figure out the problem item, one by one turning on everything that was removed and checking “Explorer” for functionality.

Restarting Explorer

Restarting Explorer can be partial (restarting the application) or complete (restarting the processes that support Explorer). There is no particular difference between these two methods, and sometimes they are completely identical.

Partial restart

Open the Start menu, hold down Ctrl + Shift, right-click on an empty space in the Start menu and select Exit Explorer.
Hold down the Ctrl + Shift key combination, right-click on an empty space in the Start menu and select “Exit Explorer”
Using the key combination Ctrl + Shift + Esc, open the “Task Manager”, click “File” and select “New task (Run...)”.
Open Task Manager, click File and select New Task (Run...)
Enter the command "explorer" and click "OK".
Enter the command "explorer" and click "OK"

Complete restart

Return of the Recycle Bin and Desktop

In the left panel of Explorer there is a “Favorites” group, which by default contains the most important places, from the point of view of Microsfot. From there, you can remove all the folders and bring them back with a simple drag-and-drop. However, in the case of the desktop and the “Trash”, everything is not so simple, since many do not know about their location.

There is no such place as the “Trash” on a computer: it is nowhere to be found. “Trash” is not a folder, but a utility that is a list of all deleted files. But you can still return it.

Returning the Desktop

The “Desktop” folder is located along the path C:/Users/(Username). All you need to do is drag it to the “Favorites” section using your mouse.
The “Desktop” folder is located along the path C:/Users/(Username)
If the "Desktop" becomes standard icon folders, and this is fundamentally unacceptable for you, then you can return the original view back. To do this, right-click on it and select “Properties”.
Right-click the desktop shortcut and select Properties
In the “Shortcut” tab, click on “Change Icon”.
In the “Shortcut” tab, click on “Change icon”
Find the original icon here, select it and click OK.
Find the original icon here, select it and click "OK"

Return of the "Basket"

By default, the Recycle Bin should be on the desktop, but if not, you'll have to return it there first. Right-click on your desktop and select Personalize.
Right-click on the desktop and select Personalize
Click on "Change desktop icons".
Click on "Change desktop icons"
Check the "Trash" box and click "Apply".
Check the "Trash" box and click "Apply"
The recycle bin will appear on the desktop and all you have to do is drag it to “Favorites”. After this, you can return to changing icons and remove the “Trash” from the desktop again.

Alternative "Explorer" for Windows 7

The standard Windows 7 Explorer can hardly be called ideal: it has quite a lot of disadvantages, it does not have special powers in the system and is very limited in its functionality. For various reasons, users prefer alternative versions to it.

If you want to change Explorer, it will be difficult to find a better option than Total Commander. This utility has a simple and intuitive interface, its powers in the system are unlimited. It can replace many secondary programs, for example, an archiver.

At first you will not be used to the dual-window mode.

You can also install file manager iTools (“Explorer” on Mac OS). This free alternative iTunes for working with iPod, iPad and iPhone on computers with iOS and Windows.

How to open FTP in Explorer

You can make a special shortcut to any FTP site so that it opens in your Explorer.

Go to Computer, right-click on an empty space in Explorer and select Add new element into a networked environment."
Right-click on an empty space and select “Add a new item to Network Places”
You should see the Add Network Location Wizard open. Click on “Select a different network location.”
Click on "Select a different network location"
Write the link to the desired folder as follows: “ftp://(login):(password)@i(ip or hostname)/(path to folder)”. Write without parentheses. It should look something like “ftp://login: [email protected]/files/music". Then click “Next”.
Write the link to the desired folder as follows: “ftp://(login):(password)@i(ip or host name)/(path to folder)”
Provide a name for the shortcut. Here and in all subsequent windows, click “Next” until successful completion.
Enter a name for the shortcut and click “Next”
Now the shortcut you created will appear in the Computer folder. It will automatically redirect you to the specified FTP folder, which will open in Explorer. You can move this shortcut to any location convenient for you.
The shortcut you created will appear in the Computer folder, but you can move this shortcut to any location convenient for you

If FTP does not open

As already mentioned, Explorer and Internet Explorer are closely related. Internet Explorer can block access to FTP sites or drag them to open. To fix this, you need to go into your browser settings.

First, you need to open Internet Explorer. If you have hidden it out of sight for a long time, you can find it through a search.
If you have hidden Internet Explorer for a long time, you can find it through the search
Click on the gear in the upper right corner and select "Internet Options".
Click on the gear in the upper right corner and select "Internet Options"
Go to the "Advanced" tab.
Go to the "Advanced" tab
Find the “Allow viewing of FTP folders (outside of Internet Explorer)” option here, uncheck it and click “OK”.
Find here the option “Allow viewing of FTP folders (outside of Internet Explorer)”, uncheck it and click “OK”

Additional features

Windows 7 Explorer has some features that not all users know about. There aren't many of them, but knowing these features can make your interaction with your computer easier. In addition, here we will talk about several basic functions that will be useful for novice users.

The history of "Explorer"

The standard Explorer has a visiting history, which displays all recently opened files and folders. This story is called "Recent Places." It should be in the left panel of Explorer, in the Favorites section. If it's not there, you can find it by searching in the Start menu. To clear your history, you just need to delete everything from there.

You can find "Recent Places" by searching in the Start menu.

You can disable the collection of information about the folders and files you visit, but this will be a little more difficult.

Open the Appearance and Personalization category in your control panel and click on the Personalization category.
Click on the Personalization category
Open the Start Menu tab, uncheck both boxes and click OK

Deleting files

After deleting any file, it is automatically sent to the Trash. To do this, you need to right-click on it and select “Delete”.

After deleting any file, it is automatically sent to the Trash

However, this file can always be found in the Recycle Bin and restored back. It will lie there for quite a long time, depending on the quantity free space on your hard drive. Files deleted from the Recycle Bin are very difficult to recover.

To restore a file from the Recycle Bin, just go to the Recycle Bin, right-click on the file and select Restore from the context menu.

To delete a file permanently (without using an intermediary in the form of the Recycle Bin), use the key combination Shift + Delete.

Displaying folder sizes

Due to the fact that calculating the size of some folders takes a decent amount of time and resources, Explorer never displays the amount of space they occupy.

You won't be able to display folder sizes using standard tools. However, this can be done using the external Folder Size utility. Just install it on your computer and the size of the folders will be displayed in a separate window, which will be linked to Explorer. There are no more convenient options.

After installing Folder Size, the size of folders will be displayed in a separate window, which will be linked to Explorer

Folder Size, like any similar utility, requires time to determine the sizes of folders you see for the first time, as well as some resources of your computer, which will sometimes be consumed in large quantities.

How to remove libraries

For user convenience, Windows 7 provides the creation of libraries in the left pane of Explorer. However, this is very annoying for many, since few people use libraries.

You can easily remove one or all libraries, but you cannot simply remove the entire group. To do this, you will have to go into the system register.

Expand the Start menu, enter “regedit” in the search and open the found utility.
Expand the Start menu, enter “regedit” in the search and open the found utility
This is the system registry editor. Now you have a long way to go: “HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\(031E4825–7B94–4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5)\ShellFolder.”
Transition to the desired folder carried out through the left side of the interface
At the very end of the path, you need to right-click on the “ShellFolder” folder and select “Permissions”.
Right click on the "ShellFolder" folder and select "Permissions"
In the window that opens, select the “Administrators” group, check the box for permission full access and click "OK".
Select the "Administrators" group, check the box to allow full access and click "OK"
Make sure the ShellFolder folder is selected on the left side of the window. On the right side of the window, right-click on the Attributes option and select Edit.
Right-click on the "Attributes" option and select "Edit"
Enter the value "b090010d" and click "OK". To return the libraries, you will need to enter the value “b080010d” here.
Enter the value "b090010d" and click "OK"
If you have a 64-bit system, you need to repeat all the steps along the path “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Classes\CLSID\(031E4825–7B94–4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5)\ShellFolder”.

How to pin a folder

If you use one or more folders very often, it will be convenient to pin it somewhere close without creating shortcuts. You can add it to libraries or the “Favorites” group.

If you want to pin a folder to your Libraries, but don't like any of the existing ones, you can create a new one. Simply open a library group, right-click on an empty space, select New and Library.
Open a library group, right-click on an empty space, select New and Library
If you open the created library, you will see a single button. When you click on it, you will be asked to specify the path to an existing folder that you want to add. Subsequent addition of folders will occur by clicking right button mouse on empty space.
Subsequent addition of folders will occur by right-clicking on an empty space in the library Remember that you are adding a shortcut, and not copying the folder itself

Even such an important thing as Explorer may not work correctly. Considering that Explorer failures are often critical, it is very important to know your options in advance possible problems and ways to solve them. And if the standard Explorer no longer suits you, you can always change it to a more functional and reliable version.