Free Guide to Restarting File Explorer

Understanding File Explorer and Why It Needs Restarting

File Explorer is the program in Windows that lets you look at files and folders on your computer. It's the window that opens when you click on the folder icon on your taskbar or when you want to browse your documents, downloads, or any other location on your hard drive. Think of it as the filing cabinet for your entire computer—it shows you where everything is stored and lets you move, copy, delete, or organize your files.

Sometimes File Explorer stops working the way it should. You might notice that it freezes when you try to open a folder, or it takes a very long time to load files. Sometimes windows won't close when you click the X button. Other times, thumbnails of your pictures won't show up, or folders won't refresh to show new files you've added. These problems happen because File Explorer, like any program, can develop glitches when it's been running for a long time or when something on your system conflicts with it.

Restarting File Explorer is one of the first things you should try when it's not working properly. Unlike restarting your whole computer, restarting just File Explorer takes only a few seconds and doesn't interrupt your other work. You can have other programs open—like your web browser, email, or documents—and they'll keep running while you restart File Explorer. This makes it a quick fix to try before taking more drastic steps.

Many people don't realize that restarting File Explorer is even possible, so they end up restarting their entire computer instead. This takes much longer and can interrupt important work. Learning this skill means you can fix common File Explorer problems in under a minute, which saves time and frustration.

Practical Takeaway: File Explorer is your computer's file manager. When it freezes, slows down, or stops showing files properly, restarting it can fix the problem without restarting your whole computer.

Method 1: Using Task Manager to Restart File Explorer

Task Manager is a built-in Windows program that shows you all the programs and processes running on your computer. It's the most reliable way to restart File Explorer because it gives you direct control over the process. Here's exactly how to do it on Windows 10 or Windows 11.

First, open Task Manager. The fastest way is to press Ctrl + Shift + Esc all at the same time on your keyboard. You can also right-click on the taskbar (the bar at the bottom of your screen) and select "Task Manager" from the menu, or press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and then click "Task Manager."

Once Task Manager opens, you'll see a list of programs. Look for "Windows Explorer" in the list. This is File Explorer—it has a different name in Task Manager. If you see a lot of items and can't find it easily, click on the column heading that says "Name" to sort everything alphabetically. Windows Explorer should be near the bottom of the list.

Click on "Windows Explorer" once to select it (it will turn blue). Then look for a button in the bottom right that says "Restart." Click that button. File Explorer will close and then open again automatically within a few seconds. All your open File Explorer windows will reopen, and most of the time your folders will be working normally again.

If you don't see a "Restart" button, you may have an older version of Windows or Task Manager. In that case, click on "Windows Explorer" to select it and then click the button that says "End Task" at the bottom right. File Explorer will close. Wait a few seconds, then open it again by clicking the folder icon on your taskbar or by pressing Windows Key + E on your keyboard.

Practical Takeaway: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, find Windows Explorer, and click Restart. This takes about 20 seconds and fixes most File Explorer problems.

Method 2: Restarting File Explorer Through the Run Command

The Run command is a quick way to execute programs and commands on your computer. It's less visual than Task Manager, but it's very fast once you know how to use it. This method works on all versions of Windows.

Press Windows Key + R on your keyboard. A small box will appear on your screen—this is the Run dialog. Type the following command exactly as shown: taskkill /f /im explorer.exe

This command tells your computer to force-close File Explorer. Press Enter. File Explorer will disappear from your screen immediately. Don't be alarmed—this is normal. Your desktop, taskbar, and everything else will look a bit bare for a moment.

Now open the Run dialog again by pressing Windows Key + R. In the box, type explorer.exe and press Enter. File Explorer will start up again. You'll see your taskbar reappear and your desktop will look normal again. Any File Explorer windows you had open will reopen.

Some people prefer this method because it's very fast once you practice it a few times. The whole process takes about 30 seconds. However, if you're not comfortable using command-line tools, Task Manager is probably easier for you since it has buttons to click instead of commands to type.

One thing to know: if you have multiple File Explorer windows open with unsaved changes in any programs, make sure to save them before using this method. While the method itself won't cause you to lose work, closing File Explorer very quickly could theoretically prevent last-minute saves from completing.

Practical Takeaway: Press Windows Key + R, type taskkill /f /im explorer.exe, press Enter, then press Windows Key + R again and type explorer.exe. This method is fast once you practice it.

Method 3: Restarting File Explorer Using Command Prompt

Command Prompt is the text-based control center for Windows. It gives you access to powerful tools and commands that the regular Windows interface doesn't show you. For some people, this is the most straightforward method because you type one simple line and it does everything at once.

Open Command Prompt by pressing Windows Key + X, then selecting "Windows Terminal (Admin)" or "Command Prompt (Admin)." The word "Admin" is important—it means the program has permission to control other programs on your computer. You might see a dialog asking if you're sure you want to allow this program to make changes. Click "Yes."

If you're using an older version of Windows, you might not see Windows Terminal. Instead, look for "Command Prompt (Admin)" in the menu. If it's not there, you can also right-click on the Start button, find Command Prompt in the menu, and click "Run as Administrator."

Once Command Prompt is open, type this single line exactly: taskkill /f /im explorer.exe & start explorer.exe

This command does two things at once: it stops File Explorer (/f /im explorer.exe) and then starts it again (start explorer.exe). The & symbol means "do this, and then do that." Press Enter, and File Explorer will restart automatically. You don't need to do anything else—unlike the Run command method, you don't need to open the Run dialog a second time.

The advantage of this method is that everything happens in one step. The disadvantage is that you need to open Command Prompt with Administrator permissions first. For people who use Command Prompt regularly, this is often the fastest method overall.

Practical Takeaway: Open Command Prompt as Administrator, type taskkill /f /im explorer.exe & start explorer.exe, and press Enter. This is the fastest single-step method.

Troubleshooting When File Explorer Won't Restart

Most of the time, one of the three methods above will work perfectly, and File Explorer will restart without any problems. However, occasionally you might run into a situation where File Explorer doesn't restart properly, or it closes but doesn't open again. Here are the most common issues and what to do about them.

If File Explorer closes but doesn't reopen automatically, simply open it manually. Press Windows Key + E, which is the keyboard shortcut for opening File Explorer. Alternatively, click the folder icon on your taskbar. Usually, this works fine, and File Explorer will open normally. If you used the Command Prompt method and this happens, the commands may