How to Restart Windows Explorer on Windows 11

When you copy a large file to your computer or work with high-end graphic software, your file explorer will crash and show not responding error. Whenever your open any file or access your drive, file explorer will automatically open. When you start your Windows, file explorer starts automatically in the background. Also, it is one of the most important elements of Windows OS. Without a file explorer, you can’t access files and drives.

Guide to Restart Windows Explorer on Windows 11

When the file explorer gets stuck or stops working, you have to restart its services. Here is how you can restart file explorer services in Windows 11.

Method 1: Restart Windows Explorer using Task Manager

You can easily restart your Windows explorer using the task manager. Here are the steps:

Step 1: First open the task manager with CTRL + SHIFT + ESC key on your keyboard. You can also search for task manager in the start menu.

Step 2: In the task manager, go to processes to find file explorer. You can see file explorer not responding to messages here.

Step 3: Right-click on it and then choose Restart from the list.

This will restart all file explorer services on your Windows 11. This will solve the issue.

Method 2: Restart Windows Explorer with a Batch File

If the first method is not working for you then you can use a batch file to restart file explorer. If you don’t know about batch files then follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to your desktop and then right-click on the black area. Choose New and then click on Text Document.

Step 2: Open the new document by double-clicking on it.

Step 3: In the text file, copy and paste this code.

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe

start explorer.exe

Step 4: Then save the file and name it batch.bat. You can click on File > Save As to save the file. You can use CTRL + S button to save the document.

Step 5: When saved, go to the location where you saved the bat file and open it with a double click on it to restart Windows Explorer.

Method 3: Restart Windows Explorer Using Command Prompt

You can also use the command prompt tool to restart Windows explorer services in Windows. Here are the steps:

Step 1: First open the Windows start menu with the Windows key on your keyboard and then search for cmd.

Step 2: Click on the run as administrator option in the right sidebar.

Step 3: Click on yes to allow admin permission.

Step 4: In the cmd window, type this command and press enter.

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe

This command will restart explorer.exe services and fix issues with it.

Step 5: Restart your computer and check again.

Related Posts:

• Remove the Windows 11 Build Number on the Desktop
• How to Clear Cache in Windows 11

Conclusion:

If your computer is not responding or the mouse is stuck, restarting file explore is the only and best option. We hope now you know how to restart file explore on your Windows 11.