Fix File Explorer if it won't open or start

To open File Explorer in Windows 11,聽(tīng)select File Explorer 聽(tīng)on the taskbar or press the Windows logo key + E on your keyboard.

Here are some things to try if File Explorer won't open.

Select Start 聽(tīng)> Settings 聽(tīng)>聽(tīng)Windows Update . Then select Check for updates. Install any available updates and restart your device if required.

Even if you don鈥檛 see updates that require restarting, doing so ensures that any pending updates are installed.

If you've tried the previous steps and File Explorer still isn't starting or opening, resetting your PC might help. To learn how, see Reset or reinstall Windows.聽(tīng)

To open File Explorer in Windows 10,聽(tīng)select its icon on the taskbar,聽(tīng)press the Windows logo key + E on your keyboard, or select Start > Documents (directly beneath your user icon).

Here are some things to try if File Explorer won't open.

Select Start聽(tīng) > Settings聽(tīng) > Update & Security聽(tīng)聽(tīng)> Windows Update聽(tīng). Then select Check for updates. Install any available updates and restart your device if required.

Even if you don鈥檛 see updates that require restarting, doing so ensures that any pending updates are installed.

On the taskbar, type control panel聽(tīng)in the search box. Select Control Panel from the results.

Select System and Security >聽(tīng)System > Advanced system settings.

On the Advanced tab, under Performance, select Settings > Advanced.

Ensure that Adjust for best performance of is set to Programs.

Under Virtual memory, select Change and make sure that Automatically manage paging file sizes for all drives is selected.

Select OK, then select聽(tīng)Apply.

Restart your PC. This resets explorer.exe.

On the taskbar, type聽(tīng)disk cleanup聽(tīng)in the search box. Select Disk Cleanup from the results.

Select a drive and select OK.

Select the check box by each type of file. (Make sure there鈥檚 nothing important in your Recycle Bin before emptying it.)

Select OK.

On the taskbar, type control panel聽(tīng)in the search box. Select Control Panel from the results.

For聽(tīng)View by, choose聽(tīng)Large icons or Small icons.

Select Troubleshooting > View all > System Maintenance.

On the System Maintenance troubleshooter, select Next > Try troubleshooting as an administrator and review the results.

See Using聽(tīng)System File Checker in Windows for more info.

Automatic Repair is a tool聽(tīng)that attempts to fix registry corruption. To run it:

Select聽(tīng)Start 聽(tīng)> Settings聽(tīng) > Update & Security聽(tīng).

Select聽(tīng)Recovery聽(tīng)聽(tīng)and under聽(tīng)Advanced startup, select聽(tīng)Restart now. You may need to select聽(tīng)Windows 10 Advanced Startup. or that聽(tīng)may happen automatically.

On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot聽(tīng)> Advanced options聽(tīng)> Startup Repair.

Choose an account and enter your password.

Automatic Repair now begins. Your computer may restart during this process.