How to Restart Windows Explorer Without Rebooting Computer

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 5:

Using Task Manager

Download Article

1
Open the Task Manager. 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.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- 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.
Advertisement
This will restart Windows Explorer.^{[2]
X
Research source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Using Command Prompt

Download Article

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.^{[3]
X
Research source}
This will run the code to start explorer.exe again.^{[4]
X
Research source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Using a BAT File

Download Article

Use the command in the above method to create a batch file that will run the command for you.
Write taskkill /f /im explorer.exe & start explorer.exe.
Name the file restartexplorer.bat or something similar. You can name the file anything you want, but make sure you include .bat at the end, so your computer knows it's a batch file.
Windows Explorer will close and restart in the same exact way as if you typed it into the Command Prompt yourself.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Using Exit Explorer

Download Article

1
Hold Ctrl+⇧ Shift on your keyboard. Keep these keys pressed down.
- Note: this method does not work in Windows 11.
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. Right-click the Start menu and select Task Manager.
- Alternatively, press CTRL + ALT + Del and click Task Manager.^{[5]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  
  Microsoft Support
  Technical support and product information from Microsoft.
  
  Go to source}
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.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Signing Out

Download Article

If your computer is still functioning but Explorer is being weird, you can sometimes fix it just by signing out of your account then signing back in. You may lose data in any open programs, however.
This will log you out of your current account.
Windows Explorer should be working properly again.

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

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.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 4 Helpful 21
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.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
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.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

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.

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0