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Windows 11 File Explorer Not Opening: 7 Ways to Force it

Clearing your File Explorer history could solve the issue

5 min. read

Updated onJuly 17, 2024

updated onJuly 17, 2024

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File Explorer is the program you should open whenever you’re trying to locate your different files on Windows. This program makes it easy for you to go through your computer files. However, sometimes,the program can be slowor won’t budge and fails to open at all.

Most of the time when File Explorer won’t open, it’s a problem with known easy fixes. If you’re having trouble opening File Explorer, then this post might just be able to help.

Why won’t File Explorer open in Windows 11?

If you’re trying to open File Explorer, but it won’t open, there could be several reasons for it.  Here are the most common reasons:

Now that we are aware of why File Explorer won’t open, let’s attempt to resolve it.

What can I do if File Explorer is not opening on Windows 11?

Before troubleshooting File Explorer, there are some preliminary checks you can make to determine if the problem lies within your computer or outside of it. Here are some things to check:

Now, let’s check out more solutions below.

1. Restart File Explorer

2. Clear File Explorer history

The history of files that you have opened in File Explorer can sometimes cause the app to crash or freeze. Clearing the history works best if Windows Explorer won’t restart or is taking forever to load.

3. Run a System File Checker (SFC) scan

This scans all protected Windows files and replaces incorrect or corrupted ones with good copies.

You can also use athird-party programto perform a more thorough scan of your system files and detect other errors to make sure everything is fine.

4. Run a virus scan

5. Check for Updates

6. Disable antivirus temporarily

7. Restore File Explorer to default settings

Sometimes when you install a new program or uninstall another program, it can change the settings in File Explorer and cause it to stop working properly. If this happens, you can restore the default settings.

How do I make File Explorer open to this PC on Windows 11?

If you’re using Windows, File Explorer opens to your Quick access location by default. However, you can change the default location to any other drive or folder on your computer.

If you want File Explorer to open to This PC in Windows instead of Quick access, here’s how to do it.

If you have tried all the above but are somewhat unlucky, there may be a more serious underlying issue with your PC.

The easiest way to get around such a problem is torestart your computer in Safe Mode. Restarting in safe mode disables all third-party apps and services that can cause problems on your computer.

It boots your PC with only the basic functions running. This means you won’t be able to use a lot of features so it can be very useful for troubleshooting problems like this.

Alternatively, you canopt for another file managerthat comes along with far more features than File Explorer and give you better organization.

Apart from File Explorer not opening in Windows 11, users have also complained thatFile Explorer keeps crashing. If you are experiencing this issue, refer to our detailed guide on how to fix it.

We also have an exciting article on how toenable the dark theme on File Explorerto reduce eye strain or just get a break from the old usual light theme.

For any additional thoughts on this topic, let us know in the comments section below.

More about the topics:File Explorer,Windows 11

Claire Moraa

Windows Software Expert

Claire has a knack for solving problems and improving the quality of life for those around her. She’s driven by rationality, curiosity, and simplicity, and always eager to learn more about Microsoft’s products. With a background in teaching and reviewing, she breaks down complex topics into easily understandable articles, focusing mostly on Windows 11, errors, and software.

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Claire Moraa

Windows Software Expert

With a background in teaching and reviewing, she breaks down complex topics into easily understandable articles, focusing mostly on Windows 11 errors.