Windows Explorer Has Stopped Working? Fix It With Simple Solutions

While using Windows Explorer you may encounter various types of issue or error. And   Windows Explorer has stopped working error message is one of them.

Most of the time, this error is triggered by simple setting mistakes and configuration error. However, sometimes, this Windows Explorer error gets generated due to a virus. This subsequently leads to corruption of files and thus error message appears.

Now, if you are one of those users who is facing the Stopped Working error message on your system then follow this article. Here, we have provided every possible solution for this error. But, before you take a glance at the solutions, note down the possible causes of this error. 

Major Causes behind Windows Explorer Has Stopped Working Error

In this section, we have explained about those problematic factors which can trigger this error message on your system. Have a look at them.

  1. Corrupted system files and other documents.
  2. Third-party application.
  3. Malware and virus attacks.

Now, if you have analyzed all the possible causes of this error message, then let’s have a look at its solutions.

Solutions for Windows Explorer Has Stopped Working Error

There are various ways that can help you to remove this error message from your system. Here, we have provided the top 5 solutions to fix the error. Have a look at them and try to execute them as instructed. 

Perform a Clean Boot

Most of the time, users are able to remove the Windows Explorer has stopped working error message by simply performing a Clean Boot on their system. Now, to test this process follow the given steps.

  1. Click on the Start icon and open the Search bar. In that bar, you need to type “msconfig” and then click on the first shortcut option which appears in the result section. 
  2. This will open up the System Configuration window on the screen. 
  3. There you need to tap on the General tab and then check the box beside the Selective startup option.
  4. After doing that, uncheck the box next to the Load startup items options.
  5. Now, go to the Services tab and check the box next to the “Hide all Microsoft services” option. Then, click on the “Disable all button”.
  6. After doing that, click on the OK button and then reboot the system into Normal mode.

Once the system starts, check if the error message is removed from Windows Explorer or not. 

Enter into the Safe Mode

After performing a clean reboot, if Windows Explorer still shows you the “Stopped Working” error message, then try to enter into the Safe Mode. 

To do that, follow the given steps:

  1. Reboot the system and while it is booting up press the F8 key.
  2. This will open the Advanced Boot Options window on the screen. 
  3. On that window, click on the Safe Mode or “Safe Mode with Networking” option.

Once you do that, the system will reboot itself and enter into Safe Mode. Now, there you have to launch Windows Explorer and check whether the error is removed or not

Move the “explorer.exe” To Another Location

Sometimes, moving the “explorer.exe” file to another location on the drive can resolve this problem. And it is quite possible the same hack works for you too. 

Now, to implement the method, follow the given steps.

  1. Open Windows Explorer and go to the C:\Windows folder.
  2. There you will get the “explorer.exe” file. Copy that file and paste it to the C:\Windows\System32.

After doing that, try to run Windows Explorer and look for the error message. 

Modify the Settings for Files and Folders.

In a few cases, Windows Explorer stops working when some of the image files get corrupted. And to fix that problem the users need to modify the settings of Windows Explorer.

  1. Open Windows Explorer and click on the Organize option. 
  2. A drop-down menu will appear on the screen. In that menu, you need to click on the “Folder and search” options.
  3. A pop-up box will come up on the screen. In that box, tap on the View tab. And check whether or not the “Always show icons, never thumbnails” is activated. 
  4. If it is not, then click on the box beside that option and click on the Apply and OK button. 

Once you complete that process, check the workability status of Windows Explorer.

Note: If Windows Explorer doesn’t open up on the system, then skip this method and try out the next solution given in this article. 

Run the System File Checker (SFC) Tool 

The “Windows Explorer stops working” error message can also appear on the system because of a corrupted system file. And in order to remove those corrupted files, the user needs to run the SFC tool. Now, to run this tool, follow the given instructions.

  1. Open the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows key + R key. Then, type ”cmd” on it and hit the OK button or the Enter key.
  2. This will open up the Command Prompt window on the screen. In that window, type “sfc /scannow” and press the Enter key.

Now, the SFC tool will start its work and try to look for the corrupted files present on the system.  The tool will automatically repair the files and resolve the problem. 

Once the SFC tool completes its task, open up Windows Explorer and try to verify the status of the error message. 

We hope that our solutions and suggestions are helpful to you regarding the “Windows Explorer has stopped working” error message. However, if you need more information on this topic or any other tech-related assistance, then keep following our upcoming articles.

Nathaniel Villa
Nathaniel Villa

Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Undefined constant "REQUEST_URI" in /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-content/mu-plugins/index.php:4 Stack trace: #0 [internal function]: callback() #1 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-content/mu-plugins/index.php(29): ob_end_flush() #2 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(324): buffer_end() #3 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(348): WP_Hook->apply_filters() #4 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-includes/plugin.php(517): WP_Hook->do_action() #5 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-includes/general-template.php(3068): do_action() #6 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/blocksy/footer.php(28): wp_footer() #7 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-includes/template.php(790): require_once('...') #8 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-includes/template.php(725): load_template() #9 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-includes/general-template.php(92): locate_template() #10 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/blocksy/single.php(20): get_footer() #11 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-includes/template-loader.php(106): include('...') #12 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-blog-header.php(19): require_once('...') #13 /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/index.php(17): require('...') #14 {main} thrown in /var/www/internettablettalk.com/public_html/wp-content/mu-plugins/index.php on line 4