The explorer does not work in the computer for reasons. What to do with the error “Explorer has stopped working

Sometimes File Explorer in Windows 7 does not respond to calls or restarts spontaneously. In case of serious problems with the computer, it does not function at all and does not start. Let's consider the reasons for the termination of the explorer and what to do to fix its functionality if it is not responding.

Graphics card problems

This device participates in the work of all applications in the PC, including the explorer. To restore its performance, you need to start the process of updating the drivers of the graphics device, because possible reason outdated software or corrupted files may appear.

Three 3 methods for updating video card drivers:

  1. Using Center windows updates 7;
  2. Apply the graphics device manufacturer's program;
  3. By manual method.

Windows 7 Update has standard settings for automatic download required updates. You need to check if this function is disabled.

On the taskbar in the system tray area, left-click on the graphics adapter icon twice, and a menu will appear in which you must click on "Search for updates".

If you want to use the manual method, you need to install the current version from the official website of the video card manufacturer software devices.

Next, a PC restart is required.

If you cannot fix the problem with the above methods, then follow the steps below.

Analyze and fix Windows system files

The problem is likely related to corrupted system files. Windows 7 has a special program that automatically restores system files.

In the case of corrupted data due to viruses or system malfunctions, this utility will help restore the explorer.

The following steps are required:

Getting rid of the consequences of viral infections

Infection of the computer with virus programs sometimes leads to the termination of the explorer in Windows 7. Explorer exe file may be infected.

IN in this case you need to open the installed in the computer antivirus program and complete windows check... Infected objects will be eliminated or quarantined.

If there is no antivirus program, it must be installed on your computer. It is necessary to ensure the continuous operation of this program.

Lack of resources

All of the above methods serve to solve the problem of continuously restarting Explorer. It happens that this happens only from time to time. In this case, you need to study the load of the RAM and processor.

Follow these steps:


In the case of significant indicators (90–95%), then Windows is rebooted and itself closes some tasks. The user is required to terminate unused programs on his own.

If such problems are detected regularly, it is required to clean the PC parts from contamination and diagnose all equipment.

Damaged videos and pictures

Damaged video files and pictures are sometimes a possible cause of errors in the explorer. When opening or editing graphic files interruptions occur, leading to their damage.

Explorer displays thumbnails of these files, and if the file is corrupted, it is unable to create a thumbnail and closes.

In this case, you need to do the following:


Every person in the slightest degree familiar with a computer is constantly faced with a program called "Explorer". This thing is necessary and useful. True, very often you can observe unexpected failures in the operation of this application. Why does Windows Explorer crash, to put it mildly? This can be a one-time or permanent shutdown, and it happens, as a rule, at the most inopportune moment. There can be many reasons for this.

What is Windows Explorer

The program itself is an integral part of any "operating system" windows family... This is, so to speak, a standard component. In terms of computer terminology, Windows Explorer is a file manager.

Simply put, it is a tool for viewing and managing files and folders located on your computer, including hDD (hard drive), logical partitions and removable media such as optical disks, USB devices or removable memory cards.

Purpose and main functions

There is probably no need to explain that in Explorer you can open files or perform various standard operations such as copying, cutting, deleting files and folders. This is not the point. The fact is that this application has a lot of functions that are available when you call the drop-down context menu, which is called by clicking on a file or directory. right click manipulator (mouse).

It is here that you can see what the capabilities of the program are. All menus of this type are standard. For example, Windows 8 Explorer is practically no different from previous versions, with a few exceptions. The menu itself contains tools for opening files using the selection desired program, quick check with the installed antivirus, viewing information about a file or folder, etc. Actually, the same "Explorer" Windows 7 has a similar set of commands and functions. Although the "seven" is a fairly stable system, nevertheless, no user is immune from this failure. If you are a user of one of these operating systems, then you are probably familiar with a similar message that appears hour after hour on the screen: "Windows Explorer has stopped working."

After that, the system "hangs". Sometimes it can be restored to work in a few minutes, but in some cases, you even have to reboot the computer terminal to start over. What if the user had unsaved data at that moment? It's a shame to spend a lot of time, and then do everything again. Let's try to solve the problem using the Windows 7 Explorer application. Why? Yes, simply because this "operating system" is the most widespread today.

Why Windows Explorer Stops Working

Reasons for Crash of this application there can be a lot. The most common situations are related to the presence of virus programs in the system or incompatibility of any installed applications with the "operating system" itself. There are, of course, reasons associated with system errors. They will be discussed a little later.

Basic error correction methods

So, the user receives a message that Windows 7 Explorer has stopped working. What should I do? First of all, don't panic. There are plenty of ways to fix errors. Among the simplest options are standard methodsperformed with windows tools or third-party utilities. It's another matter when intervention is required at the level system resources and components. This, of course, is more difficult, but if you wish, you can cope with it.

Virus check

First of all, you need to run a scan for viruses and malware. Please note that it is better not to use the scanner installed on the system by default. Apparently, he already missed the threat.

In this case, portable versions of anti-virus scanners such as Dr.Web, Eset NOD32, Kaspersky, Norton, etc. will come in handy. But the program to be launched must be different from the one present in the system. That is, if Eset NOD 32 is installed in the system, then there will be no sense from the portable version of NOD. It is not recommended to install a second antivirus on the system, as a conflict may arise between the antivirus packages themselves. People say: this is the same as locking Stalin and Hitler in one room.

If a virus is found and removed, a system restart will be required, after which you can see if the problem persists. If the error occurs over and over again, proceed to the next step.

Safe mode

Now a few words about Safe Mode. It is just created in order to fix errors in the system. The fact is that when the system is booted using this function, only the functioning of the most basic system elements of the "operating system" is carried out. It is generally possible to load a computer terminal without driver support. It is very likely that some of them may cause system errors, but this, as a rule, is quite rare.

After starting the system (at startup, pressing the F8 key), you need to test the Windows Explorer. If everything works without failures and errors, then the problem lies precisely with the installed software products.

Disabling the context menu

Sometimes a problem in the Windows Explorer program may occur precisely because of the incompatibility of some programs that embed own teams to the main or context menu file manager... They will need to be disabled. This requires a small utility called ShellExView. It is distributed completely free of charge. In addition, a crack can be found for this application on the Internet. However, it will require installation on a hard drive, since there is no portable version for this program.

After installation, at the first start, the main window will appear, in which all command elements will be displayed. It is necessary to sort the elements by type by clicking on the corresponding "Type" field at the top. Now you need to look at the commands that have been assigned the "Context Menu" type. Now you will need to deactivate absolutely all items that are not manufactured by Microsoft. Don't be surprised, sometimes you have to disable Intel services, archiver commands, etc. There is nothing wrong with that. Basically, you can use and quick shutdown using the function key F7.

After completing these steps, you will again need to reboot the system and then test the problem. In some cases, this method is quite effective.

Using msconfig command

This command is universal for most cases when it is required to perform fine tuning systems. In this case, we are interested in autorun programs and background services... This command is called from the Run menu field.

After the start of the command, in the "General" section (tab), a selective launch is selected. Loading of system services remains enabled, but you need to uncheck the box "Load startup items".

After that, you need to use the "Services" tab, in which you select the "Do not display Microsoft services" field. Now you can try clicking the "Disable All" button and agree to the suggestion to restart your computer.

After a new start, we call the msconfig command again. Now you can enable services (preferably one at a time) and then reboot. As soon as a problem appears, it will already be possible to tell exactly which service affects the appearance unexpected error... In the future, you can simply not use it. On the other hand, the problem can occur over and over again, so it is highly recommended that you test all services. This, of course, will take a lot of time, but it will be possible to determine with confidence the component that affects the crash of the "Explorer".

Restore system files

In some cases, the so-called recovery of system files may be required, since a violation in their work can lead not only to errors in the Windows Explorer program, but also to the inability to self-heal the system even with the definition of the last checkpoint. Windows may display messages that the hard drive needs to be checked for errors, although the problem itself is absolutely not the case. However, the same question, how to fix Windows 7 "Explorer", can be solved in this way.

In order to start the process of scanning and restoring system files, you need to have Administrator rights, this is a prerequisite. For example, in Windows 7, the sequence of the menu "Start" / "All Programs" / "Standard" / " Command line". If the user is not logged in with Administrator rights, there is a way out. By clicking the right mouse button on the command, you need to select the sub-item "Run as Administrator" (if required, you will need to enter a password).

Now in the window that appears, the system command sfc / scannow is entered and the Enter key is pressed. Within a few minutes, the system will check for problems and display a recovery message (if errors were still present).

Outcome

In general, the most common methods for restoring Windows Explorer to work are described here. As a rule, in most cases all these methods (one by one or in combination with each other) are very effective.

If all else fails, you can go to the Microsoft forums to look for a description of the problem and how to fix it. As a last resort, you can try to reinstall the "operating system", but not over old versionand after full formatting hard disk... This is only due to the fact that when reinstalling the new OS may inherit the errors of the old one, and you will not achieve the desired result.

However, as already mentioned, this approach can be used only as a last resort, because it is clear that each user has a lot of information stored on his hard disk, many programs are installed, etc. Before reinstalling required files will have to be copied to some removable mediato avoid losing information. But the programs will have to be installed again manually.

Explorer is an application that allows you to navigate from one hard disk partition to another using a visual interface to find items. Error explorer stopped workingoccurs in rare cases and provokes an emergency closing of the application.

Why has the Explorer stopped working?

Windows Explorer stops working for several reasons, mainly provoking such a reaction separate program... At the moment a guide turns to it, it is not available and is the root of the problem. A malfunction can be expressed in one-time failures, so the conductor is knocked out infrequently, then it is rather difficult to determine the source. In other cases, every time the application is opened, an error occurs.

Stops work windows explorer 7 and other versions such malfunctions:

  1. Integrated context menu items;
  2. Defective codecs, mostly video codec;
  3. Elements of the control panel;
  4. Rarely, but the reason lies in the video adapter;
  5. Sometimes viruses damage the explorer process.

Any reason is relevant and can significantly harm the conductor. Diagnose the breakdown and eliminate it one by one.

Explorer Stopped: Context Menu Fix

Windows 7 Explorer stopped working how to fix if the error lies in the context menu? - You should return it to its basic state, that is, remove all secondary applications, most often this will be the answer.

The easiest way to accomplish the task is to use the ShellExView utility. The app shows programs that are contextualized.

  1. In the main menu of the program, sort the parameters by "Type";

  1. Find everything that has the character "Context Menu";
  2. Disable all elements in the path that have an asterisk using RMB or F7, except Microsoft;
  3. Reboot and check the result.

If the expected result does not follow, disable other items, but be sure to leave the processes produced by Microsoft, all others can be disabled. We'll have to use the selection method to identify and fix the problem.

You can also check that the malfunction is in the secondary utilities with safe mode... You can go to it by pressing F8 at startup. In theory, the error stopped by the Windows 7 Explorer program should not appear, otherwise you will have to start the sfc agent.

Windows Explorer stopped working, defective codecs

An urgent question, how to fix the explorer program has been stopped, because codecs are an invisible part of applications? Immediately, we note that most often the problem is in video codecs, thanks to them a thumbnail of a video file is formed and their absence causes a failure. In some cases, other applications also provoke an error.

To diagnose whether the problem is in the codecs or not, you should disable the display of thumbnails. You can do this:

  1. Go to the Control Panel, with this problem it should open;
  2. Select the "Folder Options" tile;

  1. In the "View" tab, deselect the item "Show file icons in thumbnails".

The kind of problem will immediately become obvious, if, after all, the codecs are faulty, then they should simply be reinstalled, since there are a lot of them on the Internet.

The integrity of the conductor is broken

If the OS has undergone a virus attack or other damage, changes in the operation of system files may be observed in it. The problem is not necessarily with the conductor, although there is not much difference. You should just run special scan sfc.

  1. Press Win + R and enter cmd;
  2. Insert sfc / scannow into the console;

Only the administrator has the rights to perform the procedure.

After checking and eliminating the error in this way, it is still necessary to destroy viruses, they lend themselves well to processing using antivirus software.

Service Health Diagnostics

Many applications have their own services that sometimes fail. It is necessary to turn off all third-party elements one by one, and then, inevitably, there will be a problematic application. For this you need:

  1. Win + R and enter msconfig;
  2. Go to the "Services" tab;
  3. At the bottom, select the item "Do not display system services";

  1. You should not disable, at least in the first place, the driver services, everything else can be deactivated.

When the root of the problem is determined, you should update the drivers for the application or completely abandon its use.

Driver to video adapter

The cause of many problems, especially those related to the video component, is the video driver. It consists of complex mechanisms, is often updated, there are a huge number of adapters and types of drivers - all this causes the risk of crashes in the application.

You just need to update the driver, for this:

  1. Start and PCM on "Computer";
  2. Then select "Properties";
  3. Now open the "Device Manager";

  1. In the "Video adapters" section, select the item with a discrete card;
  2. Double click and go to the "Driver" tab;
  3. Now choose "Update".

An alternative option is to use graphical interface from the manufacturer of the driver, but it does not always work correctly.

Using one of the proposed approaches, with a high degree of probability, it will be possible to eliminate the error and return the correct processing of the conductor. Quite often, the malfunction is in secondary programs, and much less often the reason is system failures.


If you still have questions on the topic "Correcting the error" Explorer stopped working "", you can ask them in the comments


Many computer users have at least once met a situation when they freeze when working on a PC "Conductor"... It is much worse when such problems occur regularly. Let's find out what are the ways to resume the normal operation of this important element in operating system Windows 7.

The most intuitive option to resume the frozen "Explorer" Is to restart the computer. Many users do this when this problem occurs. But at the same time, all documents and programs that were minimized at the time of the occurrence of the problem will be forcibly terminated, which means that the changes made to them will not be saved. This option does not suit us, and therefore we will consider a method for getting out of this situation without having to restart the PC. We will also explore ways to eliminate the root causes of operating problems. "Explorer".

Method 1: "Task Manager"

One of the easiest options to resume a frozen "Explorer" is the application "Task Manager"... Via this instrument the EXPLORER.EXE process is forcibly terminated and then restarted.

  1. The most common option that users use to open "Task Manager" performed through context menu "Taskbars"... When hung "Explorer" this method will not work. But the method with the use of "hot" keys is quite suitable. Therefore, dial the combination Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
  2. "Task Manager" will be launched. Move to tab "Processes".
  3. In the list that appears on the plane of the window that opens, you should find an element called "EXPLORER.EXE"... If there are many processes running on the computer, then it will not be so easy to find the named object. To make things easier, you can build all the elements in alphabetical order. To do this, click on the column name "Image name".
  4. After finding the object you are looking for, select it and press "End process".
  5. A dialog box opens where you want to confirm your decision. Push "End process".
  6. After that, all panels, icons on "Desktop" and the open windows will disappear. Do not be alarmed, as it is normal to force the EXPLORER.EXE process to terminate and terminate "Explorer"... Now our task is to restore its functioning. In the window "Task Manager" press "File"... In the list that opens, stop the selection on the item "New task (Complete ...)".
  7. A window opens "Create a new task"... Enter the command in its only field:

    Click "OK".

  8. "Conductor" restarts. Now its work and functionality will be fully restored.

Method 2: Update your graphics card driver

The above method for solving a problem is good for a single manifestation. But when the situation repeats itself over and over again, it means that you need not fight the consequences, but look for the root cause of the problem. It can consist, for example, in the malfunctioning of the video driver. Let's see how to fix this situation.

  1. Click the button "Start"... Go to "Control Panel".
  2. Now click "System and safety".
  3. In the window that appears in the group "System" click item "Device Manager".
  4. A window appears "Device Manager"... Click on the name of the group "Video adapters".
  5. A list of devices opens, among which must be the name of the video card connected to your computer. Double click on the name of this element with the left mouse button.
  6. The properties window for the selected device will open. Move to tab "Driver".
  7. Then click on the button "Delete" at the very bottom of the window that opens.
  8. After the object is deleted, you need to search for the driver by device ID. The found file should be downloaded and installed on the PC. If you do not want to perform the search and install operation manually, you can entrust this task specialized programs, in particular DriverPack Solution.

Method 3: Troubleshoot out of RAM problems

Another reason it freezes "Conductor", may be that your computer simply does not have enough hardware resources to process all the tasks that you have loaded it with. Therefore, individual components of the system begin to slow down or malfunction. This problem is especially common among users low-power computersthat have very limited RAM, or weak processor... Let's figure out what needs to be done in this case.

Of course, the best way to fundamentally solve the current problem is to buy more powerful processor or purchase an additional "RAM" bar. But unfortunately, not everyone is ready to take these measures, and therefore we will figure out what needs to be done to freeze "Explorer" occurred as rarely as possible, but at the same time did not replace hardware components.


In the future, to avoid freezing "Explorer" for similar reasons, try to avoid running several resource-intensive programs at the same time, and also remove from startup those applications that you do not need when starting your computer. It is also recommended to increase the size of the paging file.

Method 4: disable thumbnail displays

One of the reasons causing freezing problems "Explorer", is incorrect display of thumbnail images. When downloading pictures from the Internet, some of them may not be fully downloaded, which leads to incorrect display of their thumbnails, as a result of which malfunctions begin "Explorer"... To completely eliminate this scenario of problems, you can simply turn off the display of thumbnails on the PC.


Now if the cause of the constant freeze "Explorer" the thumbnails were not displayed correctly, the specified problem will no longer bother you.

Method 5: Eliminate viral infection

The next reason that can cause unstable work "Explorer", is a virus infection of the computer. We recommend that in case of frequent freezing of this system component, even in the absence of other signs of infection, check the PC with an anti-virus utility. It will definitely not be superfluous. You can use Dr.Web CureIt or another similar program that does not require installation. It is better to check it from another PC or by running the system via LiveCD.

If a virus activity is detected, the program will inform the user about it and offer the best option fix the problem. After getting rid of the root cause, work "Explorer" should get better.

Method 6: System Restore

But there are cases when viruses or other external factors have already managed to damage system files, which ultimately results in unstable work "Explorer"... Then the system needs to be restored. Depending on the complexity of the problem that has arisen and on the previously carried out preventive measures, the following actions can be taken to eliminate it:


In this article, we dwelled on the main reasons why "Conductor" freezes. As you can see, they can be very diverse. In addition, we figured out how quickly it can be returned to a working state, and also figured out how to eliminate the root cause of the malfunction if this kind of malfunction occurs regularly, depending on what exactly they were caused by.

She has proven herself in a variety of roles. It is both a powerful gaming platform and the backbone of an office worker who values \u200b\u200bspeed and reliability. In everyday work, you don't expect any problems from an OS of this level. But they occur with noticeable frequency, and you need to be prepared for them. Speaking about a situation where Explorer is not responding in Windows 7, how to fix this misunderstanding? Let's try to figure it out.

Algorithm of actions for solving the problem of freezing Windows Explorer.

There can be quite a few situations that cause an error. When File Explorer doesn't work in Windows 10, the system tries to fix the problem itself. In more early versions such a productive amateur performance can not always be expected. The user may receive a message that the File Explorer has stopped working in the following cases:


Other possible problems

Defective video card

The video card is involved in all processes inside the PC. Including, it indirectly affects windows work Explorer. You can find out why File Explorer doesn't work on Windows 7 by running a simple video subsystem diagnostics. First, try updating your video card drivers. This can be done in the following ways:

  • Download them from the manufacturer's official website.
  • Apply the program that comes with the card.
  • Go to the Windows Update program.

There are problems with Windows system files

Sometimes it happens that files important for the system have been damaged by a virus, illiterate user actions or other means. If Explorer does not respond in the operating room windows system 7, how to fix this problem? "Seven" has a special program that helps to solve all such nuances.


System - lack of resources

If this problem occurs, then in the Task Manager (you can start it with Ctrl + Alt + Del) you will see high CPU utilization rates. The figure can be 90–95%. There are many recommendations here. Have you cleaned the cooling system for a long time? Try cleaning. Is your computer slowing down constantly and not working fast enough? Update your hardware configuration.

IMPORTANT. In any case, conduct a deep diagnosis of all equipment. Next, let's look at how to return Explorer to its normal state in Windows 10.

Problems in the Top Ten

We have already decided what to do if Explorer does not work in Windows 7. Explorer 7 is generally similar to earlier and later versions of it on other systems from Microsoft. But if File Explorer is unresponsive in Windows 10, how do you fix this situation?

In this windows versions there is a self-diagnosis system called "Troubleshooting Center". In addition, extensive help on all problems can be found in the good old way - by pressing F1 or by going to the official website microsoft... Most of the solutions described in this article work with different versions Windows, check and see for yourself.

The Explorer program can fail in many cases. Computer problems most often happen when you don't expect it. If you have a similar problem - discuss it in the comments or look in other articles where there is a lot of interesting things!