[Full Guide] How to Start the Windows Explorer Exe

Before rebooting your Windows 10 system, try restarting Windows Explorer if you experience unresponsiveness with your taskbar, Start menu, or File Explorer. Windows 10’s Windows Explorer process, or Explorer.exe, is a program manager process responsible for launching and displaying most of the operating system’s graphical user interface elements, such as the desktop, taskbar, Start menu, File Explorer, and Action Center.

Although the process typically runs smoothly for long periods, one or more components may eventually malfunction, causing the entire Windows 10 system to freeze or become unresponsive. In such cases, users may instinctively resist pressing the power button to reboot the computer, but restarting the Explorer.exe process could resolve the issue without risking the loss of unsaved work.

The explorer.exe process is crucial for the graphical interface to function in Windows. Without it, the operating system would not be usable in a graphical mode. This Windows 10 guide will outline various methods for quickly restarting the Explorer.exe process to address UI-related problems.

Did the Taskbar Disappear in Windows 10? It’s Also Explorer.exe

If your Windows 10 Taskbar disappears, it could be due to a crash in the explorer.exe process, which can be resolved by restarting. The simplest solution is to restart your PC, but alternative ways exist to recover your desktop if you have unsaved work. Since Task Manager, Command Prompt, and other programs are not dependent on the Explorer process, you can still access them to launch and restart Explorer.exe.

How to Reset Explorer.exe Using Task Manager

There are at least two ways to reset the File Explorer process on Windows 10, both of which involve using Task Manager.

Restart File Explorer Using the Processes Tab

If you encounter common UI issues on Windows 10 and need to restart Explorer.exe using the Processes tab, follow these steps:

1. To quickly open Task Manager on Windows 10, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + ESC. While there are several ways to access the Task Manager, such as via the Ctrl + Alt + Del shortcut, the power user menu (Windows key + X), or the Start menu search function, the Ctrl + Shift + ESC shortcut is typically the most efficient method if you are experiencing UI-related issues.

2. When using the Task Manager in compact mode, you can access additional features by clicking the More Details button in the lower-left corner.

3. Click on the Processes tab within the Task Manager.

4. Scroll down to the Windows processes section and locate Windows Explorer.

5. Right-click Windows Explorer and select Restart from the context menu.

(You can also click restart in the lower right corner.)

After you have completed the steps above, the Explorer process will terminate and restart automatically. This should resolve common issues, such as unresponsive taskbars or an inability to open the Start menu or File Explorer.

Restarting Explorer Using the Details Tab

1. Open Task Manager and go to the Details tab.

2. Locate the explorer.exe process and click End Task.

3. In the prompt window, click End process.

4. Next, click the File menu and select Run a new task.

5. Enter explorer.exe to restart the process and click OK.

How to Restart the Explorer.exe Process Using Batch File

If you prefer, you can create a batch file that contains the necessary commands to terminate and restart the Windows Explorer process automatically. Follow these steps to do so:

1. Open the Start menu and search for Notepad. Click the top result to open the application.

2. Copy and paste the following script into the text file:

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe

start explorer.exe

3. Click on the File menu and select Save As.

4. Give the file a descriptive name and include the .bat file extension.

5. Click on the Save button to save the file.

After completing the steps above, you can quickly reset the Windows Explorer process by double-clicking on the batch file you created. This should resolve any issues you are experiencing with the taskbar, Start menu, or File Explorer.

How to Restart Windows Explorer in Windows 10 via Command Prompt

Command prompt is a Windows shell that enables you to run commands by typing them and hitting the enter key on the keyboard. If you would rather use the command line or cannot access Task Manager, you can utilize Command Prompt’s kill and start commands.

1. Open the Start menu and type cmd.

2. Open the Command prompt and run as an administrator.

3. In the command prompt window, type the following command and press Enter:

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe

4. Next, type the following command to restart the explorer process and press Enter:

start explorer.exe

Restart Explorer.exe Using Exit Explorer Feature

Exit Explorer is a hidden feature in Windows 10 that enables you to quit Windows Explorer directly, bypassing the need to navigate through the Task Manager tabs. To use this feature, follow these steps:

1. Press the CTRL + SHIFT keys, then right-click on the taskbar or Start menu.

2. Select Exit Explorer.

Only the mouse pointer is visible if you have terminated the explorer.exe process and are stuck with a blank, black desktop.

3. Press CTRL + ALT + DEL and select Task Manager.

4. Next, click the File menu and select Run a new task.

5. Enter explorer.exe to restart the process and click OK.

How to Start Explorer.exe

While most of us use Task Manager to terminate processes, it’s important to remember that it can also be used to start them. If you are experiencing problems with explorer.exe and need to start it when it’s not working, here’s how to do it using Task Manager.

1. Press Win + X Shortcut keys and click Task Manager.

2. Click File and select Run new task.

3. In the dialog box, type explorer.exe and click OK to start windows explorer.

Discover the Power of Windows Explorer.exe: A Comprehensive Guide to Getting Started

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Frequently Asked Questions About How to Start Windows.exe