How to restart Explorer.exe in Windows?

The Windows file explorer is called explorer.exe, by having it activated you can open and browse personal or system folders, but it is very common for errors such as viruses to occur, or for an open window to freeze.

Therefore, it will be necessary to restart the explorer.exe function , there are several methods to do it, either from the task manager, which is the most common, and through the CMD or PowerShell. Also, when a virus attacks and restarting explorer.exe becomes a daily routine, many users choose to create a shortcut in the desktop menu.

Index( )

1. What ways are there to restart Explorer.exe in Windows?
   1. With task manager
   2. through the cmd
   3. With the Command Console or PowerShell
   4. Adding an option to the Desktop menu
2. How to quit Explorer.exe in Windows?
   1. On Windows 10 and 8
   2. With Windows 7

What ways are there to restart Explorer.exe in Windows?

By restarting explorer.exe we can solve the error that some function got stuck. For example, many people decide to make the taskbar transparent in Windows , but if the PC does not meet these requirements, the bar will freeze, but restarting explorer.exe can solve it. Learn how to reset it as follows:

With task manager

1. Open the task manager, you can press the key combination Ctrl + Alt + Del or with the right click on the taskbar.
2. In the processes tab locate the file explorer.
3. Click on the file explorer with the right click to show the options menu.
4. Click ‘restart’ and you’re done.

A tip that you should know is that it is recommended to use the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys in case the taskbar freezes , since it is very common for folders and the bar to stop working at the same time.

through the cmd

It is only necessary to execute a command in the CMD or command prompts to restart the explorer.exe process . Granting admin permissions is of course mandatory, otherwise it won’t be possible. To do it from the command prompts you just need:

1. Open command prompts with administrator permissions.
2. Type the command ‘taskkill /f /im explorer.exe’.
3. You press enter and that’s it.

With the Command Console or PowerShell

To restart explorer.exe from PowerShell we must follow the same steps as the command prompts or CMD, since the command is the same. That is, you just have to:

1. Open PowerShell with administrator privileges.
2. Type the command ‘taskkill /f /im explorer.exe’.
3. You press enter and that’s it.

Adding an option to the Desktop menu

If you suffer from explorer.exe error when shutting down or restarting Windows , even if it freezes several times frequently, you can create a shortcut that will take care of restarting it with just a double click. For this you must create an executable .bat file . And the first thing you need to do is open the Windows Notepad app and type:

• taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe
• start explorer.exe
• exit

Close the created document so that the ‘Save As’ window appears or click on File and then on ‘Save As’ and it is very important that you write .bat after the name you want. For example, ‘RestartExplorer.bat’. When saving your document you will be able to verify that everything went well if the icon is a gear, and not the typical icon of notepad files.

In this way you can double-click on your created .bat file and the file browser restarts immediately, you have the advantage of locating it where you want. Of course, the desktop is recommended.

How to quit Explorer.exe in Windows?

In addition to restarting the function of explorer.exe, you can also quit it. That is, you can close it temporarily, in order to solve some kind of error. Of course, you have to perform the resume process manually. Also, to exit the file explorer you must:

On Windows 10 and 8

1. Hold down the Ctrl + Shift keys.
2. Without releasing the keys, press the right mouse button on the taskbar to reveal the hidden options.
3. Click on ‘Exit browser’ and you’re done.

With Windows 7

1. Press the start button or click on the start icon.
2. Hold down the Ctrl + Shift keys.

Without releasing the keys press the right mouse click on a place in the start menu, of course it must be blank. That is, an empty space.