What to do when File Explorer takes too long to open

¿What to do when file explorer takes too long to open? If the Windows File Explorer takes forever to openWhether your computer gets stuck on the green loading bar or freezes altogether, you're not alone. It's a fairly common problem in Windows 10 and Windows 11, and it can drive you crazy if you spend all day moving documents, photos, or videos.

In many cases the problem seems "mysterious": the rest of the system works fine, games and programs run smoothly, but open a folder with many photos, access external drives, or drag and drop files It causes the browser to freeze, become unresponsive, or take a very long time to display thumbnails. This can even happen after a power outage, a Windows update, or for no apparent reason.

Common causes of File Explorer running slowly or freezing

Before we get into solutions, it's important to understand that there is usually not just one cause. The browser's slowness can be caused by the cache, disk, history, CPU, indexing, antivirus software, or frozen processes.Sometimes several factors accumulate until the system says "enough".

One of the most frequently cited reasons is that The quick access and thumbnail cache is corruptedWindows saves recent accesses, frequently accessed folders, and previews of photos and videos to speed things up, but when that database gets corrupted, it does the exact opposite: Explorer gets stuck thinking endlessly.

There are also cases where the system works perfectly, but A specific folder with thousands of files, or very large files, causes the explorer to take a long time to generate icons and thumbnails.Here, the CPU, RAM, and disk condition have a significant impact, especially if we're talking about drives that are almost full or have errors.

On the other hand, Windows search and indexing servicesSearch engines, designed for fast searches, can become overwhelmed when the index contains hundreds of thousands or millions of items. In such scenarios, it's not uncommon to see high CPU or disk usage and a sluggish Explorer experience.

Finally, we mustn't forget other frequent suspects: Poorly installed display drivers, overly aggressive antivirus software, hung explorer.exe processes, processor overheating, or even malware that works in the background while you're just trying to open a folder.

Quick fixes: restart Explorer and close background processes

The first thing worth trying is the simplest: Restart the Windows Explorer process and close programs that are consuming too many resources in the background. Often the problem is fixed immediately simply by doing this.

To restart the browser, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc To open Task Manager, locate the Processes tab. “Windows Explorer”, right click on it and select "Reboot"The desktop will flicker briefly and then everything will reload. If it doesn't appear, go to File > Run new task, type explorer.exeCheck the box to create the task with administrator privileges and accept, or use NirSoft's essential tools to manage suspended processes and services.

If you notice that the system is generally running a bit sluggish, it's worth taking a look at the CPU, memory, and disk columns in the Task Manager itself. Open programs you're not using, browsers with dozens of tabs, games running in the background, or editing tools They may be hogging RAM and CPU, leaving the Explorer with no room to respond smoothly.

In this case, manually close the applications you don't need or end the tasks from the Task Manager. Frees up memory and CPU cycles and try opening the file explorer or that problematic folder again.

There are times when, even if you close the Explorer window, some "orphan" process of explorer.exe gets stuckWith Explorer closed, check the list of processes to see if any related processes remain and end them manually. Then recreate the explorer.exe task as described above.

Clear Quick access and history in File Explorer

The Quick access It's very convenient because it shows recent files and frequently used folders, but that information is stored in a cache which, over time, can become corrupted or grow too large. When this happens, Explorer can take a very long time to open or even appear empty for several seconds.

To clear this history, open any Explorer window and at the top click on View > Options (In Windows 11, the three dots > Options). On the General tab, in the section PrivacyCheck the box if you want to continue showing recent files and folders, but above all, press the button "Delete"This clears the history and forces Windows to start from scratch.

Once deleted, close all Explorer windows and reopen it. In many cases, The green loading bar disappears and quick access becomes instant again.Please note that the history will be rebuilt as you use your files again.

If you want to go one step further, you can deactivate completely You can disable the display of recent files or frequently visited folders by unchecking the boxes in the Privacy settings. This reduces the amount of data Explorer has to handle at startup.

Fix issues with thumbnails and icon cache

One of the most common symptoms when the Explorer malfunctions is that The thumbnails for photos and videos take a very long time to load, or some don't appear at all.You may also notice that when opening a folder with many images, the green progress bar takes a very long time to reach the end.

In these cases it is very likely that The thumbnail cache is damagedTo force Windows to rebuild it, go to Explorer, right-click on the drive where you have Windows (usually C:) and enter PropertiesOn the General tab, click on "Free up space" or “Free up disk space”.

The disk cleanup tool will open. Make sure the box is checked. “Miniatures” It's checked, and if you want, you can also select other temporary items. Accept and let the system delete that cache. The next time you open a folder with images, Windows will regenerate the thumbnails from scratch.This usually solves many problems of slowness and missing previews.

If you also notice corrupted or randomly changing icons, you can directly delete the icon cache file. Press Windows + R, writes %userprofile%\AppData\Local and accept. Activate the display of hidden items from the View menu and look for a file called IconCache or IconCache.db. Delete it, log off, or restart your computer and Windows will rebuild the icon cache automatically.

Reset folder options and directory optimization

Another source of problems are the custom folder configurations that have been saved over time. Each folder can remember its view, sorting, content type, etc., and if any of those settings become corrupted, it can cause it to open very slowly.

To return to a recycling center, open Explorer, go to View > Options and in the window that opens, go to the tab SeeThere you'll find the button “Reset folders”When used, Windows will remove custom designs and This will apply the current settings to all folders of that type.This usually speeds up navigation considerably.

In addition, Windows allows you to "optimize" each folder for a specific type of content: “General elements”, “Documents”, “Images”, “Music”, etc.If you have a huge folder that contains everything (subfolders, photos, videos, text files) and is optimized for images, for example, the system will try to generate too many thumbnails and metadata, making it very slow to open.

To change it, right-click on the problematic folder, go into Properties and then in the tab PersonalizeIn “Optimize this folder for…” choose “General elements” and check the box “Also apply this template to all subfolders”. Apply the changes and try again; The views should load much fasterespecially in folders with thousands of items.

Check the disk, system integrity, and updates

When File Explorer takes too long to open, it's worth ruling out a more fundamental problem, such as Disk errors, corrupted system files, or a conflicting Windows updateAll of this can affect only the browser even if everything else seems to be working fine.

To check and repair system files, open the Command Prompt or PowerShell as administrator (Right-click the Start button > Terminal/PowerShell/Command Prompt (admin)). Type and run the following commands one by one, pressing Enter after each one:

sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

These commands are responsible for Analyze and repair system files and the Windows imageThe process may take some time, so it's best to do it calmly. When finished, restart your computer and check if the Explorer is behaving more stably.

To check the status of the disk, both HDD and SSD, you can use the built-in tool. Check DiskOpen a console again with administrator privileges and run:

chkdsk C: /f

(Replace C: with the drive letter you want to check.) If it's the system drive, it will tell you that it can't lock it and will offer you schedule the check for the next restartAccept, restart when it's convenient for you, and let it finish. If there were errors in the disk structure or file system, they will be corrected; and if you need to recover files, you can Use PhotoRec to recover photos and files.

Don't forget to also check the section on Windows UpdateSometimes, right after installing an update, browser slowdowns begin. In Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Installed updates, you can see which patch was recently installed and, from "Uninstall updates," Remove that specific update to test if it was the culprit.After that, it's advisable to wait for Microsoft to release a revised patch.

Windows Indexing, Search, and Troubleshooter

The Windows search service relies on the indexing of disk content to display results instantly when using the search box in the Start menu or in Explorer itself. While the idea is good, when the index becomes too large or corrupted, it can lead to high resource usage and slow down the entire system, including Explorer.

To review this service, open the Classic control panel (look for it in the Start menu), change the view mode to “Small icons” and enter Indexing optionsFrom there you can see which locations are being indexed (for example, the entire C: drive, mail, libraries, etc.) and, if needed, reduce the number of included folders to streamline the process.

In that same window you will see a link to “Search and indexing problem solving”Press it, and in the wizard that opens, select the option that “Searching or indexing is slow”The troubleshooter will attempt to detect and correct common problems with the index, permissions, or conflicting files.

If you want to make a radical change and your PC has a huge number of indexed files (hundreds of thousands or more), you might consider Disable content indexing on certain drivesIn File Explorer, right-click on your main drive (C:), go to Properties, and uncheck "Allow files on this drive to have their contents indexed in addition to file properties." Apply the changes and click OK; a progress bar will appear while the index is removed from the already cataloged files.

On the other hand, searches will take a little longer to return results, but in return CPU, memory, and disk usage by the indexing service will decrease, and the Explorer should run more smoothly.especially on teams with limited resources or heavily loaded with data.

Antivirus, malware, and overall CPU performance

Another key point that is often overlooked is the antivirus. There are folders (for example, those with many executables, compressed files, or downloaded files) where the security engine becomes particularly agitated and analyzes the content in a loop every time you open them with the Explorer.

To rule out that the problem originates from there, you can temporarily disable your antivirus software (Windows Defender or whichever antivirus you use) and try opening the same slow folders. If everything suddenly works perfectly, the real-time monitoring is most likely the culprit. In that case, go into your antivirus settings and add exclusions for specific routes where you store trusted files that you know do not pose a risk.

However, one must be cautious: if the antivirus repeatedly complains about a specific file, it does so for a reason. Do not lightly exclude or disable protection in paths where you download things from the Internet or work with suspicious files.Limit exclusions to your own work folders that you have full control over.

In addition to antivirus software, don't rule out the presence of malware, Trojans, or adware that are running in the background. Even if you don't see anything unusual, a malicious process could be constantly using CPU or accessing the disk, which affects the speed of Explorer. Run a full scan with your antivirus software, and if you want to be more thorough, use a trusted, dedicated anti-malware tool to ensure your system is clean.

The one herself CPU temperature and load These factors also play a role. If the processor gets too hot, it enters a state known as thermal throttling, reducing its frequency to protect itself. This means that simple tasks like open an Explorer window or generate thumbnails They become surprisingly slow. You can monitor the temperature with tools like HWMonitor or from the Task Manager itself (Performance). If you see sustained values ​​above 85-90°C under light loads, it's advisable to clean the inside of the computer, check the fans, replace the thermal paste if necessary, and, in the case of mini PCs, use an external USB fan to lower the temperature. If you want to delve deeper into why your processor might be behaving this way, consult [link to relevant documentation]. Why is your CPU not going above 50%?.

Disk space, cleanliness, and drive performance

The health and free space of your disks greatly influence Explorer's behavior. A nearly full SSD or an HDD with very little available space will cause... Any access to folders, reading thumbnails, or copying files becomes slowThat's why it's so important not to go "to the limit" of capacity.

As a general rule, try to always maintain a reasonable percentage of free space on the drive where you have Windows installed (usually C:). If you're running very low on storage, the system will have less space for temporary files, virtual memory, and internal operations, resulting in slowness and micro-crashes.

Start by deleting programs you no longer use from Applications and features In Settings, clear old downloads and empty the trash. Then you can use the built-in option to “Free up disk space” Right-click on the drive > Properties > Disk Cleanup. Select items such as temporary files, caches, update remnants, thumbnails, etc. In many cases, several gigabytes can be recovered at once.

If you have an HDD as a secondary data drive, that's also recommended. Check its status with tools like CrystalDiskInfoThis indicates whether there are reallocated sectors or health issues. While a single power outage shouldn't damage a quality SSD, several sudden power outages in a row can affect an older HDD, causing it to crash when Explorer tries to access certain sectors.

When you notice that the problem occurs when accessing a network folder, a NAS, or an external USB drive, keep in mind that many of these devices enter sleep mode to save energyWhen attempting to open their contents, they take a few seconds to "wake up," and during that time the Explorer appears frozen. Some delay is normal in these cases, but if it's excessive, it's advisable to check the power settings of the NAS or external drive.

Other useful tips, alternatives, and small details to keep in mind

Beyond the main solutions, there are small tricks and adjustments that can make all the difference. Some are almost anecdotal, but they have saved more than one person from an afternoon of frustration with the Explorer.

For example, although it may sound like a joke, sometimes the problem is related to the Explorer window getting "stuck" in a certain display mode. Press the F11 key Toggle the Explorer's full-screen mode on and off. Some users have found that by switching this mode, the Explorer returned to normal functionality without any further intervention.

It's also important that you maintain the relatively updated systemIf you haven't installed patches for months, you might have bugs that were fixed in more recent versions. Conversely, if everything becomes unstable right after a major update, checking and, if necessary, uninstalling that specific patch could be the key until an official fix is ​​released.

Regarding the Explorer's internal history, in addition to the quick access we've already mentioned, Windows stores many of the movements and paths you use. Periodically clear that history from Options > General > Clear File Explorer history It helps prevent the application from carrying over outdated information that adds nothing and only consumes resources.

Yes, after all these tests, the Windows Explorer It's still a headache, you can always consider using alternative third-party file explorersThere are very powerful options, such as My Commander, Explorer++, Files or Double Commander, which offer advanced features like dual panes, tabs, built-in search engines, tags and more convenient file management when working with large volumes of data.

Some of these programs are extremely lightweight and consume very few resources, while others, offering so many features, can be somewhat heavier than a standard browser. In any case, They're a good lifeline if you need to keep working while you investigate the underlying problem with explorer.exeOr if you're simply not convinced by the native Windows browser.

At this point, it's clear that when the File Explorer takes too long to open or freezesThe problem can stem from many sources: corrupted caches, a full history, uncontrolled indexing, nearly full disks, drivers, antivirus software, overheating, or even a simply frozen process. Carefully checking each point—restarting the browser, clearing history and thumbnails, checking the disk and system, adjusting indexing, monitoring antivirus software and temperature, and freeing up space—usually leads to the solution that gets everything running smoothly again. And if it still persists, you always have third-party alternatives and the option to meticulously examine the hardware and the latest updates until the system is running smoothly once more.