If you need to restart your File Explorer in Windows 11/10, you can follow this procedure. You may use the Task Manager, a desktop shortcut, or the Context Menu.
How to restart Explorer in Windows 11/10
To restart File Explorer in Windows 11, do the following:
- Right-click on Start to open the WinX Menu
- Select Task Manager
- Locate Windows Explorer process
- Right-click on it
- Click on Restart.
To restart File Explorer in Windows 10, do the following:
- Right-click on the Taskbar
- Select Task Manager
- Locate Windows Explorer process
- Right-click on it
- Click on Restart.
Windows 11/10 offers the context menu option to easily Restart Explorer in its Task Manager.
Using BAT file
If you find that your explorer.exe freezes frequently or you are really into experimenting and testing customizations, creating a desktop shortcut to restart Explorer would definitely be a more convenient option!
To do so, copy-paste the following in a Notepad and save it as (All files) as a .bat file. Name it as RestartExplorer.bat, if you wish!
@echo off taskkill /f /im explorer.exe start explorer.exe
Now you can click on this shortcut to quickly restart Explorer.
Using Command Prompt
To restart Explorer, you can open the command prompt.
Type taskkill /f /im explorer.exe and hit Enter to terminate explorer.exe.
To restart it, execute start explorer.exe.
In Windows 7, you have to start the Task Manager. Select explorer.exe from the processes, and click on the End Process button. This would kill explorer.exe. Next, you’d click on File tab, choose New task (Run…), type explorer.exe in the box, and click OK. This will restart explorer.exe.
That’s it!
Read:
- Right-Click Restart Explorer adds Restart Explorer option to Context Menu
- How to kill explorer.exe may also interest you.
There’s a way to close Explorer manually without forcibly killing it in XP too.
Click Start menu -> Shut Down -> press and hold Ctrl+Alt+Shift -> click Cancel.
You can do it using powershell as well.
stop-process -name explorer -force
start-process explorer
Nice Tip , Good Work
Doesn’t work in XP Home, just opens a file manager window.
Thank you, very helpful shortcut :)
Or you just cluck the start button the whist holding control and shift right click in a blank space on the start menu. You’ll get two options appear; Properties and Close Explorer.
This way you can actually stop explorer properly without killing the process.
Then restart it from task manager.
Cant believe all the inane suggestions here after the OP’s suggestion…what do people not get about single click vs multiple..thanks Anand ! My Taskbar in W7 for the most part doesnt autohide and this is the only resolution that will work for me.
Still works on Windows 10.
Windows 10 if you right click Windows Explorer process in Task Manager you can restart it. Worked to bring back the volume icon.