Learn how to open File Explorer in Windows 11 and Windows 10, and what to do if it doesn't work. Find your documents, see your OneDrive files, and get help from Microsoft.

Describes an issue in which you receive Application Error in the Explorer.exe process in Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2. This issue occurs when you right-click the Start tip to shut down or to restart the computer.

File Explorer in Windows 11 helps you get the files you need quickly and easily. To check it out in Windows 11, select it on the taskbar or the Start menu, or press the Windows logo key + E on your keyboard. How to use File Explorer: To pin a folder to Quick access, right-click (or press and hold) the folder and select Pin to Quick access.

Symptoms. When working in Windows, you may receive the following error message: Windows Explorer has stopped working. Windows is restarting. Additionally, you may notice the screen flicker just before or after the error message appears. Cause. This issue can be caused due to any of the following issues:

If the steps above don't work, you may need to reinstall Windows. For more info, see Windows 10 recovery options. Describes how to use the System File Checker tool to troubleshoot missing or corrupted system files in Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7 or Windows Vista.

High CPU usage in the Explorer.exe process when you open a folder that contains corrupted .wav files in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2 - Microsoft Support.

Windows 11 Windows 10. By default, File Explorer opens to Quick access, renamed to File Explorer Home in Windows 11, Version 22H2. We recommend Home as your landing page in File Explorer, where you can: Access your most recent and favorited Office.com files quickly.

Workaround. To work around this issue, use the Settings charm to shut down or restart Windows. Cause. This error occurs because the Explorer.exe process accesses memory that has already been freed during the shutdown process. Status.