Windows Explorer is the navigation tool included with Windows that allows you to access your folders and files, often represented by an icon that looks like a file folder.

Windows Explorer is not to be confused with Internet Explorer, the default internet browser for Microsoft computers until Microsoft Edge replaced it in 2015.

Sometimes, Explorer will run slowly or crash and need to be restarted. Follow this guide to learn how to restart Windows Explorer.

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How to restart Windows Explorer

1. Open Task Manager. If you right-click on the task bar at the bottom of the screen, Task Manager should appear as an option. You can also open Task Manager by pressing “Ctrl” + “alt” + “delete” on your keyboard and clicking on “Task Manager.”

2. In Task Manager, click on the field labelled “Windows Explorer.”

3. In the bottom right corner of Task Manager, click the button labelled “Restart.”

This should restart Explorer. Stand by while Explorer is restarting – sometimes it will cause your Start menu or taskbar to temporarily disappear until it has finished restarting.

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