Windows 10: A file freezes the file explorer every time I interact with it

Specifically, the operation gets stuck when I try to move it to another folder, it does nothing when I try to delete it, freezes the window when I try to delete it, and fails to open. What do I do?

:)

 

Windows 10 File Explorer freezes and is (Not Responding) when I interact with Microsoft Office files

When I interact with certain Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. files File Explorer freezes and enters a state of Not Responding. Even if I only click on the files once to select, not even opening. I am able to open the files without any problem directly from
the respective app such as in the Recent Files list or File>Open, but when done through File Explorer they cause it to freeze. No other file types cause this problem.

Some Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files do open, usually ones which haven't been edited in 4 or more years though, but not ones which are more recent than that. I have cleared the history of file explorer, repaired and restarted my Office apps, tried Event
Viewer, and run disk optimization from my McAphee app. Nothing is working.

 

File explorer is broken

Every time file explorer is opened, the program freezes. Specific symptoms:

• "Saving As" in any software brings up the file explorer window that freezes for several seconds.
  
• Right clicking on desktop crashes Explorer, the taskbar stops working, everything resets.
  
• Opening up a file explore window freezes for several seconds (Fixed by defaulting to This PC instead of Recents)
  
• Dragging and dropping is a nightmare. Often freezes mid drop, have to wait with finger pressed on drop location for several seconds.
  

Basically anything that activates explorer gives me grief.

Things I tried to fix the issue.

1. SFC scan (no problems found)
   
2. every iteration of DISM.exe (no problems found)
   
3. Updating windows.
   
4. Processor scheduling is set to Programs.
   
5. Automatically manage paging file sizes for all drives option is checked.
   
6. Disabled all startup application in Task Manager.
   
7. Clean Boot (msconfig) disabling all non microsoft services (problem persists)
   
8. Booting is safe mode (problem persists)
   
9. Restarting explorer obviously does not work.
   
10. Launch folder windows in a separate process breaks it even more.
    
11. Unchecked Show recent files etc.
    
12. Cleared File Explorer History
    
13. Changed default text size.
    

None of the solutions proposed above work.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

File Explorer freezes when hovering the cursor over the "create" section.

Hi Alex,

To better assist you, we'd like to know the following:

• Did you make any changes prior to this issue?
• Are you getting any error messages after File Explorer freezes?
• What troubleshooting have you done so far?

In the meantime, we suggest you restart Windows Explorer by following the steps below:

• Type Task Manager in search bar.
• Click Task Manager.
• On the pop-up window, under Windows processes, scroll-down to
  Windows Explorer.
• Right-click Windows Explorer, and click Restart.

We look forward to your response.

Thank you.