Windows 10: File Explorer Crashes Due To Quick Access - Registry Fix?

I was following a guide suggesting putting custom items in the File Explorer Quick Access Panel.
I think I actually set something already in the quick panel - or a "divider line", which I was trying to move to the right so I could see what was in the quick panel already - to be in the quick panel.
At which point File Explorer crashed.
An attempt to open it, whether from a desktop folder or the taskbar, crashes (and also wipes and reups the taskbar contents).
Opening File Explorer Options from the start button, clearing the cache and unticking the two boxes for showing history in the Quick Access panel does NOT help.
Basically, I've lost file explorer. There must be registry entries that could reset the Quick Access to its original state.
Help!
Thanks)

:)

 

Windows 10 File Explorer crashes and resets on open from taskbar or windows tab

An update theory on why this happens. Probably better theory than the 'too full' idea.

I believe it goes like this: there’s something about certain files being “corrupted” as perceived by file explorer, which is what causes it to crash when we sort by date. Then, because that folder was recently accessed, it gets added to quick access,
so when file explorer is opened again into “quick access,” it perceives the corrupted file, and immediately crashes again. But if we go into “This PC,” it avoids quick access entirely, so file explorer opens normally.

And going to 'this PC' as described next may allow you to get to the Quick Access and change the settings before it crashes on you:

Open File Explorer through Cortana (the search bar/circle thing) and typing “Computer,” then click on “This PC”

 

Quick Access Crashes Explorer

I had this same issue. When opening up File Explorer it would automatically open into the Quick Access files and then crash. I found that opening up Recycle Bin would go to the Recycle Bin contents, which meant no crash! I then selected Quick Access and
it crashed, which told me that was the cause!

Reopening Recycle Bin I then went to the ribbon at the top and selected View > Options > Change folder view and searching> General > Open File Explorer to... > changed it to "This PC".

Under Privacy at the bottom of this same General tab un-tick "Show recently used files in Quick Access" and un-tick "Show frequently used folders in Quick Access" and click on the "Clear" button.

Restarting File Explorer then works perfectly!

 

Hi Pete, Welcome to tenforums! *Smile

Do you have a link to that guide?

 

Thank you, kind sir.
Here it is, it's pretty informative. ​Windows 10 tips, tricks, secrets, and shortcuts: File Explorer | ZDNet

 

K, thanks for the link, that's pretty straight forward.
Did you try restarting Explorer or the PC?
Any details of what happened would help a lot.

 

Straightforward - agree.
Yes, I restarted the PC. Didn't help (I thought it would, actually - that the reset settings in the File Explorer settings would take. Alas...)
As I say, it was clearly connected to an attempt to add things to the Quick Access panel, which seemed like a good idea. I added things in the pre-set menu - they added up to a point, then were "beyond" the vertical-line divider. I tried to move that to the right - didn't move. I tried to add other things to the access panel by right clicking and selecting "add to quick access panel," or whatever it is, but they didn't seem to add. What I think really did it was... I may have right-clicked on the vertical divider on the right end of the visible access panel and come up with a menu from which I selected "add to quick access panel."

Now I'm where I am as described above. Did that answer your question?

 

Do you have a system restore point you can use?

Failing that, do you use any form of disk imaging so you can restore your PC from a disk image you have previously created?
The routine use of disk imaging is what we strongly and repeatedly recommend people use so they can recover from difficult situations without technical help - e.g. Macrium Reflect (free) + its boot disk + external storage for image sets.

 

That's a bit radical, isn't it? I'd have to remember what I did since then to reproduce it.
I'd rather actually fix the problem.
Isn't there a program or Windows function that repairs the OS and might find and repair this? I seem to remember something like that.

 

I'm sorry, you seem unfamiliar with the terminology.

System Restore has been around since Windows XP.

Yes- it's System Restore.

It reverses changes made in key areas back to the date of the restore point chosen.

Have you ever enabled System Restore? Do you recognise the term?




(There are other repair tools and techniques, but I expect here we're looking at registry changes, so you need a tool that deals with that).

System Restore is often used to reverse a recent change - if it works (and it doesn't always!)

 

I appreciate it, but no, system restore is not what I mean. It puts the system back into a previous state. It doesn't examine the OS, searching for issues in libraries, missing files, etc.

BUT I think that kind of thing exists (or used to). I think I used it once upon a time.

(System restore is more a "lite" form of the old typical MS fix - you reinstall the operating system, do everything from the start, a ton of work and lost settings, etc., because we don't want to be bothered actually providing support/fixing the problem. System restore a good thing to have in the event of a catastrophe, but this shouldn't require that.)

 

You don't understand what system restore is, I'm afraid, so I'll leave you to find your own solution.

SFC /SCANNOW deals with system files- not the registry and checks the current set of files in use against the repository on disk.

chkdsk checks the integrity of the file system.

DISM commands are a level up from SFC

An in-place upgrade repair install replace system files with the base build of the current edition, and overwrites some- but dar from all- registry settings whilst leaving programs and most user settings intact.

Good luck.

 

Anyway, I found I had a very recent system restore. It's good to know you can scan for programs that will be affected by it. That appears to have ...well, it hasn't solved the problem, but it has eliminated it, if you see what I mean. Thanks for your help!