Windows 10: File Explorer hangs at startup (until reboot)

After using Windows 10 for a few hours I find that File Explorer hangs when I open it - it tries to display the Quick Access items, but never completes - I just see "Working on it..." in the preview pane. If I click on "This PC" in the left pane it also hangs with the same message. If I type an address directly into the address bar (e.g. "c:") it will display immediately.

If I open a File Explorer window shortly after rebooting, and leave it open the whole time I can continue to select any entry from the left pane APART FROM "Quick Access" and "This PC", which hang with the message above.

If I open a new File Explorer window after a few hours I only see the "Working on it..." message, and the left pane contains only these top-level items:
- Quick Access (with no sub-items)
- Desktop
- This PC (with no sub-items)
- Homegroup (with no sub-items).

This doesn't happen when the machine is first booted, and only seems to start happening after a few hours. If I reboot the problem corrects itself.

My initial thought was that there was something on my Quick Access list (e.g. a network share) which was inaccessible, and hence causing it to hang, but I can access every one of the folders in my Quick Access list from my "original" File Explorer window if I leave it open for the entire session.

Any ideas for how to fix this?

:)

 

File Explorer has gone crazy after last nights upgrade.

My only has icons instead of full descriptions. I can not get back to a point where I have tabs that actually say something. Please tell me how to get my view repaired? help... Help.... HELP!!!

 

Windows 10 File Explorer not responding

I think, at least so far, the File Explorer works. I opened up msconfig.exe and on the General tab, I noticed it was set to Selective Startup and not the Normal Startup.

I changed the Startup Selection to Normal Startup and rebooted. File Explorer seems to work now; however logging in after entering login credentials is taking a while to complete. Shutting the computer down hangs for a while; Shutting Down with the spinning
wheel.

Not sure that this will help others, but I am going to try and perform the clean boot up and slowly start 3rd party software, one at a time and see what happens.

Thanks,

Steve

 

I have often a lag when opening File Explorer: nothing serious and everything like it should be because it has to wake up the external USB drive which went to idle state in the meanwhile..

I think it's something different for you, but the fact that you too experience it after a few hours could maybe point to something went to idle state, couldn't it? Do you have external HD / DVD in or soething like that?

 

It's not really a lag - the "working on it message..." never goes away (even leaving it overnight). I do have an external USB drive connected, but if I type its drive letter directly into the Explorer address bar it displays immediately, so Windows doesn't seem to have any problems accessing it.

 

wow, so weird! hope someone could be helpful than me then! *Wink

 

Some progress....I uninstalled the Dropbox app (for syncing and offline access to files) and it seemed to solve the problem. Not a good solution, as I really need to use the Dropbox!!

???

 

what dropbox client were you using? the app from Windows Store or the program one? you could try switching to the other..

 

I was using the Dropbox desktop app (downloaded from Dropbox). I tried replacing it with the Windows Store app, but that doesn't do syncing/offline access - if you request this feature it directs you to download the Dropbox desktop app!