Windows 10: File explorer slow/Never loading solution

Ok so since upgrading from 7 to 10 file explorer has been a absolute nightmare! Everything was either incredibly slow, didn't happen or only partially load. After enduring this to this day I have decided enough is enough and started diagnosing by limiting the startup services using MSconfig.

After going through enabling startup services groups at the time and restarting the computer everytime! Eventually I found the service that was causing the problems with file explorer. The service is called Windows search and once disabled it restored functionality to file explorer. The search function in file explorer works but the search in the taskbar doesn't.

Step by step guide:
1. Hold Win+r to open run
2. Type msconfig and hit ok or enter
3. Click Services
4. Navigate to Windows search (you can sort the list in descending alphabetical order)
5. Uncheck tickbox
6. Click apply then ok
7. Select to restart now

Hope this works for you.

:)

 

Windows 10 File Explorer won't open, causes Windows Explorer to crash

File explorer slow/Never loading solution Solved - Windows 10 Forums

this worked for me after trying many other options which didn't!

 

Windows 10: File explorer slow/Never loading

it improved the loading a bit but did not recover it fully

 

Thanks for the tip mate.
File Explorer had become almost unusable.
Bloody windows search eh?
I never use it anyway.
Been using Everything for a while now.
Much better.
Thanks again…

 

OMG yes. Thank you.

This was exactly the solution I was looking for. This problem was getting extremely painful, and everything else I'd found was talking about changing the folder optimization setting, i.e. Documents/Photos etc, which making no difference at all.

 

Disable Search won't make icons load faster. It just disables the ability to find programs and other stuff fast!
Naturally I tested your "tips" and still, loading icons are slow. It has to be some other thing going on in W10. Windows 7 didn't have this problem. Microsoft wake up!

 

I would have never thought of this -
This DOES stop the lag with explorer, and does not seem to have any adverse effect on anything that I normally use.
Thank you for solving the problem... AND sharing the solution with us

 

Thank you.

 

This didn't work for me. *cry

 

Something else must be going on to have that effect... Windows search should back off quickly (stop indexing) almost as soon as you start doing sthg. If indexing is complete, it should have no impact on your performance. It never has on mine.

Note that
a. searching Settings is dependent on Windows search
b. Cortana 'My Stuff' is entirely dependent on Windows search

 

Thanks heaps! This is the solution i was looking for, and now my computer in files explorer doesn't have a stupid loading sign over it and works much faster. Thanks again!

 

i was this close to going back to win 7, and then i found your solution, windows file manager is running like its on a fresh install, thank you so much for providing a solution other than the usual microsoft response "turn it off and then on again".
You are awesome

 

It worked partially. In fact I double checked that Windows Search was still dead. I have a survielance video archive of about 12k files and 2TB. Big but not unmanagable from a computer standpoint. I am tearing out my hair though. It sits, and sits, and sits, only for me to reverse sort the Date.Modified. The bar takes about 6 minutes to complete. Don't even bother to tell me that is an unmanageable folder. The file size has no bearing on how accesable the file attributes are, because they reside in the FAT( even though it's NTFS, it still is a FAT)

How &&*#ing complex is that action?! Does MS have to make everything so piss slow that Win8 on a new PC is as fast as windows 3.11 on a IBM AT? Oh, now it's done...

Sorry

 

On Windows 10, Download folder sort has been F(*&^%G ridiculous trying to do any kind of sorts. Based on web searches and other suggestions, I really didn't want to mess with config files to solve this problem if I didn't have to. My default for folder views is ALWAY Details, never thumbnails. So, as has been suggested in other places, and here, there were some comments about adjusting the properties of the folder to resolve the problem. I followed this advice - and I did so by going to Download folder > Properties. **NOTE: I selected my Download folder from Explorers Quick Access or Frequently Used (because I tried this method multiple times)**. I followed the steps to uncheck selections under General > Advanced > untick items, then select all subfolders, etc. Then went to Customize > changed to 'General' instead of Pictures as was defaulted > and checked "Apply to all subfolders".

This did not resolve the problem *Banghead well, it seemed like maybe the first time I went back to Explorer, it was better - but problem returned quickly after that.

After searching online again for the hundredth time, I found a comment that said to access the Downloads folder via C: -> Users -> [yourusername], instead of via Favorites/QuickAccess/FrequentlyUsed shortcuts - then right click on Download Folder from THERE and proceed to change the properties as indicated above.

OMG this immediately resolved the issue -- all folder sorts worked instantly! I then proceeded to ShutDown to verify that when I rebooted, the changes would still be in affect. I received an error -- "explorer.exe application error -- The instruction at 000blahblahblahEL9 reference memory at 00X000blahblahblah.B88. The memory could not the read. Check OK to terminate program" So slightly concerned, clicking ok was pretty much all I could do at that point. ShutDown. On reboot, no errors occured, everything worked fine and Explorer sorts still worked instantly!! HALLELUIAH!!!*Party Huge high five to the guy who suggested that one!!!

 

I'm not even sure I'm posting this in the correct area. I joined the forum specifically to tell everyone that this solution WORKED! I've spent all day with Microsoft's online chat support with three different representatives and none of them had a solution. They tried EVERYTHING including scans for corrupt files, even going so far as to create a new user, and even reinstalling Windows. This solution immediately worked.

My files including file explorer and pictures and documents weren't downloading very quickly and even not at all. The pics and documents and such were there, but the thumbnails were either completely absent or blank white pages. It was like the files could never fully download or materialize. I'm sooooo relieved. I was ready to make do temporarily and then get an apple laptop ASAP. This will keep me from having to do it right away. I think I will eventually. To the author of this solution...THANK YOU!!!!!