[Fixed] File Explorer Keeps Crashing When I Open A Folder

Navigating your Windows computer relies heavily on File Explorer. It’s your window to your files, folders, and drives. It’s a common yet disruptive issue when File Explorer keeps crashing when you open a folder. This comprehensive guide will delve into why this problem occurs and provide you with actionable solutions to get your File Explorer back on track, ensuring smooth and stable access to your essential data.

Why Does File Explorer Keep Crashing When You Open A Folder?

Understanding the root causes is the first step to resolving the persistent issue of File Explorer crashing. Several factors can contribute to this problem, and this section will explore the most common culprits behind why File Explorer keeps crashing.

From corrupted system files to problematic third-party software, pinpointing the exact reason is crucial for an effective fix. If you've been asking, "Why does File Explorer keep crashing when you open a folder?”, here are some potential answers:

✘ Corrupted System Files: Essential Windows system files that File Explorer relies on might have become corrupted or damaged. This is a frequent reason for Windows 10 File Explorer keeps crashing.

✘ Outdated or Faulty Drivers: Drivers, especially display or graphics drivers, if outdated or corrupted, can lead to instability in graphical interface elements like File Explorer.

✘ Thumbnail Cache Issues: File Explorer generates thumbnails for images and videos. If this cache becomes corrupted or if it encounters a problematic file while trying to generate a thumbnail, it can lead to a crash.

✘ Malware Infections: Viruses or malware can damage system files or interfere with normal operations, leading to File Explorer crashes.

✘ Insufficient System Resources: Low RAM or high CPU usage can sometimes cause applications, including File Explorer, to become unresponsive and crash.

✘ Quick Access Issues: The Quick Access feature in Windows 10 and later, while convenient, can sometimes become corrupted, causing File Explorer to crash upon opening.

✘ Specific File or Folder Corruption: In some instances, the crash might be triggered when trying to access a particular folder that contains a corrupted file.

Quick Recovery: Recover Missing Files While File Explorer Keeps Crashing

When File Explorer keeps crashing when you open a folder, your immediate concern might be the potential loss of important files, especially if the crashes lead to system instability or you're worried about data corruption. This section introduces a reliable tool to help you recover any missing files swiftly.

Before diving into complex troubleshooting steps that might involve system changes, securing your data is paramount. If you're unable to access your files due to continuous File Explorer crashes, or if you suspect data loss has occurred, a dedicated data recovery tool is essential.

We recommend AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery, a professional Windows data recovery software designed to retrieve lost and deleted files from various storage devices.

✨ A comprehensive data recovery toolkit designed for Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, and Windows Server.
💾 Specifically built to retrieve lost or deleted files from various storage devices, including HDDs, SSDs, USB drives, and SD cards.
🤗 Available for various cases such as accidental deletion, formatting, system crashes, virus attacks, or partition loss, this tool offers a high chance of recovery.
🔎 Advanced scanning algorithms to thoroughly search the selected drive for recoverable files, supporting over 2000 file types, including photos, videos, documents, emails, audio files, and archives.
🧐 Users can preview recoverable files before committing to the recovery process, ensuring they retrieve the correct data.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery. Choose the exact partition or disk where your data lost and click Scan.

Step 2. Then, the recovery tool start to scan and search. lt will execute the “Quickly Scan" first for finding your deleted data fast, and then execute the “Deep Scan" for searching other lost data.

Step 3. Once the scan is completed, all deleted files, recycle bins and other missing files will be displayed. Please select the file you would like to recover and then click "Recover".

Step 4. Then, select a folder path to save your recovered files.

Step 5. Wait patiently for this process of recovering ends.

8 Ways to Fix [File Explorer Keeps Crashing When I Open a Folder]

Once you've ensured your important files are safe or recovered them using a tool like AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery, it's time to address the core issue: File Explorer keeps crashing when I open a folder. This section provides 7 effective methods to troubleshoot and resolve this persistent problem.

Each of these solutions targets a potential cause for File Explorer instability. It's recommended to try them one by one, checking if the issue is resolved after each attempt.

Way 1. Keep Your Windows Up to Date

Outdated system software can often be the culprit when File Explorer keeps crashing. Windows updates frequently include bug fixes and stability improvements for core components like File Explorer. This method ensures your system has the latest patches.

Keeping your Windows operating system updated is fundamental in maintaining system health and resolving common issues. Microsoft regularly releases updates that address known bugs, security vulnerabilities, and performance problems.

Step 1. Click on the Start button and select the Settings icon (the gear cog).

Step 2. In the Settings window, click on Update & Security.

Step 3. For Windows 11 users, this will be Windows Update in the left-hand pane.

Step 4. Click on Check for updates. (Illustrative image placeholder)

If updates are available, Windows will download and install them. You might need to restart your computer to complete the installation.

After updating and restarting, check if the file explorer keeps crashing when I open a folder issue persists.

Way 2. Disable Thumbnails

File Explorer’s attempt to generate previews (thumbnails) for files, especially images and videos, can sometimes lead to crashes if a file is corrupted or the thumbnail cache itself is problematic. Disabling thumbnails can prevent these crashes if they are related to media previews, a common reason for Windows 10 File Explorer keeps crashing.

If File Explorer crashes when opening folders with many media files, this solution is particularly relevant.

Step 1. Open File Explorer. Click on the View tab in the File Explorer ribbon.

Step 2. Click on Options (or Change folder and search options). 

Step 3. In the Folder Options dialog box, go to the View tab.

Step 4. Under "Advanced settings," check the box that says Always show icons, never thumbnails.

Step 5. Click Apply and then OK.

Test File Explorer to see if the crashing stops. You can also try clearing the thumbnail cache. 

Step 1. Type "Disk Cleanup" in the Windows search bar and open it.

Step 2. Select your C: drive (or the drive where Windows is installed).

Step 3. In the list of files to delete, make sure "Thumbnails" is checked.

Step 4. Click OK and then Delete Files.

Way 3. Launch Folder Windows in a Separate Process

By default, all File Explorer windows run in a single process. If one window encounters an error and crashes, it can bring down all other open File Explorer windows. Configuring Windows to launch folder windows in a separate process can isolate crashes, improving stability and helping to diagnose if a specific folder or action is causing the problem, potentially resolving why File Explorer keeps crashing.

This setting can prevent a single problematic folder window from crashing the entire File Explorer interface.

Step 1. Open File Explorer. Click on the View tab and then Options.

Step 2. In the Folder Options dialog box, go to the View tab.

Step 3. Under "Advanced settings," find and check the box for Launch folder windows in a separate process.

Step 4. Click Apply and then OK.

Restart your computer for the changes to take full effect and test File Explorer.

Way 4. Run CHKDSK and SFC Scans

Corrupted files on your hard drive or within the Windows system itself are major culprits when File Explorer keeps crashing when I open a folder. CHKDSK (Check Disk) scans your hard drive for errors, while SFC (System File Checker) scans for and repairs corrupted Windows system files. These built-in Windows utilities are powerful tools for resolving underlying system integrity issues.

CHKDSK: 

Step 1. Type cmd in the Windows search bar.

Step 2. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

Step 3. In the Command Prompt window, type CHKDSK C: /f /r /x (replace C: with the letter of your main system drive if different).

• /f fixes errors on the disk.
• /r locates bad sectors and recovers readable information.
• /x forces the volume to dismount first, if necessary.

You may be prompted that CHKDSK cannot run because the volume is in use. Type Y and press Enter to schedule the scan for the next time you restart your computer.

Restart your PC. The scan will run before Windows loads. This can take some time.

SFC Scan:

Step 1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.

Step 2. Type SFC /scannow and press Enter.

Step 3. The scan will check the integrity of all protected system files and replace corrupted files with a cached copy. Wait for the process to complete.

Once finished, restart your computer and check if the file explorer keeps crashing issue is resolved. If SFC finds errors it cannot fix, you might need to run a DISM scan first: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, then run SFC /scannow again.

Way 5. Make Changes to Graphics Card Driver

Outdated, corrupted, or incompatible graphics card drivers can cause a myriad of display issues, including File Explorer crashes, particularly when Windows 10 File Explorer keeps crashing. Updating or reinstalling your graphics driver can often resolve these problems. Your graphics driver is crucial for rendering everything you see on your screen, including the File Explorer interface.

Step 1. Right-click on the Start button and select Device Manager. Expand the Display Adapters section. Note down the name of your graphics card (e.g., NVIDIA GeForce, AMD Radeon, Intel HD Graphics).

Step 2. Go to the website of your graphics card manufacturer (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel).

Step 3. Search for the latest driver for your specific graphics card model and Windows version. Download the driver installer.

Step 4. Uninstall the current driver (Optional, but recommended for a clean install):

Step 5. In Device Manager, right-click on your graphics card and select Uninstall device.

Step 6. If prompted, check the box to Delete the driver software for this device. Click Uninstall.

Restart your computer. Windows will typically install a generic display driver.

To Install the new driver:

Step 1. Run the driver installer you downloaded in step 2.

Step 2. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Step 3. Restart your computer again.

Test File Explorer to see if the crashing issue is gone.

Way 6. Check Account Permission

Sometimes, File Explorer may crash if your user account doesn't have the necessary permissions to access certain files or folders. While less common for general crashes, it can occur when trying to open specific protected locations. This step involves verifying and correcting permissions for problematic folders if the crash is localized.

Ensuring your user account has full control over the folders you're trying to access can prevent permission-related crashes.

Note: Be cautious when changing permissions, especially for system folders, as incorrect settings can lead to system instability.

Step 1. Navigate to the parent folder of the one that seems to trigger the crash (or the folder itself if you can access its properties before it crashes).

Step 2. Right-click on the folder and select Properties.

Step 3. Go to the Security tab. Click on Advanced.

Step 4. Check the permissions listed. Ensure your user account (or a group you belong to, like Administrators) has "Full control" or at least "Read & execute," "List folder contents," and "Read" permissions. (Illustrative image placeholder)

If permissions seem incorrect or if you suspect corruption, you can try taking ownership or adding your user account with full control. This is an advanced step and should be done carefully.

Step 5. Next to "Owner," click Change.

Step 6. Type your username, click Check Names, then OK.

Step 7. Check "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects" if you want to apply this to all files and subfolders. Click Apply, then OK.

Step 8. You might then need to add explicit permissions for your account by clicking Add, selecting your principal, and granting "Full control."

Test File Explorer again. If the file explorer keeps crashing issue was related to a specific folder's permissions, this might resolve it.

Way 7. Disable Quick Access and Set Open File Explorer to This PC

The Quick Access feature in File Explorer (default in Windows 10/11) shows frequently used folders and recent files. If its cache or history becomes corrupted, it can cause File Explorer keep crashing, especially when opening a new File Explorer window. Changing File Explorer to open to "This PC" instead and clearing Quick Access history can help.

This method simplifies what File Explorer loads on startup, potentially bypassing the source of the crash.

Step 1. Open File Explorer. If it crashes immediately, try opening it through a different method, such as pressing Windows Key + R, typing control.exe, and then finding File Explorer Options in the Control Panel.

Step 2. If File Explorer opens, click on the View tab, then Options.

Step 3. In the Folder Options dialog box, on the General tab, find the "Open File Explorer to:" dropdown menu.

Step 4. Change it from Quick Access to This PC.

Step 5. Under the "Privacy" section at the bottom of the General tab, click the Clear button next to "Clear File Explorer history."

You can also uncheck "Show recently used files in Quick Access" and "Show frequently used folders in Quick Access" for good measure.

Click Apply and then OK.

Restart File Explorer (or your PC) and check if the issue of File Explorer keeps crashing when I open a folder is resolved.

By systematically working through these eight solutions, you should be able to identify the cause of your File Explorer woes and restore its stability.

To Sum Up

Experiencing a situation where File Explorer keeps crashing when I open a folder can be incredibly disruptive to your workflow on a Windows PC. This article has thoroughly explored the common reasons and provided a multi-faceted approach to tackling this problem. Firstly, we emphasized the importance of data security by introducing AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery as a reliable tool to recover any missing files that might have become inaccessible due to File Explorer's instability. 

By following these guidelines, you should be able to restore File Explorer to its normal, stable operation and enjoy a smoother Windows experience. Remember to apply these fixes methodically and test after each one to pinpoint the exact solution for your specific scenario.