[Solved] Windows Explorer Keeps Crashing

There are some possible culprits behind the Windows explorer keeps crashing issue:

• Improper system settings
• Incompatibility between third-party software and your PC
• Permission errors
• Other lurking causes

How To Fix Explorer Keeps Crashing

Method 1: Update Your System

If you’re using an outdated version of the operating system on your computer, then it may be the cause of the Windows explorer keeps crashing issue. Since there might be some glitches in the old operating system version, updating your computer system may fix those glitches.

Refer to the following instructions to learn how to check whether your computer system is up to date:

Step 1: Press Win + I keys to open Settings.

Step 2: Click on Update & Security.

Step 3: Click on Windows Update on the left pane and then press the Check for updates option on the right part of the window.

Step 4: If updates are present on the screen, you can download and install them.

Step 5: After updates have been completed, reboot your system.

Method 2: Clear Windows Explorer History

Akin to your browsers, the activity history of Windows Explorer is also recorded. If the records of Windows explorer are not cleared for a long time, it may force Windows Explorer to crash. To learn how to clear the history, use these instructions:

Step 1: Press Win + Q  to open the search bar, type in File Explorer Options, and then open it.

Step 2: Switch to the General tab.

Step 3: Click on the Clear button within the Privacy section.

Method 3: Disable Thumbnails

Thumbnails could also be the reason why your Windows explorer keeps crashing. This often happens when any folder is stamped with multiple images. In this case, to solve the problem you can try turning off the thumbnails. Follow the instructions below:

Step 1: Press Win + R to open the Run box, type in Control Panel, and then open it.

Step 2: Expand the dropdown menu of View in the upper-right corner of the window. select Large icons.

Step 3: Click on File Explorer Options.

Step 3: Switch to the View tab.

Step 5: Uncheck the Always show icons, never thumbnails option on the Advanced settings list.

Step 5: Click on Apply and then OK.

Method 4: Launch Folder Windows In a Separate Process

If you’ve not chosen the option of different processes for the Folder Windows, the default setting in the explorer is to apply only one process on all the windows. This is another possible cause that may result in the Windows explorer’s crashing issue. Refer to the following instructions to learn how to fix it.

Step 1: Press Win + Q to open the search bar, type in File Explorer Options, and then open it.

Step 2: Switch to the View tab.

Step 3: Scroll down the list of Advanced settings to find the Launch folder windows in a separate process option and then tick the box off.

Step 4: Click on the Apply button and then OK.

Method 5: Disable Any Antivirus Programs That May Be Running On Your PC

Many users have reported that some interference from the third-party program may result in the Windows Explorer keeps crashing issue. Although not all applications can result in such an issue, some widely-used programs, including antivirus programs, can end up causing issues with tools of Windows.

If this is the case you are facing, then it could be easy to fix it. Just switch to the Turn off option available in the working antivirus programs on your computer.

Method 6: Remove Items From The Quick Access Menu

In your Windows Explorer, you get the Quick access menu on the navigation pane that can help you access some folders or files quickly. Although it allows users to navigate drives more easily, many users reported that it may result in causing the issue of Windows explorer keeps crashing. In this case, use the following steps to fix it:

Step 1: Press Win + Q to open the search bar, type in File Explorer Options, and then open it.

Step 2: Go to the Privacy section.

Step 3: Uncheck both the Show recently used files in Quick Access and Show frequently used folders in Quick Access options.

Step 4: Click Apply and then OK.

Method 7: Fix Corrupt Files & Drives

Improper closure of some utilities may lead to corrupted drives or files in your system. If you start searching for the corrupt drives manually and fixing them, the whole process could be a long haul. In your computer, there exist some in-built methods which can help solve the issue of corrupt drives via the command prompt. Use the following steps:

Step 1: Press Win + Q, type in Command Prompt, right-click on the search result and then select Run as administrator.

Step 2: After running the command prompt, type in the command mentioned below and then press Enter.

Step 3: Reboot the computer to check whether the problem is fixed after the operation is complete.

Or you could use Chkdsk to fix lurking hard drive problems.

Step 1: Right-click on the Start Menu button and then click on Command Prompt (Admin).

Step 2: Type in the command and press Enter:

Step 3: Wait for the process to end.

Step 4: Reboot your computer to see whether the error persists.

Method 8: Uninstall Third-Party Extensions

If you have recently downloaded any third-party programs incompatible with your computer, it may make woeful integration to Windows Explorer, leading to the issue of Explorer keeps crashing. You can use a built-in tool offered by windows to uninstall harmful third-party programs. Use these steps:

Step 1: Press Win + R to open the Run box, type in Control Panel, and then open it.

Step 2: Click on Programs and Features.

Step 3: Sort the list by clicking on the Install on the title.

Step 4: You could search for related information about your recently-installed programs via Google to learn which programs are incompatible with your computer.

Step 5: Right-click on the incompatible software and then click on Uninstall.

Step 6: Reboot your computer to check whether this method solves the issue.