General Restart Windows Explorer.exe Process in Windows 11


File_Explorer_banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to restart the explorer.exe process as needed in Windows 11.

The explorer.exe process is the user shell for Windows, and is used by such items as the desktop, File Explorer, Start menu, notification area, and taskbar. Restarting the explorer.exe process is to stop and start it to effectively refresh explorer.exe. When the explorer.exe process has been stopped (aka: "end task"), you will see a blank black desktop with your mouse pointer showing until explorer.exe has been started again.

If you are having issues with the explorer.exe process (ex: hang), restarting the explorer.exe process may sort it without having to restart the computer.

If you are applying a registry tweak, sometimes you can just restart the explorer.exe process to apply instead of having to restart the computer or sign out and sign in.


Contents





Option One

Restart explorer.exe Process in Task Manager


1 Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc).

2 Select Windows Explorer in the Processes tab, and click/tap on the Restart button (old Task Manager) or Restart task (new Task Manager). (see screenshots below)

3 When finished, you can close Task Manager if you like.

Restart_explorer_Task_Manager-1.png
Restart_explorer_Task_Manager-2.png





Option Two

Restart explorer.exe Process using Command


1 Open Windows Terminal, and select either Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt.

2 Copy and paste the command below into the terminal, and press Enter to stop and restart the explorer.exe process.

PowerShell/Command​
powershell "Get-Process -Name explorer | Stop-Process; Start-Process explorer.exe"​

OR​

Command Prompt​
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe && start explorer.exe​

3 When finished, you can close Windows Terminal if you like.




Option Three

Start explorer.exe Process in Task Manager


This option is good for when the explorer.exe process has already been stopped, and you are stuck with a blank black desktop with only the pointer displaying.


1 Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc).

2 Perform one of the following actions depending on if you have the old or new Task Manager: (see screenshots below)
  • Old = Click/tap on File (menu bar), and click/tap on Run new task.
  • New = Click/tap on Run new task at the top.
Start_explorer_Task_Manager-1.png
Start_explorer_Task_Manager-3.png

3 Type explorer.exe, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

Start_explorer_Task_Manager-2.png

4 When finished, you can close Task Manager if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


Related Tutorials

 

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Click to expand...

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Thanks. I think I'll stick with you & your method.

Denis
 

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    Windows 11 Home x64 Version 23H2 Build 22631.3447
Brink,

I have been thinking about this a bit more.
Restarting explorer does not log the user off so there is no requirement to consolidate this session's changes to the user profile [ntuser.dat]. The current session's changes [*.regtrans-ms] are not lost, they are still there after the restart [Option 2 method].
So I don't think that there is a problem to be addressed after all.

All the best,
Denis
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home x64 Version 23H2 Build 22631.3447
Thanks for this, Windows 11 seems to have issues with games and the Start Menu on my system (start menu stops working), and restarting Explorer is the best fix, restarting the pc is not always ideal
 

My Computer

System One

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    Windows 11
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    Asus z790 ProArt Creator WiFi
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System One System Two

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    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
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    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
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    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
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    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
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    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
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    1 TB SSD
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Is it possible to add this feature to the Win+X menu?
I tried copying the CMC command in a bat file and placing the shortcut to it in either of the three groups but it doesn't appear.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win11 64 Pro
Easy to do with WinX Menu Editor.

I have it in the Desktop/Directory right click menu...

9517.webp
 

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    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS VivoBook
Are you saying that WinX Menu Editor runs but does not give the expected results?
You cannot just paste a shortcut into the WinX folders without hashing it.
You have to use either WinX Menu Editor or the hashlnk utility mentioned in the tutorial because the Win-X menu needs to read hashed shortcuts.


All the best,
Denis
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home x64 Version 23H2 Build 22631.3447

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
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    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Strix
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
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    ASUS VivoBook
Try3 said:
You cannot just paste a shortcut into the WinX folders without hashing it.
Click to expand...
Well, I answered with quote saying that it's not working, I'd say it's a hint that I've tried what was recommended and it didn't work :)

Edwin said:
Try creating a New Group...
Click to expand...
Still nothing.
I tried running the editor as Admin, I tried adding the bat or adding a shortcut to the bat, I've tried adding them to an existing group or to a new one.
Nope.

I feel kind of lazy for the other method but at this point I might just try that.
Do you have 24H2?
Pro?
And it works for you?
Weird.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win11 64 Pro
Edwin said:
What other method?
Click to expand...
The hash one.
I've just tried.
When I click on Enter after having copied the two full paths in cmd, it says that a dll is missing.
Maybe you know what it is and how I get it :)
But maybe I should ask i that thread.
Yeah, I'll ask there.

Screenshot 2025-02-26 150912.webp
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win11 64 Pro
Try3 said:
A procedure for this is provided in
Add Custom Shortcuts to Win+X Menu - ElevenForumTutorials
Click to expand...
The whole thread is about how it doesn't work anymore :D

Whatever, luckily enough I remembered that after the clean install I still didn't install Explorer Patcher, my favorite among all such patcher, and it has a nice "restart explorer" just there.
You just have to right click on the taskbar, select properties, and the little window opens and there you have it on the bottom left.
Then close the window.
It's 4 clicks instead of 2. Unforgivable :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win11 64 Pro
DesignHeaad9206 said:
Is it possible to add this feature to the Win+X menu?
I tried copying the CMC command in a bat file and placing the shortcut to it in either of the three groups but it doesn't appear.
Click to expand...

Hello, :alien:

If it may help, the tutorial below will add a Restart Explorer context menu to make it easier to restart the explorer process on demand.

www.elevenforum.com

Add Restart Explorer Context Menu in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to add "Restart Explorer" to the desktop context menu of all users in Windows 11. The explorer.exe process is the user shell for Windows, and is used by such items as the desktop, File Explorer, Start menu, notification area, and taskbar. Restarting the...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Brink said:
If it may help, the tutorial below will add a Restart Explorer context menu to make it easier to restart the explorer process on demand.
Click to expand...
Hey, thanks!
Unfortunately it doesn't work.
Btw if you invented the trick you should ask OpenAI to give you a compensation, ChatGPT stole that code. It's the first thing I tried today.

:poop:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win11 64 Pro
DesignHeaad9206 said:
Unfortunately it doesn't work.
Btw if you invented the trick you should ask OpenAI to give you a compensation, ChatGPT stole that code. It's the first thing I tried today.

:poop:
Click to expand...

Just to clarify, the context menu didn't restart the explorer process for you?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
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