How to Quickly Close Windows Explorer (and why you might want to)
First, you’re probably wondering why you would close Windows Explorer. There are several good reasons, but the two main reasons why most of you would want to do it are:
1. The start button or some other Windows feature stops working.
2. Your computer suddenly starts running poorly and seems non-responsive at times. You can try closing Windows Explorer and restarting it. This often works similarly to a reboot.
The fastest way to end the Windows Explorer process is this:
Hold down the Ctrl, Shift, and Esc keys to bring up Task Manager. Find “Windows Explorer” in the list (it will be under Windows processes), right-click it, and choose “Restart”. When you end or restart the Windows Explorer process it also terminates the Windows shell and you’ll notice that all your desktop and taskbar icons disappear. And if you see more than one Windows Explorer process end them all. No worries!
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Above: Windows 10 Task Manager
Above: Windows 11 Task Manager
If you choose “Restart” all of your desktop and taskbar icons will disappear temporarily and reload on their own.
If you choose “End Task” you have more to do. Assuming Task Manager is still open, in Windows 10, click File —> Run —> and type in Explorer.exe in the Run dialog then press Enter. In Windows 11 click on “Run new task” and type Explorer.exe.
Your desktop and taskbar icons will reappear as Explorer is restarted, and hopefully, your system will be refreshed and things will work correctly for you. If not, you can restart your computer.
Windows 10
Windows 11
Click “Run new task” at the top of Task Manager.
Windows 10 & Windows 11
This is a good tip to remember if your computer seems sluggish or if your Start menu or some other Windows feature isn’t working right or stops working.
Try restarting Windows Explorer before you resort to restarting your computer. This tip could save you some time and frustration.