Windows Explorer error on Windows 8, 8.1 freezes or windows explorer crashes not responding, making all tasks controlling applications or software paralyzed. This leads to a decrease in performance when using the computer. So how to restart Windows Explorer on Windows 8, 8.1 when frozen? Mytour will help you solve that problem quickly.
How to Restart Windows Explorer on Windows 8 When Frozen
Method 1: Utilizing the Running Software Manager
Step 1: Access Task Manager by right-clicking on the Taskbar on your computer screen. Alternatively, you can use the shortcut key combination Ctrl + Alt + Del.
Task Manager Interface
Step 2: In the Task Manager, navigate to the Details tab and locate the explorer.exe process currently running.
Step 3: Right-click on the task and select End task to close it. By default, the system will ask if you want to shut it down. Click on the End process option to terminate the software process.
Step 4: After clicking, all icons and taskbar outside the screen will disappear because Windows Explorer manages almost all applications and software on the computer, so shutting it down will result in the screen looking like below.
Step 5: Now don't worry because you can restart Windows Explorer. In Task Manager, click on the File menu > choose Run new task.
Step 6: In the Run new task dialog, type: explorer.exe in the field and press OK or Enter.
After activating the task, the screen will return to normal and Windows Explorer will resume normal operation. The 'Not Responding' issue that caused Windows Explorer to crash seems to have disappeared.
Method 2: Using the task manager tab to manage running processes
Step 1: Also in the Task Manager task manager, select the Process tab to restart Windows Explorer when it's not responding.
Find the running Windows Explorer process.
Step 2: Right-click and select Restart to reboot Windows Explorer on Windows 8, 8.1 when it freezes. Alternatively, you can directly click on the Restart button at the bottom right corner of the Task Manager.
So, you can now restart Windows Explorer when it hangs. Note that restarting Windows Explorer on Windows 8, 8.1 is almost identical and there are not many differences.
The 'Not Responding' error in Windows is one of the common issues users encounter. Typically, users will resort to using the Task Manager to fix 'Not Responding' errors in Windows on their computers. However, in many cases when Task Manager fails to resolve the issue, it may even freeze itself.
That's when you should turn to a tool called Process Explorer. Known as a free software by Microsoft, Process Explorer allows users to terminate unresponsive applications or processes on their computers, which is quite useful and convenient.
Additionally, using Windows can lead to various errors. To address other issues, Mytour advises you to download reputable Windows repair software such as Fixit, FixWin, Windows Repair, or Quick Fix to minimize potential operating system malfunctions.
To better manage applications within the system, it's recommended to open folders in New Process on Windows 10, 8, 7 to avoid impacting other processes. If you know how to do so, you can refer to how to open folders in New Process here.
