Strange issue with File Explorer Quick Access! Crashing explorer.exe

[DreamRJ]

So today I started noticing a strange issue. When I right click on a folder in my file explorer quick access on the left side of the file explorer window in windows 10. This forces explorer.exe to crash, it then makes my task bar and desktop vanish. Explorer.exe does not even restart by itself. I then have to press control alt delete and open task manager that way and then click file and create new task and type in explorer.exe to restart that process. Which that works every time.

But why does right clicking on any folder in my quick access keep crashing it?

I tried googling, I did find some solutions but none of them worked for me. The command prompt sfc/scannow fixed some errors on first scan but scans I did after the first scan gave no errors and nothing else left to fix. The other solutions was just a no go either?

I really do not want to have to reinstall windows 10. I mean I know I will have the option to keep all my files and programs and settings etc etc If I did choose to do it with that option. But I really do not want too, just in case it messes up and I lose all my files etc etc.

I mean I do have a nice sized external HDD as a backup drive I could transfer all my files onto just in case. But I really do not want to, as that drive is not very fast speeds because it is an external drive......

If anyone else might have any idea why this is happening or how to fix it I would greatly appreciate it. I also forgot to say this, clicking on the folders in quick access by just left clicking on them once to open that folder does not crash explorer.exe only when I right click on a folder in quick access!?

I mean I am a tech savvy guy but this issue just does not seem like it wants to be fixed. I did recently update my windows 10 to that latest version Windows 10, version 20H2 could it have something to do with this update being buggy?

Thanks in advance

 

[DreamRJ]

No one?

 

[PMKFRUITPRO]

Just forget it and load up Bonanza.

 

[ternur]

Change to a better OS?

 

[colinsunderland]

Not got the solution, but if you have an external drive you could use to backup, but don't, then start. Hard drives fail. You lose your data. If you have the facility to not lose it, then do so

 

[chiya]

Change to a better OS?

What an amazing solution. Just stop using Windows 10 altogether, because that's totally what the OP asked for. By better OS you likely mean either some distro of Linux, or macOS. The latter of which you can't even use on a non-mac computer. I wouldn't advise anyone that isn't tech-savvy to use Linux, and if they play games then Linux is even worse. What, you want them to use Wine to play games on Linux, while not being tech-savvy? Yes, what an amazing idea.

Regardless of what he does or doesn't do with his computer, suggesting someone to swap the OS entirely to a different one is ludicrous to say the least. You're not suggesting a fix to his issue, you're simply telling him to avoid it by using something else.

@DreamRJ

If it was a major Windows update, you can go back to an old version of Windows from the recovery settings. If it was minor, or it's been over ten days since the update, the option won't appear. If it was minor update, you can uninstall updates from Windows Update > View Update History > Uninstall Updates

In the recovery options you can also choose to reset the PC, while retaining your files. It's not going to mess up lmao. Done it a few times, it's pretty straightforward. For you to lose your files it would need to wipe the drive clean and then re-install Windows, but when you choose to retain your files that's exactly what it doesn't do.

With all that being said, colin is right on the money. If you have important files on your computer, then you NEED to back them up. If your hard drive fails, which it most definitely could at any given moment, then you'll have lost those files "forever", unless you want to fork up thousands to take the drive to some company who can recover the data. At that point it'll no longer be something you can do yourself, if the hard drive physically breaks.

 

[DreamRJ]

I will start to back up my data onto my external drive @colinsunderland @chiya - I mean this problem is not exactly a huge issue, I notice it by accident. I right clicked by accident on a folder on my quick access a few days ago and I then thought wow that is strange and crazy lol. So I kept doing it to replicate it and yep same thing every single time. I mean only reason you need to right click on a folder in quick access would be to either rename it etc etc.

But I suppose I can just rename that folder in its current location anyway instead of needing to right click. So it is not a huge issue. But it does make me wonder if I should just do a clean install of windows 10 anyway. I have not done so in a few years. So maybe it would be a good thing that I do anyway.

Thanks for the replies though, appreciate it

 

[ternur]

What an amazing solution. Just stop using Windows 10 altogether, because that's totally what the OP asked for. By better OS you likely mean either some distro of Linux, or macOS. The latter of which you can't even use on a non-mac computer. I wouldn't advise anyone that isn't tech-savvy to use Linux, and if they play games then Linux is even worse. What, you want them to use Wine to play games on Linux, while not being tech-savvy? Yes, what an amazing idea.

Regardless of what he does or doesn't do with his computer, suggesting someone to swap the OS entirely to a different one is ludicrous to say the least. You're not suggesting a fix to his issue, you're simply telling him to avoid it by using something else.

@DreamRJ

If it was a major Windows update, you can go back to an old version of Windows from the recovery settings. If it was minor, or it's been over ten days since the update, the option won't appear. If it was minor update, you can uninstall updates from Windows Update > View Update History > Uninstall Updates

In the recovery options you can also choose to reset the PC, while retaining your files. It's not going to mess up lmao. Done it a few times, it's pretty straightforward. For you to lose your files it would need to wipe the drive clean and then re-install Windows, but when you choose to retain your files that's exactly what it doesn't do.

With all that being said, colin is right on the money. If you have important files on your computer, then you NEED to back them up. If your hard drive fails, which it most definitely could at any given moment, then you'll have lost those files "forever", unless you want to fork up thousands to take the drive to some company who can recover the data. At that point it'll no longer be something you can do yourself, if the hard drive physically breaks.

Jesus.

I was not being serious.

Lighten up friend.

 

[asidea]

So today I started noticing a strange issue. When I right click on a folder in my file explorer quick access on the left side of the file explorer window in windows 10. This forces explorer.exe to crash, it then makes my task bar and desktop vanish. Explorer.exe does not even restart by itself. I then have to press control alt delete and open task manager that way and then click file and create new task and type in explorer.exe to restart that process. Which that works every time.

But why does right clicking on any folder in my quick access keep crashing it?

I tried googling, I did find some solutions but none of them worked for me. The command prompt sfc/scannow fixed some errors on first scan but scans I did after the first scan gave no errors and nothing else left to fix. The other solutions was just a no go either?

I really do not want to have to reinstall windows 10. I mean I know I will have the option to keep all my files and programs and settings etc etc If I did choose to do it with that option. But I really do not want too, just in case it messes up and I lose all my files etc etc.

I mean I do have a nice sized external HDD as a backup drive I could transfer all my files onto just in case. But I really do not want to, as that drive is not very fast speeds because it is an external drive......

If anyone else might have any idea why this is happening or how to fix it I would greatly appreciate it. I also forgot to say this, clicking on the folders in quick access by just left clicking on them once to open that folder does not crash explorer.exe only when I right click on a folder in quick access!?

I mean I am a tech savvy guy but this issue just does not seem like it wants to be fixed. I did recently update my windows 10 to that latest version Windows 10, version 20H2 could it have something to do with this update being buggy?

Thanks in advance

It could be your mouse settings, or mouse driver..not necessarily Windows 10 problem..did u check that? Mouse is subjected to wear and tear.

 

[DreamRJ]

It could be your mouse settings, or mouse driver..not necessarily Windows 10 problem..did u check that? Mouse is subjected to wear and tear.

Nope it can not be mouse issue.....

 

[CongoGB]

Have you checked the Windows log files to see if it helps show what's causing it?

Also, isn't this one of the last forums on the entire internet where you're likely to get a decent answer?

 

[DreamRJ]

Have you checked the Windows log files to see if it helps show what's causing it?

Also, isn't this one of the last forums on the entire internet where you're likely to get a decent answer?

Yep checked log files, could not find anything in them. And second point, yep not the best forum to ask for help in. But hey it still has this section on CM so it was worth a try right?

 

[Kroffe]

Upgrade to windows xp.


Edit: Tried renaming a folder from the quick access window, and noticed its just extra steps doing it from there.
You dont get a "change name" option and F2 does not work, so you have to go into properties to change the name if doing it via the quick access thingy.

 

[colinsunderland]

Open FileExplorer-->Right Click "Quick Access" on the Navigation Panel-->"Options"-->"Clear"&"Restore Defaults"

have you tried that one, seems to have worked for others

or

"Always show icons, never thumbnails" under advanced settings

 

[DreamRJ]

Open FileExplorer-->Right Click "Quick Access" on the Navigation Panel-->"Options"-->"Clear"&"Restore Defaults"

have you tried that one, seems to have worked for others

or

"Always show icons, never thumbnails" under advanced settings

Yep tried that already. Still crashes exlorer.exe as soon as I right click on a folder in the quick access. It allows me to right click in the quick access when I am not highlighting or on top of a folder in it. It also allows me to right click on the Quick Access button at the top of the quick access to get to the options!

So it appears to only crash when I right click on my user created quick access shortcuts I made in it to some folders spread between multiple drives.

 

[DreamRJ]

Just realised this issue seems to have gone away. Had another few updates since it, so maybe the updates fixed the issue? So perhaps it was an issue because of a previous update.

At least it is fixed now and no longer crashing exlorer.exe

 

[me_and_ed]

This last major update has been a nightmare for me, MS must have relaized it, there have been numerous small patches since........I hate this monopoly, however I hate Apple even more so doesnt leave many options.