To restart Windows Explorer in Windows 10, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, find Windows Explorer on the Processes tab, right-click it, and select Restart. The taskbar and desktop disappear for a moment and then reload, which often clears a frozen taskbar, Start menu, or desktop without rebooting the PC.
Applies to: Windows 10 (the Task Manager steps are the same in Windows 11). Checked against Microsoft Support on October 6, 2026.
What Windows Explorer is and when to restart it
Windows Explorer is the process (its file name is explorer.exe) that draws the Windows shell: the taskbar, the Start menu, the desktop and its icons, and the File Explorer windows you use to browse folders. When that one process hangs, the whole desktop can look frozen even though Windows itself and your other apps are still running. If the taskbar is merely hidden or has moved rather than frozen, restarting Explorer will not bring it back; our guide on getting the taskbar back on Windows 10 covers the settings to check.
Restarting it is worth trying when:
- The taskbar or Start menu stops responding to clicks.
- Desktop icons or the taskbar vanish, or you see a blank desktop with only a mouse pointer.
- File Explorer windows freeze or will not open.
- A change to the desktop or taskbar has not shown up yet and you want the shell to reload.
A restart of Windows Explorer reloads only the shell. It is not a substitute for restarting the PC after installing drivers or Windows updates.
Before you start
- Finish file operations first. Wait for any copy, move, or delete job in File Explorer to complete, because those jobs belong to the process you are about to restart.
- Expect folder windows to close. Open File Explorer windows are part of Windows Explorer, so plan to reopen them afterward. Other apps, such as your browser or Word, are separate processes and keep running.
- You do not need the mouse to open Task Manager. The keyboard shortcut works even when the taskbar is frozen.
Restart Windows Explorer with Task Manager
This is the method Microsoft describes, and it is the safest one because Task Manager stops the process and starts it again for you in a single action.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on the keyboard. Task Manager opens. If the taskbar still works, you can instead right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager. Our guide on how to open Task Manager in Windows 10 lists more ways in.
- If Task Manager opens as a small window that lists only a few apps, expand it to the full view with the option at the bottom of that window. You need the full view to see every process.
- Select the Processes tab. It lists everything that is currently running.
- Scroll through the list until you find Windows Explorer. If you have a folder window open it usually sits near the top with your apps; otherwise look further down among the Windows processes.
- Right-click Windows Explorer and select Restart. The taskbar and desktop icons disappear for a second or two, then come back.
If the screen is so stuck that the shortcut does nothing, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete instead. Windows switches to a security screen where you can open Task Manager, and you can continue from step 2.
Start Windows Explorer when it is not in the list
If Windows Explorer has crashed completely, there is nothing to restart: the taskbar is gone and the process is missing from Task Manager. In that case, start it yourself.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Select File, then Run new task. A small box opens where you can type a program name.
- Type explorer.exe and press Enter. The taskbar, Start menu, and desktop icons load again.
The same three steps bring the desktop back if you ended Windows Explorer with End task by mistake instead of choosing Restart.
Restart Windows Explorer from Command Prompt
The command line does the job in two separate steps: one command stops the process and a second one starts it. This is useful when you want to put the restart in a script, or when the Restart option in Task Manager does not respond.
- Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, select File, then Run new task, type cmd.exe, and press Enter. A Command Prompt window opens.
- Type taskkill /f /im explorer.exe and press Enter. The taskbar and desktop icons disappear and stay gone. That is expected.
- Type start explorer.exe and press Enter. The shell loads again.
In the first command, /im tells taskkill which program to end by its file name, and /f ends it forcefully instead of waiting for it to close. Because it is a forced stop, use it only after any file copy has finished. Keep the Command Prompt window open until you have run the second command; if you close it too early, use the Run new task steps above to bring the desktop back.
Make a one-click restart file
If you restart Windows Explorer often, put those same two commands on separate lines in a plain text file and save it with a .bat extension, for example on the desktop. Double-clicking that file runs both commands in order.
Restart Windows Explorer from PowerShell
PowerShell has its own command for stopping a process. Open a PowerShell window, type Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force, and press Enter. The -Name part identifies the process and -Force stops it without asking for confirmation. If the taskbar has not returned after a few seconds, start it with File, then Run new task in Task Manager, as described above.
Which method should you use?
| Situation | Best method |
|---|---|
| Taskbar, Start menu, or desktop is frozen | Task Manager, then Restart |
| Taskbar is missing and Windows Explorer is not listed | Task Manager, then File and Run new task |
| Restart option does not respond | Command Prompt with taskkill and start |
| You want to automate the restart | A .bat file or the PowerShell command |
How to confirm it worked
The restart worked if the taskbar, the clock, and your desktop icons are back and the Start menu opens when you click it. Press the Windows logo key + E to check that a File Explorer window opens normally. In Task Manager, Windows Explorer appears in the Processes list again.
There is nothing to undo. Restarting the process changes no settings and deletes no files; the only thing you may need to do is reopen the folders you had open.
Troubleshooting
The screen stays black after the restart
Windows Explorer did not start again. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, choose File, then Run new task, type explorer.exe, and press Enter. If the screen is black and nothing appears at all, Microsoft also suggests pressing Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B to reset the graphics driver; see its guide to troubleshooting blank screens in Windows.
You cannot find Windows Explorer in Task Manager
Make sure Task Manager is in its full view and that you are on the Processes tab, then scroll past the apps to the Windows processes. If it truly is not there, it is not running, so start it with Run new task.
Only one app is frozen, not the desktop
Restarting the shell will not help a single stuck program. Close that program instead; our guide on how to force close an app in Windows 10 covers the options.
Task Manager will not open on a work or school PC
Organizations can turn off Task Manager and Command Prompt for managed accounts. If the shortcut does nothing or shows a message that the tool has been disabled, contact your IT administrator instead of looking for a workaround.
Windows Explorer keeps freezing or crashing
An occasional hang is normal. If you are restarting the shell every day, look for the cause:
- Restart the PC. A full restart clears problems that reloading the shell cannot.
- Install pending updates. Select Start, then Settings, Update & Security, and Windows Update, and check for updates.
- Think about what changed. Programs that add items to right-click menus or customize the taskbar load inside Windows Explorer. If the crashes started after you installed one, uninstall it and see whether they stop.
- Check system files. Open Command Prompt as an administrator (select Start, type Command Prompt, right-click it, and choose Run as administrator), then run sfc /scannow. Microsoft’s sfc command reference explains that it scans protected system files and repairs the ones with problems when possible.
Frequently asked questions
Will restarting Windows Explorer close my programs or delete files?
No. Your other apps are separate processes and keep running, and no files are deleted. Open File Explorer folder windows close, and a file copy that is still in progress can be interrupted, so let it finish first.
Is Windows Explorer the same as File Explorer?
They are the same program. File Explorer is the name of the folder window you open with the Windows logo key + E, and Windows Explorer is the name Task Manager uses for the process behind it, which also runs the taskbar, Start menu, and desktop.
What is the difference between Restart and End task?
Restart stops Windows Explorer and starts it again automatically. End task only stops it, which leaves you without a taskbar or desktop until you start explorer.exe yourself with Run new task.
Is restarting Windows Explorer the same as restarting the computer?
No. It reloads only the desktop shell and takes a few seconds. Restarting the computer closes everything and reloads Windows, drivers, and services, which is why it fixes problems a shell restart cannot.
Do these steps still work now that Windows 10 support has ended?
Yes. Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025, but Task Manager and these commands work the same on existing installations. Microsoft’s instructions for restarting Windows Explorer cover both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Do I need an administrator account?
Not to restart Windows Explorer. It runs under your own account, so a standard user can restart it from Task Manager. You need administrator rights only for the system file check in the troubleshooting section.
If the desktop is working again, you are done. If Windows Explorer freezes again soon after, restart the PC and work through the troubleshooting list above, starting with pending updates. Microsoft’s taskkill command reference lists every option for the command used in this guide.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.