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Folders on desktop won't open.

Anonymous
2023-05-18T22:13:15+00:00

I upgraded my PC from Windows 11 home to Pro. Now I am having issues with the folders on the desktop. double click dont work and right click and pressing open dont work.

I went to task manager and restarted windows explorer. Didn't fix.

In task manager I ended window explorer and the started a new explorer (explorer.exe). Didn't fix.

I did these steps.

Check the Registry Entries to Fix Folder Not Opening on Double Click

  • Click on Start, type Run, and input regedit. The registry will open.
  • Go to HKEY CURRENT USER > Control Panel > Mouse.
  • Find and open the "Double Click Height key" & "Double Click Width key". Then change the value to 4.
  • Restart the computer now, after restarting your problem must be resolved.
  • The value was already set at 4 for both. Didn't fix

I can look at the folders in the One drive on line and see the contents but thats it. There has to be a glitch somewhere. I need help.

Even if I put a new folder on the desktop it won't open.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-05-18T23:56:30+00:00

    Hi, TerrySmith_18TWAY64. I'm sorry to hear you're having this problem, and I hope I can assist you to find a satisfactory solution.

    To check if it's the profile or incompatible files, I'll go through the step by step below to check:

    Run a system file check:

    Open Command Prompt as an administrator by right-clicking the Start button and selecting "Command Prompt (Admin)" or "Windows PowerShell (Admin)". Then type the following command and press Enter: sfc /scannow. This will scan your system for corrupted system files and attempt to repair them.

    Perform a clean boot:

    Third-party applications or services can sometimes interfere with the normal functioning of the desktop. Perform a clean boot to start Windows with only essential services and drivers. See how:

    Press Win + R to open the Run dialog, type msconfig and press Enter.

    In the System Configuration window, go to the "Services" tab and check the "Hide all Microsoft services" box. Then click "Disable All".

    Then go to the "Startup" tab and click on "Open Task Manager".

    In Task Manager, disable all startup items by right-clicking on each entry and selecting "Disable".

    Close Task Manager and go back to the System Configuration window. Click "OK" and restart your computer.

    After the reboot, check if the issue is resolved. If it is, you can gradually enable services and startup items to identify the culprit.

    Create a new user account: Create a new user account and check if the folder opening issue persists. This will help determine if the issue is specific to your user profile. If the new user account works fine, consider migrating your files and settings to the new account.

    Please note: This is a user-to-user community forum. We are users just like you who help others. We are not employees of Microsoft.

    6 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Les Ferch 10,326 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2023-05-18T23:49:02+00:00

    First, determine if this is system-wide or specific to your user profile. Do that by creating a new local account (make it an administrator) then login with that account and test. If it works for the new user account, we can focus on ways to fix your profile. If it's still broken for the new user account, then a Windows Repair Install would be the way to go.

    3 people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2023-05-19T00:58:52+00:00

    Created another account and folders from the desktop opened as it should. So it is my profile with the issue.

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  4. Les Ferch 10,326 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2023-05-19T19:41:05+00:00

    Did your original profile use a Microsoft account? If so, note that APF creates a local account for the new profile that has no password set.

    From the documentation:

    Note: If the user account to repair is a Microsoft account, it will be converted to a local account. You can log in to your Microsoft account after the repair operation, of course. Also, the user login password is removed. You can create a password anytime. Windows store apps may need to be reinstalled.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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  5. Les Ferch 10,326 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2023-05-19T01:10:54+00:00

    Created another account and folders from the desktop opened as it should. So it is my profile with the issue.

    Try Account Profile Fixer.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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