When trying to open the downloads folder, File Explorer crashes.

Question

When trying to open the downloads folder, File Explorer crashes.

calvin sucharov 25

There is a possibility that I downloaded a video that was either corrupted or had some type of malware. When I tried to open the downloads folder to delete it, file explorer would crash.

Since then, I have tried:

Restarting File Explorer

Changing the folder to the "general items" type

Running these commands in powershell - sfc /scannow, Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth, Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

Windows security scans

RKill and I am currently running a full scan. [EDIT] The scan found a trojan which I have quarantined, but I still cannot open the downloads folder.

I am still able to download things and the overall functionality of my PC hasn't changed apart from the aforementioned problem. Any help would be much appreciated!

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Answer 1

Thomas4-N 10,995 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello calvin sucharov, welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand your situation. There are two reliable ways to delete the contents of the Downloads folder without triggering the crash:

Via Command Prompt (run as administrator):

del /F /Q "%USERPROFILE%\Downloads*.mp4"

This deletes all .mp4 files in your Downloads folder.

You can change *.mp4 to another video extension like *.mkv, *.avi, or use *.* to delete everything in the folder.
Note: Don’t replace %USERPROFILE% with your actual username — just leave it as-is.

Via Safe Mode:

Boot into Safe Mode using the official Microsoft guide: Windows Startup Settings

In Safe Mode, Windows loads only essential drivers and services, which should avoid the crash. Once you’re in Safe Mode, just open the Downloads folder and delete the problematic files as usual.

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calvin sucharov 25 Reputation points

2026-02-09T16:40:41.0166667+00:00

When booting into safe mode and opening the downloads folder, the same thing happens where it just crashes.

In the command prompt, I tried running " del /F /Q "%USERPROFILE%\Downloads*." " and there was no change, with the folder still crashing.

I ran a full scan after my initial question that showed no security threats after I quarantined the malware.

Do you have any other suggestions?

Many thanks for offering your help.
Thomas4-N 10,995 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-10T14:09:44.7933333+00:00

Hello calvin sucharov, thanks for the follow-up.

Since both Safe Mode and Command Prompt deletion didn't work, the Downloads folder is likely corrupted at the file system level. The solutions below will create a fresh Downloads folder, but you'll lose access to the old files in the corrupted folder.

Option 1: Reset the Downloads folder location:

Right-click Downloads in File Explorer sidebar > Properties > Location tab > click "Restore Default" (or manually set a new path like C:\Users\YourName\NewDownloads) > Apply > choose "Don't move files."

Option 2: Create a new user profile:

Settings > Accounts > Family & other users > Add someone else to this PC. Sign in with the new profile—you'll have a completely fresh environment. Transfer any needed files from your old profile afterward.

If neither works, or if you need to keep the files in the old Downloads folder, you'd need either a Linux live USB to manually access and delete the corrupted file or a Windows Reset. I get that those are more involved, but that's all I could think of.
Thomas4-N 10,995 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-11T10:56:09.0133333+00:00

Hello calvin sucharov,

Just checking in to see if the above information was helpful.

Have you had a chance to check the answer provided? Any update would be appreciated.
calvin sucharov 25 Reputation points

2026-02-11T18:05:53.5766667+00:00

Thanks very much, I have now created the new folder and this is working as intended. Fortunately, I did not have anything in the previous folder anymore.

Thank you for your help!

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When trying to open the downloads folder, File Explorer crashes.

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