How to fix explorer

Question

Good afternoon. I'm having a problem with my computer where the desktop won't load. I have to restart Explorer through Task Manager, and then it will load the desktop, but everything is really slow. Has anyone encountered this problem?

Answer 1

Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.

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Please see if the same behavior occurs if you start Windows in Safe Mode.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-startup-settings-1af6ec8c-4d4a-4b23-adb7-e76eef0b847f

At the "Startup settings" step, press 4 or F4 to start Windows in Safe Mode.

You don't have to run Windows in Safe Mode forever. This is just a test to help isolate the source of the problem.

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I await your reply.

Answer 2

If you're experiencing issues with your desktop not loading and needing to restart Explorer through Task Manager, there are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the problem:

1. Clear the Icon Cache: Sometimes, a corrupted icon cache can cause display issues. You can clear the icon cache by following these steps:
   • Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
   • Find Windows Explorer in the Processes tab, right-click it, and select End task.
   • In Task Manager, go to File > Run new task, type cmd.exe, and create a task with administrative privileges.
   • In the command prompt, type the following commands:

          CD /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local
          DEL IconCache.db /a
     

   • Restart Windows Explorer by going back to Task Manager, selecting File > Run new task, typing explorer.exe, and pressing Enter.
2. Register Shell Experience Host: If the issue persists, you can try re-registering the Shell Experience Host:
   • Open Windows PowerShell as an administrator.
   • Run the following command:

          Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Where-Object {$_.InstallLocation -like "*ShellExperienceHost*"} | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
     

   • Restart your system to apply the changes.
3. Check User Group Permissions: Ensure that the Authenticated Users and Interactive accounts are part of the local Users group, as missing permissions can lead to issues with loading the desktop. You can add them using the following commands in an elevated command prompt:

      Net localgroup Users Interactive /add
      Net localgroup Users "Authenticated Users" /add
   

   After adding, restart your computer.

These steps should help in resolving the issue with your desktop not loading properly. If the problem continues, you may want to consider further troubleshooting or seeking assistance from Microsoft Support.

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References:

• Application shortcuts on the desktop, Start menu, and taskbar show blank icons
• Scenario guide: Black screen after you sign in to the system
• Blank desktop in Windows