Explorer.exe acting up all the time

Question

Hello. Sometimes when I log in i get the prompt shown below (bottom pic) asking me to select a program to open something that has my name. I don't have any program that's the same as my username/name. This also happens when i input something like "%appdata%" into Run.

Also when I right click on app icons on the desktop/start menu and select "open file location" I get the explorer.exe error (top pic) as shown below. I have no idea what the hell is happening... I would appreciate it if someone could help me with this. Thank you.

Answer 1

Holy shi- that actually worked!!! Thanks for your help. :)

Great, thanks for the update. 👍

If all is resolved, feel free to mark the answer for this thread. Otherwise, please let me know if there's anything else I can help you with.

Answer 2

Download folder_fix.reg.txt and save it to the desktop.

Launch Regedit.exe.

From the File menu in Regedit, click Import...

In the Import Registry File dialog, choose "All files"

Browse to the desktop and select folder_fix.reg.txt and import it.

Let me know if that helps.

Answer 3

Hi Arad,

The issue occurs if the the user profile folder contains a space (e.g., "Arad Golbazi", instead of "Arad") and one of your startup entries doesn't include double quotes.

In that case, environment variables like %appdata% will work only if you enclose it within double quotes.

1. Press Win + R, type "%appdata%" (including the quotes) and click OK. Does that work?
2. Please open Task Manager and click on the Startup tab. Maximize the window and post a screenshot.

Answer 4

The behavior indicates that Explorer is trying to open something that is not correctly associated with an app or is being mis‑handled by Explorer (for example, a corrupted icon/thumbnail or shell extension). Use these steps to troubleshoot and repair:

1. Test whether picture thumbnails or videos are causing Explorer to fail
   1. Open File Explorer.
   2. Select This PC (or Computer), then on the menu choose … → Options (or Organize → Folder and search options on older layouts).
   3. On the View tab:
      • Enable Always show icons, never thumbnails.
      • Disable Display file icon on thumbnails.
   4. Apply and close.
   5. Browse the folders where the issue usually appears (Desktop, Downloads, etc.) and try Open file location again.
   • If Explorer no longer crashes or shows the odd prompt, one or more image/video files or their thumbnail cache is corrupt. Leave thumbnails disabled, move or delete suspicious media files, then later re‑enable thumbnails.
   • If the problem still occurs with thumbnails disabled, revert the two options to their original state and continue.
2. Check Reliability History for the exact faulting component
   1. Open Start and search for Action Center.
   2. In Action Center, expand Maintenance.
   3. Select View reliability history, then View all problem reports at the bottom.
   4. Scroll to Windows Explorer entries and open the ones marked Stopped working.
   5. Note which module or application is listed as causing Explorer to stop working.
   If a third‑party shell extension or app is listed, uninstall or update that program and test again.
3. If the issue persists over time, repair Windows system files If Explorer continues to misbehave even after isolating thumbnails and third‑party components, repair the system using either:
   • System Restore to roll back to a point before the problem started.
   • If the problem has existed for a month or more, perform an in‑place upgrade/repair install of Windows to refresh system files while keeping apps and data.
   For System Restore instructions, see System Restore.

These steps address common causes of Explorer.exe errors and odd prompts when opening locations or using variables like %appdata%.

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References:

• Error: Windows Explorer has stopped working