Sharepoint hangs explorer

Question

I can see all my files in our Sharepoint but as soon as I try and open a file Explorer hangs - not responding

I can see all the files via the web browser - any ideas what is happening

Answer 1

Hi @Andy Deacon, 

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

Regarding the issue where SharePoint files are not responding when opened in File Explorer, I’d like to gather a bit more information so I can better understand the situation and provide more accurate assistance: 

• Does this issue occur for other users in your organization as well? 
• Does the problem happen with all files and folders (including those in OneDrive), or only specific ones from SharePoint? 
• Has this issue been happening for a while, or did it start recently? 

In the meantime, please try re-syncing the SharePoint library to your device to see if the issue persists: 

1. Open your OneDrive settings.
2. Select Stop sync for the affected library. 
3. Go back to the SharePoint site. 
4. Click Sync again to re-sync the library to your device. 

Additionally, some users have reported that disabling the Preview Pane in File Explorer helps resolve freezing, hanging, or “Not Responding” issues. You may want to try turning off the Preview Pane to see if it improves the behavior. 

Thank you for your time and cooperation. While this initial step may not immediately resolve the issue, the additional details will help me provide more targeted guidance. 

I appreciate your patience and look forward to your response. 

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Answer 2

Explorer hangs when opening files from SharePoint typically because the classic “Open with Explorer” / “View in File Explorer” integration is failing. Use these checks and fixes:

1. Confirm Microsoft 365 sign-in
   • Sign out of Microsoft 365/SharePoint in the browser.
   • Close all browser windows.
   • Browse again to the Microsoft 365 portal / SharePoint site.
   • Sign in with the work or school account and select Keep me signed in.
   • Go back to the document library and try View in File Explorer / opening a file again.
2. Add SharePoint to Trusted sites
   • Open Internet Explorer (or the IE mode configuration if used).
   • Go to Tools (gear icon) > Internet options > Security tab.
   • Select Trusted sites > Sites.
   • Add both the main SharePoint URL and the corresponding -files URL, for example:
     • https://<contoso>.sharepoint.com
     • https://<contoso>-files.sharepoint.com
   • If using OneDrive libraries, also add:
     • https://<contoso>-myfiles.sharepoint.com
     • https://<contoso>-my.sharepoint.com
   • Select Close, then OK, then retry opening the library in File Explorer.
3. Ensure the WebClient service is running
   • Open the Services console (services.msc).
   • Find WebClient in the list.
   • Make sure Status is Started:
     • If not started, double-click WebClient, set Startup type to Manual or Automatic, select Apply, then select Start, then OK.
   • If on Windows Server 2008/2012 and WebClient is missing, install Desktop Experience first as documented in the context.
4. Apply latest Windows updates and IE fixes
   • Install all current Windows updates.
   • If using Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 7/8, apply the hotfix described in “Error when you open a SharePoint Document Library in Windows Explorer or map a network drive to the library after you install Internet Explorer 10”.
5. Optional: Use persistent cookies (admin/tenant level)
   • A SharePoint Online admin can enable the UsePersistentCookiesForExplorerView parameter via Set-SPOTenant in the SharePoint Online Management Shell so that Explorer view works even if Keep me signed in is not checked. This should only be used on private computers.

If Explorer still hangs after these steps, focus on whether it only happens for “View in File Explorer” / mapped libraries; if so, the issue is almost always with authentication, Trusted sites, or the WebClient service.

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References:

• Troubleshoot "View in File Explorer" issues in SharePoint Online