Ever time I click on SETTINGS it crash and says "Explorer.EXE: the group or resource is not in the correct state to perform the requested operation"

Question

So I get an error every time I click on SETTINGS that says

"Explorer.EXE: the group or resource is not in the correct state to perform the requested operation"

I tried everything to fix it, but nothing worked, so could you please help me with this issue

Answer 1

Hi Jake o324,

The error message suggests that a Windows component required by the Settings app may not be functioning correctly. Since you've already tried several common troubleshooting steps, I'd recommend checking whether the issue is isolated to your current Windows profile.

1. Create a new local user account and sign in to it.
2. Try opening Settings from the new account.
3. If Settings works there, the issue may be related to your original user profile.

If the problem occurs in all accounts, consider performing an in-place repair upgrade using the latest Windows installation media. This refreshes Windows system components while keeping your personal files and installed apps intact.

I hope this helps point you in the right direction. Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

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Answer 2

This error is commonly tied to corrupted system files, startup conflicts, or File Explorer instability. A practical troubleshooting path is:

1. Run System File Checker (SFC)
   • Select Start and type cmd.
   • Right-click cmd.exe and select Run as administrator.
   • Run:

          sfc /scannow
     

   • Wait for the scan to finish, then restart Windows.
2. Test in Safe Mode
   • Start the PC in Safe Mode and try opening Settings again.
   • If the issue does not happen in Safe Mode, the cause is likely a startup app or service.
3. Perform a Clean Boot
   • If Safe Mode works normally, use a clean boot to identify the background app or service causing the crash.
   • This helps isolate non-Microsoft startup items that may be interfering with Explorer.
4. Check for malware
   • Run a full antivirus or antimalware scan. Malware can cause Explorer and app-launch failures.
5. Optimize advanced system settings
   • Open Control Panel > System and Security > System > Advanced system settings.
   • On the Advanced tab, under Performance, select Settings > Advanced.
   • Confirm Adjust for best performance of is set to Programs.
   • Under Virtual memory, select Change and make sure Automatically manage paging file sizes for all drives is selected.
   • Select OK > Apply, then restart the PC.
6. Run Automatic Repair
   • Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security.
   • Select Recovery.
   • Under Advanced startup, select Restart now.
   • Then select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.
   • Choose the account and enter the password.
7. Run Windows Memory Diagnostics
   • Select Start, type Memory Diagnostics, and open Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool.
   • Select Restart now and check for problems.

If the crash started after installing a third-party Control Panel item or similar shell-integrated utility, that software can also cause Explorer.exe to crash when opening related Windows components.

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• Error: Windows Explorer has stopped working
• Fix File Explorer if it won't open or start
• Windows Explorer crashes and then restarts when you access a third-party Control Panel item on a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2