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Restart Windows Explorer with a little trick

August 11, 2008
Updated: April 14, 2022
Quick overview:

If the taskbar hangs, windows do not respond or a program is simply "frozen", the only thing that usually helps is a restart or reloading Explorer.exe. This file is responsible for the taskbar, the Start menu, the desktop and open Explorer windows. You can restart explorer.exe very quickly with a little trick:

1. Hold down the buttons "CTRL"+"SHIFT" buttons at the same time!

2. Now click with the left mouse button on the Start button and then with the right mouse button on a free area, such as the black frame of the Start menu:

Windows_Vista-273

Choose now "Exit Explorer" to restart the Windows interface!

This trick will certainly help you avoid the odd restart!

Sincerely,
Sandro Villinger

Founded Windows Tweaks as a teenager in the 90s. His helpful PC tricks made it Germany's most visited Windows site (at the time Sandro looked like this). He then went on to write elsewhere, for example for PC-Praxis, Computer Bild and PCWorld in the USA. Microsoft also poached him from us. Now Sandro is back, finally sharing his tweaks here again. For a stress-free digital everyday life. You can reach Sandro via e-mail.
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