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Windows Explorer is Slow: 8 Ways to Make It Fast Again

Here are some tips & tricks to speed up your File Explorer

6 min. read

Updated onMarch 20, 2024

updated onMarch 20, 2024

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Key notes

The good old File Explorer has been around for a long time and is still one of the few programs we integrate into our daily routines. Unfortunately, users have been complaining that Windows Explorer becomes slow and laggy on Windows 10 for some reason.

This can be frustrating, as it takes up to four or five minutes to load for some users. Fortunately, the issue can be fixed easily, as we will show in this guide.

Why is my Windows File Explorer so slow?

There are a series of reasons the Windows Explorer can be slow on Windows 10. Below are some of the popular causes:

How do I speed up File Explorer?

1. Restart File Explorer

If Windows Explorer is slow when loading with the green bar taking time to complete, it might be because it has run into some temporary issues. The easiest solution is to restart the process from the Task Manager.

OnceTask Managerstarts, locateWindows Explorerand right-click it.
ChooseRestartfrom the menu.

Another solution that we strongly recommend is to install adedicated third-party file managerwhich is designed to work fast on slow PCs.

We recommendWinZipin regards to its performant engine that optimizes the process and allows you to compress your files in several known formats.

2. Run the search and indexing troubleshooter

If the Windows Explorer is slow to copy files after an update or you are having trouble tracing the cause of the issue, it is recommended to run the search and indexing troubleshooter.

This will detect and recommend any issue that might be causing problems with the indexing and loading of files in Explorer.

3. Remove corrupted files

Corrupt or broken system files are part of the reasons Windows Explorer might be running slowly. Running the SFC and DISM scans should help you detect and repair the files. In case you requirespecialized support, there is an alternative method.

4. Disable unnecessary startup tasks

Insufficient system resources is one of the reasons Windows Explorer might be slow when loading a folder on startup. To create enough resources for it, you need to disable the unnecessary startup apps. Also, close any app that you are not using at the moment.

5. Disable the Windows Search service

Windows 10 uses all sorts of services in order to run, but sometimes certain services can cause problems. If File Explorer is slow on your PC, that might be due to the Windows Search service.

6. Change folder optimization

Windows 10 frequently performs optimization in the background, and that can cause File Explorer to be slow.

If Windows 10 File Explorer’s slow green bar is seen when trying to access a specific folder, you might want to change that folder’s optimization.

Note that if multiple folders are involved, you’ll have to repeat this solution for every affected item.

7. Check your Quick access list and clear File Explorer history

If Windows Explorer is slow when you are on network drives, you might want to clear its history as shown in the steps above.

8. Replace the date column

The classification columns go a long to determine how fast Windows Explorer loads. Using the Date as one of the columns makes Windows Explorer load slowly because it (Date) is not available in the file system metadata.

Instead, it will be extracted from the individual files to be loaded which causes Explorer to be slow.

Having to deal with a slow Windows Explorer is exasperating as it wastes valuable time. But we hope you managed to take your File Explorer to a snappier state with the help of our tips.

If you want to knowhow to fix most File Explorer issues on Windows, check our detailed guide on the topic to keep the app running smoothly.

Feel free to let us know the solution that helped you fix the issue in the comments below.

Windows Explorer is Slow: 8 Ways to Make It Fast Again#

Why is my Windows File Explorer so slow?#

How do I speed up File Explorer?#

1. Restart File Explorer#

2. Run the search and indexing troubleshooter#

3. Remove corrupted files#

4. Disable unnecessary startup tasks#

5. Disable the Windows Search service#

6. Change folder optimization#

7. Check your Quick access list and clear File Explorer history#

8. Replace the date column#