Windows File Explorer Crashes on Right-Click: How to Fix it
Discover solutions that actually work
- If you're wondering why the Windows File Explorer crashes on a right click, this is commonly caused by system corruption.
- One quick way to eliminate the Windows Explorer crashes is to restart the process from Task Manager.
- You can repair the corrupt system files if File Explorer freezes after a right click.
Some users are facing a problem with their File Explorer. For example, File Explorer crashes when they use the right mouse, or Windows hangs on the right click. A bad context menu handler could cause this problem.
In case you didn’t know, a context menu handler is a shell extension handler whose job is to add comments to an existing context menu, such as cut, paste, print, etc.
Why does File Explorer crash when I right click?
File Explorer is the built-in file management tool, an essential component of your Windows system. So, let’s list some of the main reasons for its crashes and malfunctioning:
- Corrupted system files – As we already mentioned above, the tool is a system component, so if some files in the system get corrupted, File Explorer crashes in Windows.
- Incomplete or problematic Windows update – Let’s face it, sometimes, the Windows Update fails, or a new patch can fix many other problems while breaking File Explorer.
Now that we cleared that up, let’s see how we can fix File Explorer if it crashes when you right-click.
How do I fix a File Explorer that crashes when I right click?
Before getting into the software troubleshooting, let’s take some preliminary steps:
- Restart your computer. This is a method that can sometimes fix any problem almost magically. That’s because, for some reason, the system didn’t load properly or there were some software conflicts.
- Close all the programs you’re using right now after saving your progress.
- Install all the latest Windows updates. If your machine can’t connect to the Windows Update servers, this guide will help you.
If you’ve gone through these simple tasks, let’s try to fix the problem by using the solutions below.
1. Restart Windows Explorer
You can restart the Windows Explorer service in order to potentially fix crashes and run File Explorer without problems. The short guide below will support you.
How we test, review and rate?
We have worked for the past 6 months on building a new review system on how we produce content. Using it, we have subsequently redone most of our articles to provide actual hands-on expertise on the guides we made.
For more details you can read how we test, review, and rate at WindowsReport.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, click the Windows Explorer process, and select Restart.
2. Once you’ve done this, check whether the File Explorer crashes when I right-click the issue persists.
2. Run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter
- Press Windows + I, then go to the Troubleshoot section and select it.
- Click Other troubleshooters.
- Scroll down to the Search and Indexing troubleshooter and click Run next to it. If the right-click causes File Explorer to be slow, this solution will address the issue.
Although the Search and Indexing troubleshooter is for Windows Search, it will also look for others and should fix things when Windows 11 File Explorer crashes on right click.
3. Perform an SFC scan
- Press the Windows key, type cmd, and select Run as administrator under the result on the right side.
- Type or copy-paste the following command and press Enter:
sfc /scannow
Besides performing an SFC scan manually, you can let third-party software help you do that automatically.
You can use Fortect because it is a complex Windows system repair solution that scans your PC for various issues and fixes all critical system files and registry errors, as well as the damage left by viruses (not antivirus software).
This is the ideal all-in-one tool for fixing Windows errors, PC crashes, or registry issues. It can boost the performance of your device and make it more secure within a few minutes.
4. Update Windows
- Press Windows + I, then go to Windows Update from the left menu and click the Check for updates button on the right side. Note that the button might also display as Download now.
- Reboot your computer to apply the changes made, then check if right-clicking on the folder still crashes Explorer.
5. Perform a clean boot
NOTE
- Press the Windows key + R to launch the Run console, type msconfig, and press Enter.
- Select Hide all Microsoft services on the Services tab of the System Configuration dialog box, then click Disable All.
- On the Startup tab of the System Configuration dialog box, click Open Task Manager.
- On the Startup tab in Task Manager, for each startup item, select the item and then click Disable.
- On the Startup tab of the System Configuration dialog box, click OK. Then restart the computer. The Windows Explorer crashes when I right click on a drive issue will be fixed.
Clean Boot could be a solution for many problems, and it may fix ours as well. It starts Windows with a minimal number of drivers and software.
Be aware that your computer may lose some functionality after you perform a Clean Boot. But right after you start your PC, typically, the functionality will return, so there’s no need to worry about that.
6. Use a third-party file manager
If a clean boot didn’t help, then your problem is caused by a bad context menu handler. And below, you’ll find the best and fastest way to handle your files.
When File Explorer crashes by right-clicking, you’ll need to install one third-party software that can manage your files instead of the built-in tool.
This tool can view and manage all of your installed software and files. So not only will this app help you would drastically, but it is also straightforward to use and doesn’t require any previous experience.
The interface is self-explanatory and simplistic, giving you a minimalist look while helping you find your files quickly. Finding relevant data has never been easier with this excellent app.
All the solutions we listed above work for File Explorer keeps crashing in Windows 10 and 11. So, there you have it; each one of these solutions should resolve your File Explorer issue when clicking right with the mouse.
You might also be interested in our guide on what to do if File Explorer is slow on Windows because there might also be some helpful solutions there.
Do let us know which of our solutions helped you fix the problem with the File Explorer app in the comments section below.
