Qucikly Restart Windows Explorer(Windows 7/Vista)

This is just a quick tip on how you can quickly restart Windows Explorer in Windows 7 and Vista.

Method 1

  1. Click Start
  2. Whilst holding the Ctrl and Shift keys, right click on the arrow next to the Shut Down button.
    Screenshot - 19_11_2013 , 07_32_30 PM.png
  3. Click Exit Explorer
  4. Press Ctrl, Shift and Escape to launch Task Manager
  5. File --> New Task (Run...)
  6. Type explorer.exe and press Enter

Method 2 - Batch File

  1. Download the below batch file - restart_explorer.bat and save it to a memorable location
  2. Double click the batch file to run it.
  3. Explorer will now exit. Wait a few seconds for it to disappear, and press any key to continue the batch file
  4. Explorer will now restart

Stephen
 

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Restarting Windows Explorer (so you don't have to restart the computer) works great if you are the only user of the computer and Explorer freezes before you had a chance to save something important you were working on; a Word document, for example. And using these tips is a lot easier than navigating through Task Manager to end the process, then restarting it manually. But if there is more than one user then some programs that are loaded to all users at boot may not restart properly for them. And even if the only user, some may not restart for you. For example, you may notice a hardware monitor used keep tabs on your temperatures in your System Tray/Notification Area may not restart and in some cases, a security program may not fully restart for all users.

So, in my [not a Windows expert] opinion, I feel restarting Explorer is a temporary measure used to give you a little extra time, and perhaps one last opportunity to save what you are working on before the whole system crashes and that you should perform a computer restart as soon as possible to ensure everything, including security, is restarted completely.

BTW, there is also a widely published Registry tweak to add "Restart Explorer" to the right click menu when you right click on the desktop. But frankly, if you have to use that option often because Windows Explorer freezes that often, you have other problems that should be resolved first.
 
I agree with you Bill.

Occasionally, some icons don't appear in my notification tray, and rebooting explorer resolves that. It's so rare it's not worth investigating, but with those tips, at least it's quick to restart explorer.
 
but with those tips, at least it's quick to restart explorer.
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No doubt - and more importantly, it can often save you from having to retype an unsaved document from start, or starting all over on a task. For sure, good tips to remember! :)
 
So crazy. Cool tip. Can't believe I never came across this before. Mind blown that there are still secrets in Explorer I am unaware of.
 

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