How to fix Windows File Explorer slow to open

Run disk cleanup to remove junk files, cache, and temporary files

To run disk cleanup and delete junk files in Windows, here are the steps:

1. Open “Disk Cleanup” from the Windows search box.
2. Select the drive you want to clean.
3. Disk Cleanup will calculate how much disk space can be cleaned.
4. After the count is complete, check the checkboxes associated with the junk files you want to delete.
5. Click the “OK” button to start the cleaning process.

Junk files such as temporary files, recycle bin files, downloaded files, and other junk files will be deleted and free up used disk space so that the system will run faster, including File Explorer.

Running System File Checker

Running System File Checker will help if any system files are damaged.  The reason File Explorer is slow is that of corrupted or malfunctioning system files. Running SFC and DISM scans will help you detect and repair files.

1. Open “Command Prompt (CMD)” and run it as “Administrator“.
2. Type the following command and press Enter.

sfc /scannow

3. Wait for the scan to complete.
4. If it fails, use the following command and press Enter.

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

5. Restart your computer.

Run the search and indexing troubleshooter

To run the search and indexing troubleshooter in Windows 11, here are the steps:

1. Click the buttons (WIN + I) to open Windows Settings.
2. Then navigate to “System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters“.
3. In the right-hand panel, search for “Search and Indexing“.
4. Click the “Run” button to start.
5. Follow the instructions provided by the troubleshooter to fix search and indexing issues.

The troubleshooter will fix problems with the search index and speed up the file search process, so File Explorer will run faster.