Windows Explorer freezing a lot recently.

I am on Version 10.0.19043 Build 19043.

Windows Explorer seems to freeze a lot, during the past 1 - 2 months. I notice this because the clock in the lower right corner stays frozen.

When that happens, I can't open Windows Explorer, if it was open.

I can't even close a lot of apps. Nor can I restart the PC. If I try and click on restart, nothing happens.

Same with shut down.

I have to manually hit the restart or power off on my tower.

This also seems to almost always happen when I'm using Firefox. Maybe 100% of the time.

And, there are no warning signs either. It's just every now and then, I'll look at the clock, and I'll notice it hasn't moved in a few minutes. That's when I know explorer is frozen, and all of the other symptoms then happen (can't open windows explorer; can't search for programs; can't restart or shut down from within windows, etc.)

If you are able to,then run---sfc /scannow----and ---dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth---.
Also check with Reliability History to see if there are any reports covering the freezes and if so,lines 1 & 2 in ---view tech details---should give usable information.
It might be worthwhile reinstalling the Display Adapter driver,which is often a cause of freezing.

You must run DISM command before SFC one.

nuraman00 said:

I am on Version 10.0.19043 Build 19043.
Windows Explorer seems to freeze a lot, during the past 1 - 2 months. I notice this because the clock in the lower right corner stays frozen...
This also seems to almost always happen when I'm using Firefox. Maybe 100% of the time.

If this really is an incompatibility with Firefox and not just a coincidence, try disabling hardware acceleration in Firefox. (I turned it off myself.) In Firefox, go into Settings\General\Performance. Uncheck "Use Recommended Performance Settings" and then uncheck "Use hardware acceleration when available"

You can use ShellExView utility to disable third-party shell extensions to see if one of them causing the problem.

Fix: Slow Right Click and Explorer Crashes Caused by Shell Extensions >> Winhelponline

ShellExView - Shell Extension Manager For Windows

I'm having the exact same problem, only difference is that I am using Chrome. If it happens while watching a YouTube video, the video feed halt but the audio keeps playing. I am able to pause the video and start playing it again, but it's only the audio that is playing. If it's any help my system specs are AMD RYZEN 7 2700X, ASUS ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING, ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 3080 OC WHITE EDITION, CORSAIR RM850X.

joeandmarg0 said:

If you are able to,then run---sfc /scannow----and ---dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth---.
Also check with Reliability History to see if there are any reports covering the freezes and if so,lines 1 & 2 in ---view tech details---should give usable information.
It might be worthwhile reinstalling the Display Adapter driver,which is often a cause of freezing.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.844

Image Version: 10.0.19043.1288

[==========================100.0%==========================] The restore operation completed successfully.
The operation completed successfully.


C:\WINDOWS\system32>sfc /scannow

Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.

- - - Updated - - -

Eksy61 said:

If this really is an incompatibility with Firefox and not just a coincidence, try disabling hardware acceleration in Firefox. (I turned it off myself.) In Firefox, go into Settings\General\Performance. Uncheck "Use Recommended Performance Settings" and then uncheck "Use hardware acceleration when available"

I've been using Firefox for years, but this freezing has been happening for a few months.

It seems to only happen when I'm using Firefox, but it's weird that Windows explorer is the thing that is affected.

The clock will stay frozen. I can't go to Windows Explorer anymore. I can't search for apps within Windows.

Windows-->restart or power off won't work, nothing will happen. Sleep still sometimes works, sometimes it doesn't.

I have a feeling if it is indeed Firefox related, it might be related to how it saves the browser sessions, in terms of being able to restore a crashed session.

Ok, I turned off Firefox hardware acceleration.

- - - Updated - - -

Henrik Ler said:

I'm having the exact same problem, only difference is that I am using Chrome. If it happens while watching a YouTube video, the video feed halt but the audio keeps playing. I am able to pause the video and start playing it again, but it's only the audio that is playing. If it's any help my system specs are AMD RYZEN 7 2700X, ASUS ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING, ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 3080 OC WHITE EDITION, CORSAIR RM850X.

So your Windows clock stays frozen too?

I am also on a AMD Ryzen 7 2700 Eight-Core Processor, 3200 Mhz, 8 Core(s), ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR VII HERO (WI-FI), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, CORSAIR HXi Series HX750i 750W 80 PLUS PLATINUM.

- - - Updated - - -

spunk said:

You can also run a Clean Boot.If that works, you can keep it that way or you can add on Startup Item or Service at a time until Explorer starts freezing, then you will know the culprit.

I'll try the above things I just mentioned first, then if that doesn't work, I'll probably try the Clean Boot.

- - - Updated - - -

Disabling Firefox hardware accelleration didn't work, I already see the frozen clock thing.

"So your Windows clock stays frozen too?"

Yes, that's usually the first sign, then eventually everything freezes. One time I noticed it and was able to get task manager up, and uses that to start CMD, on which i tried to run the "shutdown -r -t 0" command. That resulted in a gray screen, and i had to press the reset button to start the pc again.

I have tried the sfc/scannow command, and dsim command. And I have tried to turn off hardware acceleration, neither did anything to help. I have also reinstalled windows, and still get the same error. And I tried to change browser from Chrome to Brave. So I'm soon running out of ideas.

Here is a video I took that shows the frozen pc. Windows 10 freezing - YouTube As you can see I can pause and play the video, but only the audio is playing for me. I can move the mouse cursor, but nothing else is happening.