Windows Explorer running slowly

Please disconnect all connected devices to find out problem resolves if it does not perform a clean boot state.


I would like to have you run a Clean Boot.

How to perform a Clean Boot.

Warning: Disabling items in Services or Startup may leave your antivirus disabled until the process is ended. For this reason I would suggest that you perform this process off line.

Press the keys to open Run, then type msconfig in the search box. This will open System Configuration.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, you should enter the password or provide confirmation.

(1) Click/tap on the General tab.

(2) Click/tap on the Selective startup option.

(3) Remove the check mark in the Load startup items check box.



4. Click on the Services tab.

5. Place a check mark in the Hide all Microsoft services check box, this will remove the Microsoft Services from the list but will still be running.

6. Click Disable all, this will remove all of the check marks in the Services list.



7. Click on Apply then OK



Click on Restart in the window that opens.

When the computer is restarted it will boot normally.

If the problem does not continue after the restart please do the following.

8. Divide the number of these services and startup programs by two and you place checks in the first half of these, then restart the computer.

9. If the problem doesn't return in those services and startup programs remove the checks and place checks in the remaining services and startup programs and restart the computer.

10. When you find which half the service and startup programs is in go on to the next step.

11. The half which has the service and startup programs causing this problem remove half of the checks as you did previously to see which half has this service. Restart the computer.

12. If it isn't in the first half of these services and startup programs, do the same with the last half of the services and startup programs.

13. Once you have narrowed it down to the last three or four services and startup programs remove the checks one at a time till you find the service or startup program at fault.

Once you have found the service or startup program post it in your topic. Do not take any action until I suggest the next step.

I performed the steps requested, and observed the following:

• When selecting "Disable All", the checkboxes all changed to unticked. However, as soon as I selected "Apply", all three services for my partner's antivirus program (Avast) automatically reselected.
• I continued anyway after deselecting the services (except Avast). When I rebooted, the problem persisted.
• Getting back into msconfig afterwards, I noted that every service had reverted to being ticked. I'm not sure if this is supposed to happen.

Any other ideas?

Boot your computer into Safe Mode and let us know if the issue resolves.

The issue is not present in Safe Mode.

Boot your computer into Safe Mode and try to Clean Boot again.

I assume you mean "Clean Boot into Normal (i.e. not Safe) Mode". The checkboxes behaved appropriately this time but the OS would not load, instead staying on a black screen with the scrolling circle of white dots. The circle does scroll, it's not completely frozen.

No configure clean boot from Safe Mode and test the Clean Boot result from normal boot state.

Do you have a Windows Installation DVD?

Yes, that's exactly what I did to get the black screen.

No, the computer has no optical drive. It's a laptop.

You can create a Windows 10 bootable USB flash drive with Windows 10 Media Creation Tool.

Boot your computer with Windows 10 bootable USB flash drive and from Windows Recovery Environment start the System Restore tool to restore Windows 10 to a date and time it was working.

You can also use Startup Repair tool if System Restore wont work.