How to restart the process. How to stop malicious processes? How to scan and restore interface loading using the command line
I encountered a problem that the desktop freezes or does not start at all. What it looks like: the mouse cursor turns into a clock and nothing can be launched from the desktop. The problem exists in both Windows 7 and Windows XP, no difference. Let's figure out how to solve this issue without resorting to heavy artillery.
One-time solution to the problem
You can close the desktop like any program. Only there is no such application in the task manager. But the “explorer.exe” process is responsible for it. We just need to restart this process. For this:
- using the hotkeys “Ctrl + Shift + Esc” or “Ctrl + Alt + Delete” and select “Launch task manager”
- In the task manager window, go to the “Processes” tab and find the “explorer.exe” process there. If there is a lot of stuff there, then just press the letter “e” until you get to it.
- Right-click on the process and select “End Process”.
After this action, the desktop will completely disappear along with the taskbar. Only the background image and the task manager window will remain. If after a few seconds the desktop does not automatically restart, then you need to start it manually. Let's go to the menu “File –> New task”
In the input field we write: explorer
And press “Enter”. With these simple steps you can bring the Windows operating system back to life without having to restart. This whole process is demonstrated in the video below the article. This method is also suitable for Windows 10, but if it does not help, then you need to end the “Desktop Window Manager”.
If your desktop freezes too often
This usually happens after installing some new program. Remember after what actions this started and try to remove the most recently installed programs. If it doesn't help, then roll back to . This could very well be to blame. In this case, let's try to cure the desktop, and for this we need:
- Download the AVZ program. I talked about this program
- Go to "File -> System Restore"", there check the boxes No. "5. Desktop recovery", "16. Recovering the Explorer launch key" and "9. Removing system process debuggers"
- Click the “Perform marked operations” button and reboot.
If the desktop does not start
In cases when the desktop does not load at all and even the “Start” button does not appear, you need to do what is described above, and if that does not help, then something else. Try launching the desktop through the task manager using the method described above. If you don’t have the AVZ program at hand, you’ll have to go into the registry. But I simplified the task for you and prepared a ready-made solution.
Recovering explorer.exe
If when you try to run “explorer.exe” a message appears that such a file was not found, then you will have to restore it. This can be done in three ways.
First way: Enter the command in the New Task window of the Task Manager:
Sfc /scannow
Most likely the program will ask you to insert the Windows installation disc. If it is not there, then the second method may suit you. The program restores damaged and replaced files with original ones. When the program finishes, reboot. By the way, this method can help if the desktop freezes, and the previous tips did not help.
Second way: copy the file “C:\Windows\explorer.exe” from a working machine with the same operating system, or download and unpack my versions:
To put the correct files in a Windows folder without Explorer, enter the command in the New Task window:
copy C:\Downloads\explorer.exe c:\windows
where C:\Downloads is the path to the file, and C:\Windows is the OS installation path.
Before this, you may need to “explorer.exe” as described above.
Third way also requires an installation disk, we will just get the required file from there manually. If the drive has the letter “E:” and the operating system folder is “C:\Windows”, then the procedure is as follows:
- Installing the disc in the tray
- In the already known input field we write:
E:\i386\expand.exe E:\i386\explorer.ex_ C:\windows\explorer.exe
Let's reboot!
Another way is to use Kerish Doctor.
After solving the problem you can.
In the video you can see how to restart the desktop. True, it doesn’t show how I launch the task manager using “Ctrl + Alt + Delete”, because Windows blocks video recording in this mode, but I think everything is clear.
I'll start from the very beginning...
What is Windows Explorer?
File Explorer is something you use on your computer every day. This is what opens when you click on To my computer and in any other folder anywhere. This is the folder interface.
This is how I put it in simple words and briefly, so don’t blame me.
If you opened and looked at the tab Processes, then you might have noticed a process like explorer.exe - this is Windows Explorer.
Why do you need to restart Explorer?
Windows is such a system that it cannot work without errors and freezes, especially if you do not monitor it (although it can still fail without you).
There is a saying among programmers: “7 troubles - 1 reset,” which translated into normal language would be like “problems with Windows? Reboot!” . It may be funny, but in most cases it helps.
Therefore, restarting Windows is used not only to solve problems, but also to apply any changes made to or during installation of the program. But in most cases, you don’t even have to restart the entire system, but you can only restart this same Windows Explorer, or more precisely, only the explorer.exe process.
I wrote a little about this in the article?.
But I’ll write again.
Launch it without closing it, kill the explorer.exe process on the tab Processes
then Desktop And Task bar will disappear. Don't panic!
We launch it again through the top menu
and entering its name
All. It restarted and didn’t have to reboot and everyone is happy!
This is a more interesting and safer (in terms of “crookedness”) method compared to the first.
All you have to do is run the file saved anywhere and the reboot is done! Oh how simple. Everything for the lazy...
So. Create a file in Notepad with the following content:
Taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exe
Better to copy from here because all the spaces are important!
Next we save it ( File -> Save as..)
with any name and
If your computer is infected and you decide to remove the virus yourself, then you will need to stop the malicious processes. If you are not a computer genius, we do not recommend removing viruses manually, since in this case you can easily harm your PC system. You should use reliable antivirus programs, such as or, with which you can easily remove viruses automatically. However, what should you do in a situation where a virus on your computer does not allow you to install an anti-virus program on the system or blocks the anti-virus software when you try to run it to remove a cyber infection? Again, you need to stop the malicious process. How can you do this? Let's take a look at the options available to you:
Stop the malicious process using Task Manager:
- To open the Task Manager, you must simultaneously press the key combination ctrl+shift+esc or ctrl+alt+del.
- Once the Task Manager appears, select the tab Processes and look for malicious processes in the list.
- Right click them and select Complete. It will be easier to find the malicious process in the list immediately after Windows starts.
If the virus behaves aggressively and leaves the Task Manager inactive, go to Start -> Run and enter ‘ taskmgr‘ without quotes or follow the address C:\Windows\System32, copy taskmgr and rename it with another name, for example iexplorer.exe. Now launch the manager and follow the above steps.
If you have correctly identified and neutralized the malicious process, you should notice the disappearance of annoying warnings and similar symptoms of the presence of a virus. However, keep in mind that the above procedure does not REMOVE the virus completely. To do this, you should proceed with malware removal by scanning your system with a reliable anti-spyware program.
Stop the malicious process using Safe Mode:
To stop malicious processes, you can also use Safe Mode to load network drivers. To enter this mode, follow these steps:
- Restart your computer and, as soon as the PC starts to boot, press repeatedly F8.
- Then select Safe mode or Safe mode with loading network drivers.
- You should now notice that the virus and all its symptoms have disappeared. This means that you have successfully completed the malicious process.
Now is the time to run an anti-spyware program and perform a full system scan to remove infected files and folders.
Kill the malicious process using the Taskkill command:
If your infected computer has a Windows operating system installed, you can try to use the Taskkill command and its /IM option, which allows you to eliminate processes by their identifiers or by the names of their images. This tool is very effective if you are trying to remove an unnecessary application. However, you should be aware that this command tool is only available if you know the exact names of the malicious processes.
- To open taskkill, click Start → Run.
- Now enter taskkill/f/im [name of malicious process].
- Click Enter.
Once you have completed the above procedure, you will need to scan your computer with a reliable anti-spyware program to complete the virus removal.
Stop malicious processes using Process Explorer:
Process Explorer not only allows users to eliminate malicious processes. It also shows information about active processes and their location. To use it to block malicious processes, follow these steps:
- Download Process Explorer by entering the link in the address bar of the browser: http://download.sysinternals.com/Files/ProcessExplorer.zip.
- Run Process Explorer (procexp.exe) and then look for malicious processes.
- Select them with your mouse and click DEL to remove them.
Now scan your computer with or another reputable anti-spyware program to complete the virus removal.
If when you turn on the system, just one explorer.exe file does not automatically start, then instead of the usual screen image you will see a black screen with a mouse arrow. This is because explorer.exe is one of the main Windows processes. More information about the file, errors and solutions later in the article.
What is explorer.exe and what is it for?
Explorer.exe is an executable file that launches the Windows graphical shell. In other words, this is the entire main interface of the system. If explorer.exe does not automatically load when you turn on the system, you will not see the desktop, start, or file manager.
What problems and errors may be associated with starting the process
There are many errors associated with this system file:
- "Explorer.exe Application Error."
- "Explorer.exe is not a Win32 application."
- “An error has occurred in the Explorer.exe application. The application will be closed. We apologize for the inconvenience."
- "The file explorer.exe was not found."
- "Explorer.exe not found."
- "Error starting program: explorer.exe."
- "Explorer.exe is not running."
- "Explorer.exe has failed."
- "Faulting Application Path: explorer.exe."
This can happen when you turn your computer on and off, when you reinstall the OS, or when you install or run a program that is associated with explorer.exe.
There are 3 reasons for the error in this system file.
- Virus software. Viruses delete files, change them, and cause the system to crash. In the case of the explorer.exe file, things are even more interesting. To remain undetected in the system, viruses use system file names that do not arouse suspicion. Since explorer.exe is required to be on Windows, this is a great option.
- The program was installed on the computer with errors or was installed incorrectly. Or a program is installed that conflicts with the file, which could mistakenly delete data necessary for explorer.exe to function properly.
- There may be an error in the file itself.
What to do if the process does not start automatically
How to check in Windows safe mode why explorer.exe does not start
First of all, you should check whether the automatic download failure is caused by viruses. To do this, start Windows in safe mode. Safe mode is a system boot with a minimum set of components. Therefore, nothing will interfere with an accurate check. There are two ways to enter safe mode. First:
Second way:
In safe mode, we check how the system works. If the download occurred normally, then autorun is blocked by a recently installed program or virus.
Run a full system scan with your antivirus without leaving safe mode. Remove all detected threats.
System Restore as a way to restart the process
The operating system itself creates recovery checkpoints. This happens either as planned, with a certain frequency, or after major changes. In the event of a failure, this allows you to “roll back” the system to that point and restore correct operation. There are several ways to roll back the system; do this using the System Restore Wizard.
System Restore does not delete or affect personal files in any way. But it removes all programs and drivers installed after the selected checkpoint, and changes in them (activation, updates, etc.).
Where is it located and how to launch it - step by step steps
- Click “Start” and enter the word “Recovery” in the search bar.
- Select System Restore.
- In the new window that appears, click “Next”.
- Select a restore point, it’s easier to navigate by date. To see more information, enable “Show other restore points” and click “Search for affected programs.”
- We confirm the restoration - click “Finish”.
How to scan and restore interface loading using the command line
This method corrects errors in the file itself. To do this we will need administrator rights.
If it's a virus - how to remove it using Registry Editor
Despite the fact that this file provides the ability to communicate with a computer, there are often tips to stop or restart explorer.exe. Under no circumstances should this be done. To troubleshoot problems, use one of the methods described above.
Welcome to my blog!
When Windows starts to slow down during operation, users often restart the computer. But it will be much faster to restart explorer.exe to restore system performance.
There are several ways to restart Windows Explorer (explorer.exe). In this article I will describe two ways, how to restart explorer.exe on Windows.
The first method is how to restart Windows Explorer.
In order to restart Windows Explorer, launch the task manager. You can do this in the following ways:
1. Using hot keys: Alt+Ctrl+Del or Ctrl+Shift+Esc;
2. Using the menu, which is opened with the hot keys Win + R;
We launch the task manager with the command taskmgr.exe.
3. Right-click on the control panel and select “Task Manager” in the context menu;
First we need terminate the explorer.exe process
To do this, go to the “Processes” tab and find the explorer.exe process there. Select it with the mouse and click “End process”.
The program will issue a warning, but nothing bad will happen. Just click “End process”.
After this, the explorer process will stop working and the Start menu will disappear. But don’t be alarmed, it’s not scary for the system.
Now you need to restart the explorer.exe process. To do this, in the upper left corner, click “File – New task” in turn.
We write the name of the task “explorer.exe”, without quotes. And click “OK”. After these manipulations, Windows will start working as usual.
The second method is how to restart explorer.exe in Windows.
The second option of restarting explorer seems to me the most convenient, since it is the fastest. And even a beginner can handle it quickly.
The essence of this method is that first we create a file with the .bat extension. And then this file does everything itself.
.bat files are files that contain commands for execution. You launch it, and it performs some task. Previously, in the Windows 98 era, such files were very popular. Nowadays you don't see them so often.
And so, we create our executable file. To do this, you can use any text editor. For example, Notepad. Create a new file and write the following code inside it:
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exe
Pay attention to the spaces between words and characters, this is important. Another important thing is that the commands should be placed in two lines, like mine:
It won’t work any other way, at least it didn’t work for me.
After that we simply save our file. Why do we write his name in the title, but with the extension .bat. And be sure to set the file type to “All files”. The encoding doesn't matter.
After which you will have this icon; in Windows XP it is slightly different, but the meaning is the same. It can be placed either on the desktop or in the Start menu, or on the Windows Quick Launch panel. When Windows starts to slow down a lot, you can quickly get to it.
After restarting explorer.exe, Windows usually starts running faster. But if this does not help, then consider installing the system again.
Cleaning the system disk of unnecessary files can also improve system performance; you can read how to do this in this article.
Good luck!
