How to Stop Explorer.exe From Running in the Background (2024)

One of the common solutions you might hear when your computer is having difficulties is to reboot the computer. However, if you're in a business environment, rebooting your computer means shutting down vital programs and windows, waiting for the computer to restart and then re-opening them, wasting time that you could spend working. Explorer.exe runs in the background of Windows 7 at all times; stopping this program from running and then restarting it simulates the effects of a reboot without actually rebooting your computer. There are two ways to stop explorer.exe from running, and the method you use comes down to user preference.

Stop Explorer.exe Through Task Manager

  1. 1.

    Press "Ctrl-Alt-Del."

  2. 2.

    Click "Start Task Manager."

  3. 3.

    Click the "Processes" tab.

  4. 4.

    Right-click the "explorer.exe" entry. Click "Stop Process."

Stop Explorer.exe Through Start Menu

  1. 1.

    Click the Windows "Start" button.

  2. 2.

    Press and hold the "Ctrl" and "Shift" keys. Right-click on any empty spot on the Start menu.

  3. 3.

    Click "Exit Explorer" to stop explorer.exe from running.

Restart Explorer.exe

  1. 1.

    Press the "Ctrl-Alt-Del."

  2. 2.

    Click "Start Task Manager."

  3. 3.

    Click "File" and select "New Task (Run...)."

  4. 4.

    Type "explorer.exe" in the field and click "OK" to restart the program.

How to Stop Explorer.exe From Running in the Background (2024)

FAQs

How do I stop Windows Explorer from running in the background? ›

Stop Explorer.exe Through Task Manager
  1. Press "Ctrl-Alt-Del."
  2. Click "Start Task Manager."
  3. Click the "Processes" tab.
  4. Right-click the "explorer.exe" entry. Click "Stop Process."

How do I stop Explorer from popping up? ›

In the Control Panel window, click the AutoPlay. In the pop-up window, uncheck the option Use AutoPlay for all media and devices. Or you can also change the settings for Removable drive to Take no action. Then click Save to confirm the changes.

Why is explorer.exe taking so much memory? ›

Disable Cloud Clients. Sometimes, the explorer.exe high CPU usage issue is caused by cloud storage services like Dropbox or OneDrive. These cloud services can sync files automatically in the background and that can lead to the explorer.exe high CPU usage problem.

How to stop Internet Explorer running in the background in Windows 11? ›

On client systems, follow these steps to disable internet explorer by using Optional Features in Control Panel:
  1. Select Start > Settings.
  2. Select Apps.
  3. Select Optional features.
  4. In the list of installed features, find Internet Explorer 11, select it, and then select Uninstall.
  5. Restart the computer when prompted to reboot.
Mar 9, 2023

How do I stop an explorer.exe process? ›

There is also a handy little shortcut for ending the Windows Explorer process. In Windows 8 and 10, you can hold Ctrl+Shift while right-clicking any empty area of the taskbar. On the modified context menu, click the "Exit Explorer" command.

How do I stop an exe file from running? ›

Click Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Windows Task Manager and select your app and click on "End Process".

How do I fix explorer.exe virus? ›

How to remove the explorer.exe virus?
  1. Subscribe to an antivirus with excellent malware detection rates. ...
  2. Download the app and install it on your device.
  3. Locate the full system scan feature and run it.
  4. Follow the antivirus instructions to quarantine and remove the infection.
Jan 23, 2024

What is explorer.exe responsible for? ›

It serves as the shell for the desktop, taskbar, and Start menu, and also manages the organization and display of files and folders. In addition, explorer.exe is responsible for launching and controlling various system utilities and interface elements, such as File Explorer, Control Panel, and the notification area.

How do I clean up Windows File Explorer? ›

  1. Select Start > Settings > System > Storage > Cleanup recommendations. Open Storage settings.
  2. Select the temporary files, unused files, files synced to the cloud, or unused apps you want to remove, then select the Clean up button for each section.

How to stop unnecessary programs from running in the background Windows 11? ›

Stop an app from running in the background
  1. Select Start , then select Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
  2. Scroll to the desired app, select More options on the right edge of the window, then select Advanced options.
  3. In the Background apps permissions section, under Let this app run in the background, select Never.

How do I end all background processes? ›

In Task Manager window, you can tap Process tab to see all running applications and processes incl. background processes in your computer. Here, you can check all Windows background processes and select any unwanted background processes and click End task button to terminate them temporarily.

How do I stop everything from running in the background? ›

Stop most apps from running in the background
  1. Select Start , then select Settings > Privacy > Background apps.
  2. Under Background Apps, make sure Let apps run in the background is turned Off.

How do I turn off Windows Explorer? ›

How to disable Internet Explorer in Windows 10
  1. Search for and select Control Panel.
  2. Set View by: to Large icons. ...
  3. Select Turn Windows features on or off.
  4. Scroll down to find Internet Explorer 11 and uncheck the checkbox and click the OK button. ...
  5. Wait until the process is completed.

How do you end background processes? ›

To reduce the resource loads, you can close some useless background running processes. Step 1: Open Task Manager and in the Processes tab, locate the processes that consume too much memory and CPU. Step 2: Then click End task to end the processes one by one.

How do I turn off Windows background? ›

There are a few ways to turn the desktop background on or off in Settings or Control Panel. Right-click on your Desktop and click Personalize. You can also click Start > Settings > Personalization. Under Background, select Solid color.

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