Windows 11 file explorer is slow, lagging, hangs!

Anonymous
2022-11-06T07:07:24+00:00

Hi,

I have a very strong PC with Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe, Intel i7-9700K, 32GB Memory and ASUS ROG Strix Z390-H Gaming.
When my PC was on Windows 10 there was no problem with File Explorer but after upgrading to Windows 11 I am facing a problem with file explorer slow, lagging, hangs even when just renaming a file.
Only full PC restart is solving the problem for a short time.

How to solve this problem on windows 11 please?

Thanks,
AG

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

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Anonymous
2022-11-28T14:17:19+00:00

I also experienced Lags with the Explorer:

  1. On Windows 10, i could solve them by removing external file-drives (SMB) from Quick-Access. I created a folder with Links to the drives instead and explorer was fast again. Probably the explorer tried to connect to these drives and for some reason failed, even though the connection was up and working.
  2. On Windows 11 on a new computer i have again troubles with the explorer, this time i think it is due to a wrong/old account which is no longer active:
    Image The problems came with the "Home"-Button, which was added at some point. Also the "Please sign in" only shows when selecting the "Home"-Button.

This might also be related to an account i am unable to remove:
Image
Clicking on 'Manage' opens the login-page for the first account and i can not find the old account in the first account to remove it.

Can your problem also be associated with one of the issues above?

Does anyone know how to solve the second issue by e.g. disabling the "Home" button, changing the account in the explorer or removing a no longer existing old account?

Updated Info / what i use:

  1. Don't use mapped Drives oder External Folders in Quick-Access. Keep all pinned-directories pointing to local files / folders. Instead, save them as files / links:

Image

  1. Disable OneDrive.exe in StartUp-Apps. If this still does not help, completely disable or remove onedrive: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/turn-off-disable-or-uninstall-onedrive-f32a17ce-3336-40fe-9c38-6efb09f944b0 
  2. 'Home' as startup-folder seems to also be slow, change it: https://www.digitalcitizen.life/how-set-start-location-file-explorer-windows-10/
    Image

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-07-03T07:33:10+00:00

    Hi All,

    This is caused by a couple of things and it depends whether you want speed or functionality.

    BY default Windows 11 displays "Home" as the default place to display and if you 're like me you're not interested in the last file you opened, you want a file explorer to open a window to explore physical files or folders, not shortcuts to recently opened files or folders.

    in File Explorer along the menu bar across the top, select the three horizontal dots.

    1. Open file explorer to: This PC, not Home.
    2. Privacy, untick what you don't need beginning with Office.com

    If you have a slow connection opening File Explorer will take an age to open with all of the three ticked under Privacy.

    Your explorer window will open as it did previously.

    Your recently used files will be displayed in your apps when you want them.

    Kelv

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-06-27T10:01:20+00:00

    Uninstalling Microsoft Edge and rebooting fixed the problem for me.

    I guess it must have removed some internal hooks unnecessary for browsing files locally on your computer.

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-06-24T15:16:42+00:00

    This is because they need to rewrite how explorer uses resources, and have needed to since win10, but I'd guess laid those people off to hire AI/LMM people. I'm not sure they actually care about the OS anymore, as most of their income comes from elsewhere, and most enterprises can't switch. Aren't we lucky !

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-05-31T22:44:05+00:00

    After ensuring that I had a local copy of my files (given anything you download into the blasted OneDrive folder is automatically web encrypted), I uninstalled OneDrive. Windows hasn't hanged since.

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