Windows 11 File Explorer EXTREMELY Slow Unless Restarted Every Few Minutes

Hi Alan. I'm Greg, here to help you with this.

If this would persist after a true Clean Install where all partitions are deleted off the drive, the latest bootable media is used, and was close to this gold standard Clean Install: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki... then it must be caused by something that is being added or modified.

It's important the latest version was used and all Updates (including Optional under Advanced) are installed because a known issue with terribly slow Explorer was fixed in April 2022 via an Update and is included in Version 22H2.

Next suspect is modifications, so try removing those to see if it is fixed. Next suspect is something else installed like an app, older program or Windows Update.

Did you happen to notice when this behavior began? Was it right after the reinstall or did it start later. Do you happen to have a System Restore point during that period which you can try to get back before the problem started, then monitor everything subsequently installed to try to isolate the problem?

If none of those apply or help then let's try the fixes for known issues of Windows 11 Explorer becoming slow:

https://helpdeskgeek.com/windows-11/how-to-fix-...

https://www.systweak.com/blogs/fix-file-explore...

https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/q26...

https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/v0r...

https://techviral.net/fix-slow-file-explorer-wi...

https://www.kapilarya.com/fix-windows-11-file-e...

https://nimbletech.org/slow-file-explorer-windo...

If none of those help Go over Windows 11 with this Performance Checklist to try to find and fix problems:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/for...

Feel free to ask back any questions. Based on the detailed results you post back, I will have other suggestions if necessary.

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Standard Disclaimer: There are links to non-Microsoft websites. The pages appear to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the sites that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the sites before you decide to download and install it.

I was wondering if the recommended steps worked for you? Let me know if you still need help with that and I'll be happy to follow through. Thanks!

None of the recommended items I tried so far produced any change for the better. I am not willing to load third party pay software I don't know the provenance of to try to fix what is obviously an internal Windows issue. I was notified that corrupted files had been identified and replaced/repaired during one of the recommended steps, but this produced no beneficial result after a reboot.

I should also note that this issue was present even before any external software was loaded post clean install. I had suspected that maybe one of my third party programs was to blame, so I checked in on the issue immediately after loading all available Windows updates and system drivers only. My intent was to slowly add back my third party apps until I identified the culprit, but the issue was there right from the start, which is why I was posting here rather than somewhere less specific to Windows.

One interesting observation from today. A new Windows comprehensive update, "2023-01 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5022360)" became available today. This was not available as recently as last evening, as I checked before posting here. This update initially appeared to have corrected the issue, however it returned several hours later, though most of that time was spent away from the machine.

Alan -

What third party paid software did I suggest? I don't see it and did not recommend it. If it's an ad in one of the articles, there are multiple warnings to ignore those and just read and follow the articles.

This is why I asked for detailed results, because having System File Checker find broken system files is a loaded smoking gun that I would have helped you with immediately, had you not just vetoed my post and would have reported back then as requested. I hope it's not too late now that you installed an important update while you had broken System files.

It's possible having corrupted System Files so soon after a Clean Install is due to infection reimported with files that harbored malware. Test for this now by running everything in this disinfection routine: Disinfect Windows 11 most thoroughly 2023. We do not take chances with infection, it must be removed and then System Files it broke fixed before proceeding!

If System File Checker cannot fix critical broken system files within three separate tries, then the next step is to run a minor, non-destructive Repair Install which re-installs Windows while saving your files and apps in place, brings it up to the latest version by the most stable method, takes about an hour and resolves most problems: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/repair-install-wi...

Keep me posted on your progress as I will be here to help until the case is resolved. _________________________

Linked tutorial is from a trusted Microsoft MVP

The suggestion of third party software was in the reddit links you shared. Some sort of software that supposedly reverts windows explorer back to a previous version that works better.

Regarding re-importation of a virus, it would have had to come from either a factory USB Windows 10 bootable media, the Ethernet and other drivers I loaded from my motherboard factory install DVD, or windows update files and Windows 11 upgrade files loaded from the server by Windows itself. That's literally all I did before the issue was there again. I did not import mu old files

Thinking of possibly buying a new USB drive big enough to download the the most up to date Windows 11 image directly from Microsoft and doing another clean install. I suspect something is not going correctly with the upgrade process from Windows 10 to 11. I'll try your most recent suggestion tomorrow after work, then the USB option if it doesn't wor Bed time here in Europe though.