Tech support File Explorer issues? Other oddities might be connected.
Tech support File Explorer issues? Other oddities might be connected.
Uncertain about what occurred but now the system freezes immediately after clicking anything. It loads the home page correctly, yet I can't navigate anywhere from there. I also attempted to create a new folder, but it doesn't open either, causing another crash. So far, I've used autorun and turned off non-Microsoft or Windows items in the file explorer settings. I checked the explorer options, cleared history and restored defaults. Disabled many unnecessary startup apps like RGB controllers. Restarted several times, but now my PC won't restart on its own. When I press the power button to shut it down, it says "restarting" with a loading circle, yet it continues indefinitely. I have to turn it off completely. Windows reports there are a few updates available, both Microsoft Defender, but they keep failing. It reminds me of a graphics driver issue (Nvidia) where progress stopped around one-third and then everything halted. Edit: Found another layer to this problem. Interestingly, opening a media app works fine in file explorer, allowing me to navigate folders, files, and play media without issues. However, when I open the file explorer directly, it crashes again. I'm really frustrated and feel completely lost right now. Edited March 6, 2025 by Trouble Added Info
Your setup seems to have failed badly. A DISM or SFC repair might help temporarily, but a fresh install could be the better option.
I tried the scan, it detected two corrupted files and managed to fix them. Still, the issue remained unresolved. I’m finished for today, though I think I’ll attempt a fresh Windows install tomorrow. I also tried the recovery option through System > Recovery > Fix problems with Windows update, but it’s stuck at 0% for about half an hour now.
So I believe I've resolved the issue. Everything appears to be functioning properly once more, and I no longer encounter any strange behavior. The best part is I didn't need to reinstall Windows. (Jump to the final part for the actual fix.) Throughout the day, I realized my last option was booting from a Windows 10 flash drive I created during the initial setup. Fortunately, locating it made the process possible. Creating one would have been unfeasible without another machine. The next phase involved accessing the BIOS settings. I found out that if I simply rebooted normally, it would prompt for login as expected, but whenever I attempted to reach the BIOS menu it would freeze into a black screen. I investigated several potential causes, including displayport and multi-monitor configurations, but none resolved the problem. Eventually, I tried using just one monitor connected via HDMI, which still didn't solve the issue. Feeling increasingly frustrated, I decided to disconnect and reattach components I could find, hoping for a better outcome. I began by checking the rear I/O connections, which seemed fine. Then I moved inside and removed the fans from my CPU cooler—between the cooler and GPU I couldn’t reach 95% of my motherboard’s performance. When I took off the front CPU fan, I noticed a tiny lock tab on one of my RAM sticks. It was almost completely closed. I reinserted it fully, restarted, and everything returned to normal. Life has been much easier since then.