3 Ways to Restart Windows Explorer
Fix a frozen taskbar or Explorer glitches by restarting explorer.exe without rebooting.
Overview
Restarting Windows Explorer refreshes the taskbar, Start menu, and desktop — a quick fix for freezes and glitches without a full reboot. This guide shows three ways to do it.
Restarting Windows Explorer.
Key Takeaways
- Restarting Explorer refreshes the taskbar/Start/desktop.
- Task Manager has a one-click Restart option.
- The command line can end and relaunch explorer.exe.
- No full reboot required.
Method 1: Task Manager (Easiest)
1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
2. Find "Windows Explorer" in the Processes list.
3. Right-click it and choose "Restart".
4. The taskbar/desktop refresh instantly.
Method 2: End and Restart Manually
1. In Task Manager, select "Windows Explorer" > End task.
2. The taskbar/desktop disappear (expected).
3. Click File > Run new task, type explorer.exe, and press Enter.
4. Explorer relaunches.
Method 3: Command Line
1. Open Command Prompt.
2. Run: taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
3. Then: start explorer.exe
4. Or combine: taskkill /f /im explorer.exe & start explorer.exe
Optional: Batch File
1. Create a .bat file with the two commands above.
2. Double-click it whenever you need to restart Explorer.
3. Handy if you do this often.
Troubleshooting
Problem: Taskbar didn’t come back.
Solution: Open Task Manager > File > Run new task > explorer.exe to relaunch it.
Problem: Explorer keeps crashing.
Solution: Run sfc /scannow, clear the icon/thumbnail cache, and check shell extensions (ShellExView).
Problem: Command says access denied.
Solution: Run Command Prompt as administrator.
Problem: Nothing on screen after End task.
Solution: That’s expected — start explorer.exe from Task Manager’s Run new task.
Conclusion
Restarting Windows Explorer is a fast fix for a stuck taskbar or Explorer glitches. Use Task Manager’s "Restart" option for one-click convenience, or the taskkill/start explorer.exe commands (optionally as a batch file) — no reboot needed.
