How to Restart Windows Explorer Without Rebooting Computer

Windows Explorer, also known as the shell (desktop) may freeze and become unresponsive while other applications still run without any problems. Instead of rebooting, follow these steps to restart Windows Explorer.

STEPS

1. Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE, and then click Task Manager.
   
2. Look for explorer.exe in the "Image Name" column.
   
3. Right click on it and select "End Process".
   
4. Click File from the menu.
   
5. Click New Task (Run...).
   
6. Type explorer in the Open field.
   
7. Click OK. Windows Explorer shell will restart.