File Explorer Slow in Windows 11? Fix It Right Now!

Scenario: Slow File Explorer on Windows 11

“File Explorer on my Windows 11 machine is somehow slow when I try to navigate between folders, create new files/folders… Just some normal jobs will take over somehow 5+ seconds to respond. I think there's no problem with my storage drive because it’s pretty new internal SSD storage, with a SATA connection. There's a less noticeable lag for short time after boot, I have enough memory, 32GB, and is 50% used most of the time. Why is it so slow on my Windows 11? Any ideas?”

Why does File Explorer take so long?

After many users have had Windows 11 for a while, some have probably encountered several issues. This is because it is a new operating system that is still in the process of being optimized, and it currently has certain flaws and problems. Start Menu crashes, Search not functioning, and some other difficulties are typical for Windows 11 users.

File Explorer problems are among the most terrifying nightmares for any Windows user. You'll waste so much time since you won't be able to obtain the files you need to complete tasks on time.

Some customers have claimed that when they run Windows 11, File Explorer slows extremely, preventing them from accessing files. Even users using the operating system on high-end PCs have complained about the issue.

▶ Possible reasons that cause File Explorer slow:

• Too many temporary files
• A badly fragmented hard disk drive
• Malware
• New File Explorer ribbon menu
• Search and indexing problem
• Improper settings
• Bad disk/drive speed performance
…

Run a drive speed test to check your disk performance

Since users are not sure what is wrong that makes File Explorer slow in Windows 11, it’s necessary to do a disk speed test to check on the status of the running disk, especially a system disk.

To know better about the disk speed performance of your computer, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional offers users the “Disk Speed Test” function.

In this feature, you can use two modes to test SSD speed also HDD, Simple Mode, and Pro Mode, to test the target drive.

☛Simple Mode can help you know the essential condition of your disk.

☛Pro Mode will give you a precise and comprehensive test

Besides, it is not only compatible with all kinds of Windows versions like Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, XP, or Vista but is also available to test the speed of your external devices.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. Click the disk you want to check and select "Test"> "Disk Speed Test".

Step 2. The Simple Mode is selected by default, which will just report the write-read speed of the selected disk. You can click "Start" to begin testing.

Step 3. Wait a moment, you will see the result shown directly on the console and you can choose to export the result as a screenshot or text.

If you want to do a comprehensive test, please click "Pro Mode". In the new window, you can change the default settings as you like: Random or Sequential, Average or Maximum speed, Test Size, Test Number, and Duration (You can click the drop-down box to see the range of settings). After setting everything, you can click "Start" to begin testing the disk.

6 ways to fix File Explorer slow in Windows 11

After we test the disk and know some basic status of your disk, you may have some ideas about how to fix File Explorer slow in Windows 11. Although the possible reasons are uncountable, some solutions are effective to fix this problem. Let’s see more details!

Way 1. Restart File Explorer in Task Manager

Restarting File Explorer does not need you to close and reopen your folder windows. Your computer provides you with the option to halt the Windows Explorer process and then restart it from the beginning.

Step 1. Right-click the Start menu icon and choose Task Manager.

Step 2. Right-click Windows Explorer on the Task Manager window and select Restart.

Your File Explorer will automatically reopen. Note that Windows Explorer includes more than just File Explorer. You’ll also see your taskbar and desktop momentarily disappear and then reload.

▶ Tip: Restart your computer may also fix this problem, you can reboot to have a try.

Way 2. Clean File Explorer cache files

One reason that File Explorer isn't operating properly is that the software has amassed an excessive number of cache files. These files can cause the utility to slow down or stop working entirely.

In this instance, clearing the cache files in File Explorer is the best solution. This clears the underlying cache data, allowing your problem to be fixed.

Step 1. Open File Explorer on your PC and select the three dots at the top of the window and choose Options.

Step 2. Choose the Clear button next to Clear File Explorer history.

Way 3. Defrag the system drive

If you’re using a hard drive, it may be severely fragmented. This occurs when file data is dispersed throughout the disk. Extra processing power is used by your CPU to search and retrieve files from the disc. Unfortunately, when you try to access certain files, File Explorer may slow.

This was a problem in prior Windows versions, so it's not surprising to find it in Windows 11. After all, the bug is associated with hard disk drives rather than operating systems. In this situation, defragmenting your hard drive will solve the problem.

Luckily, AOMEI Partition Assistant can do this for you.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, right-click on the disk you want to defragment, and select “Disk Defrag”.

Step 2. Tick the partition you want to defragment and click on “Analyze”. After the analysis is completed, the partition will be scored. Then, hit “Defrag” to start the defragmentation.

When the process is over, you can close the tool.

Note: Never defrag your SSD, it will hurt it. If you're using an SSD, try the Partition Alignment feature.

Way 4. Change File Explorer Options

Another way you can try on the File Explorer Options is to change the “Quick access” to “This PC”.

Step 1. Open File Explorer on your PC and select the three dots at the top of the window and choose Options.

Step 2. Select This PC, instead of Quick access, and click “Apply” and then “OK”.

Way 5. Optimize folder for general items

Step 1. Right-click on the problematic folder and click on Properties.

Step 2. Click on Customize Tab and select General items from the dropdown in Optimize this folder for section.

Way 6. Troubleshoot Windows Search and Indexing

Step 1. Open the Windows 11 search and type in the Indexing options.

Step 2. On the Indexing Options, click on the Advanced button.

Step 3. On the Advanced Options, click on the Troubleshoot search and indexing link.

Step 4. On the Search and Indexing troubleshooter, pick the problem you are experiencing and click on the Next button. Then you can follow the lines to finish the process.

To sum up

With these 6 ways, you can fix File Explorer slow in Windows 11. AOMEI Partition Assistant can help you do many things for your Windows 11 PC, such as convert system/data disk between MBR/GPT without deleting any data, convert file system without formatting, disk/partition cloning, move installed programs…