How to fix a Windows 11 computer that is slow to open files and folders from File Explorer or network shares

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to fix a Windows 11 computer that is slow to open files and folders from File Explorer or network shares. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

When File Explorer takes a long time to open files, folders, or mapped network shares on Windows 11, the cause is usually one of three things: a bloated folder full of items, a misconfigured network share, or an outdated or corrupted system component. This guide walks you through diagnosing the issue and applying the right fix, starting with the quickest checks and moving into more detailed troubleshooting.

If your computer is sluggish across the board rather than just in File Explorer, you may also want to review our Computer running slow guide.

Quick Fix Steps

Try these steps first. Most slow File Explorer issues are resolved within the first few.

1. Restart the computer. A fresh boot clears temporary locks, stalled handles, and stale network connections.
2. Check the affected folder. If only one folder is slow, count its contents. Folders holding tens of thousands of files (especially images, emails, or .tmp items) will always be slow to render. Move older items into subfolders.
3. Check your network share. If only mapped drives or UNC paths (\\server\share) are slow, jump to the Network Shares section below.
4. Run Windows Update. Open Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates. Install anything pending, then reboot.

Detailed Instructions

Optimise Folder View Settings

Windows 11 tries to generate thumbnails and previews for every file type in a folder. On folders with mixed content, this can dramatically slow things down.

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the slow folder.
2. Click the View menu, then select Show and ensure File name extensions is on.
3. Click View > Options > Change folder and search options.
4. On the View tab, tick Launch folder windows in a separate process.
5. Under Files and Folders, tick Always show icons, never thumbnails.
6. Click Apply, then Apply to Folders to push the setting to all folders of the same type.
7. Click OK and test File Explorer again.

Clear the File Explorer Cache

A corrupted thumbnail cache can cause Explorer to hang while it tries to regenerate previews.

1. Press Win + R, type disk cleanup, and press Enter.
2. Select your system drive (usually C:) and click OK.
3. Tick Thumbnails and any other large items you no longer need.
4. Click OK, then Delete Files.
5. Restart the computer.

Disable Unnecessary Startup Items and Services

Third-party shell extensions (context menu handlers, cloud sync agents, antivirus plug-ins) load into every Explorer window and can slow it down considerably.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Click the Startup apps tab.
3. Sort by Status and disable anything you do not need at sign-in, particularly cloud storage sync clients, antivirus add-ons, and old hardware utilities.
4. Right-click Start and select Computer Management.
5. Expand Services and Applications > Services.
6. Look for services tied to software you no longer use, double-click them, set Startup type to Disabled, then click Stop.
7. Restart the computer.

Repair Corrupted System Files

Corrupted Windows components can cause Explorer to hang on file operations.

1. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin) or Windows Terminal (Admin).
2. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter. Wait for the scan to complete.
3. Once finished, type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and press Enter.
4. Restart the computer when both scans finish.

Network Shares

If only mapped drives or UNC paths (\\server\share) are slow, the issue is almost always network-related rather than a local Explorer problem.

Verify the Connection

1. Open File Explorer and look at the mapped drive. A red X indicates the share is unreachable.
2. Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
3. Type ping <servername> replacing <servername> with the actual server or NAS hostname, then press Enter. Look for consistent low latency (under 10 ms on a local network).
4. Type tracert <servername> to see the path the traffic takes. Long hops or timeouts suggest a routing or VPN issue.

Re-map the Drive

1. Open File Explorer, right-click the mapped drive under This PC, and select Disconnect.
2. Click This PC in the navigation pane, then click the ... menu and select Map network drive.
3. Choose a drive letter, enter the path (for example \\nas01\data), and tick Reconnect at sign-in.
4. Click Finish and enter credentials if prompted.

Disable Auto-Tuning on the Network Adapter

Receive Window Auto-Tuning can cause poor performance on some networks, particularly over VPNs.

1. Open Terminal (Admin).
2. Type netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled and press Enter.
3. Restart the computer and test the share again.

Check SMB Settings

Older NAS devices and servers may negotiate SMB 1.0, which is slow and insecure. Windows 11 disables SMB 1 by default, which can cause Explorer to hang while it retries.

1. Open Settings > Apps > Optional features.
2. Click More Windows features.
3. Ensure SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support is unchecked. If it is checked and you still need it for legacy hardware, leave it on but be aware of the security implications.
4. Click OK and restart.

For better performance, confirm the server or NAS is configured to use SMB 2 or SMB 3. Refer to the device manufacturer's documentation for steps.

Troubleshooting

If the steps above have not resolved the issue, work through these additional checks.

Test in a Clean Boot State

A clean boot starts Windows with only Microsoft services, helping identify whether a third-party application is interfering with File Explorer.

1. Press Win + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
2. On the Services tab, tick Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all.
3. Switch to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
4. Disable each enabled startup item, then close Task Manager.
5. Click OK in System Configuration and restart the computer.
6. Test File Explorer. If performance improves, re-enable items one at a time to find the culprit.
7. When finished, return to msconfig, untick Hide all Microsoft services, click Enable all, and restart.

Create a New User Profile

A damaged user profile can cause Explorer to behave slowly or inconsistently. Testing with a new profile helps confirm whether the existing profile is at fault.

1. Open Settings > Accounts > Other users.
2. Click Add other user and follow the prompts to create a local account.
3. Sign in to the new account and test File Explorer.
4. If the new profile is fast, the original profile is likely corrupted. Move your data to the new profile and use it going forward.

Reset File Explorer Options to Default

If folder view customisations have become inconsistent, resetting them can help.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Click View > Options > Change folder and search options.
3. On the View tab, click Restore Folders, then Reset Folders.
4. Click Apply, then OK.

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