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Fix: File Explorer reopens after you close it in Windows 10

Some users are reporting that Windows 10 has a very annoying bug which causes File Explorer to re-open itself after you close its window. If you are suffering from this bug, you can follow the steps provided in this article to fix it. I also did experience it myself so I was glad to have found a solution. Here we go.
File Explorer logo bannerIf you are facing this File Explorer window re-opening bug, you should try these steps:

  1. Open an elevated command prompt in Windows 10.
  2. There, type the following command:
    dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

    Wait till it is finished.

  3. Now, execute this command:
    sfc /scannow
  4. Finally, start powershell using this command by typing the command below in the elevated command prompt window:
    powershell
  5. And then run this command in PowerShell:
     Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers |Where-Object {$_.InstallLocation -like "*SystemApps*"} | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

These four commands should fix most of the issues with Windows 10 and the mentioned bug should disappear. Please let us know if it helped you or not.
Many thanks to our reader "Al" for sharing this tip.

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Author: Sergey Tkachenko

Sergey Tkachenko is a software developer who started Winaero back in 2011. On this blog, Sergey is writing about everything connected to Microsoft, Windows and popular software. Follow him on Telegram, Twitter, and YouTube.

9 thoughts on “Fix: File Explorer reopens after you close it in Windows 10”

  1. Yeah … thank you :-*
    It is possible to build a bat? .. I created one .. but it stop after the ‘powershell’ were executed. :/
    Or is there a way to start bat directly in a powershell? :3

    1. well, you can run it as follows:
      PowerShell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "insert powershell command here"

  2. I am experiencing the same issue, and unfortunately, although I followed your instructions to the letter, the problem has not been solved :( That goes for both of the PC’s I am using…

    1. i’m not sure if it the correct way but that what i did after running commands from the original post and got File Explorer fixed:
      – I used TweakManager.exe included in Auslogics Boostspeed to disable File Explorer from opening in separate processes and instead enabled separate processes for taskbar and folders
      – then i restarted the system, taskbar and folders were opening in the same process and never reopened in sure test-scenario of “Administrative Tools”
      – then for the sake of testing, in Control Panel i changed File Explorer Options to run each window in separate process
      – closed all explorer.exe processes in Task manager and started a new explorer.exe
      – now every time i right-click start icon and select control panel, Administrative Tools, windows behave funky but never reopen after i intentionally close them

      Personally i will use the option to open all File explorer in the process as it seems to be the most fluid experience

      1. Personally i will use the option to open all File explorer windows in the same process as it seems to be the most fluid experience

      2. I also happen to be using Auslogics BoostSpeed Tweak Manager. I unchecked the “Run each explorer window as a separate process” and the “Run Desktop and Explorer as separate processes” options, and that seems to have fixed the issue. I don’t know if that will have any impact on stability. I’ll test it and post again if I notice any issues. Thanks for the tip!

        1. After some testing I found that the bug lies only with running each file explorer window as a separate process, not with running desktop and explorer as separate processes.
          Those who don’t use Auslogics Tweak Manager can find the option in File Explorer (Folder) Options [ribbon]>View, and uncheck “Launch folder windows in a separate process”.

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