[SOLVED] Windows Explorer (explorer.exe) High CPU usage

If rebuilding Windows Search Index & chkdsk doesn't fix the issue try this method.

[monkeysmommy]

Yup, I had tried everything and this worked like a charm. Crazy how something so simple could solve the problem. I had no executable on my desktop, but i had some pdf's that had not icon and that fixed the problem! Thanks redshift!

[JeroenSchrevens]

Didn't expect this to resolve this issue, but it did! PDF file on my desktop with thumbnail that was blank (so probably faulty). After moving it from the desktop, Windows Explorer stopped using up all the CPU. Absolutely love these easy fixes!

[supremefantastic]

I'm not surprised that I have read all comments but still don't understand how I should do to get rid of the problem. I have Windows 7 and I don't find any PDF's at my desktop (only in folders at my desktop) and I don't know how to find files without icons either. Please help.

[FuzzyOne]

Amazing, as soon as I chucked my desktop files into a new folder the problem was solved, and as for this video no long intro or any other bollocks just right to the point, thank you!

[rektnready]

Just wanted to bump this, was wracking my brain trying to solve the same issue for days, this was the solution, same as others it was a dodgy icon on an .exe that was sitting on my desktop the whole time. Thanks for this!

[CristiMirt]

Wow, I was also sceptical
about this (as I am with every similar video), but it did actually work. In my case, it was a PDF file. I didn't want to lose it, so I just moved it to its own folder, and that fixed the cpu usage problem :)

[ndMOUSEofficial]

I have a folder on my desktop that won't delete. I can't rename it either. How do I get rid of it ?? Its not an exe file. Its just a folder called Maschine_2 iso extracted . when I try to delete it nothing happens. When I try to rename it, windows says it is no longer located on the desktop, even though im sitting looking at it.

[ikerr.]

phew, it was simple. Just moved most of my desktop icons and restarted explorer. I had also some broken programs/icons from previous win10 version. Thanks for the video.

[ddswasd]

Fixed the high CPU usage by following this video but the thumbnails are still missing. How can I get them back?

[totoyannie]

I almost had to reinstall my system and this method saved my life, thanks!!

[eminseyid]

Worked like a charm! Removed PDF with blank thumbnail from the desktop. Thanks a lot!

[LOVEHONEY]

Just removing the icon that had disappeared had an incredible result. Thank you!

[intronic]

Wow, actually worked. Thank you so much!

[OGTripleTriple]

There was no file like that on my desktop. Instead, I deleted all my game icons as they're on Steam and GOG. Cleaned up any unnecessary icons on the desktop and put files in proper folders and it solved the problem. Thanks.

[serfbummer]

It was an .mkv video on the desktop. Erased it in safe mode. Thanks for this!

[owenharris]

As with the others almost completely sceptical (except I know how buggy WIn10 is). tried it and it worked. An shortcut to an exe had a missing thumbnail. THANK YOU!!!!

[riku]

how do i i find the exe if it is inpossible to search on my win10?

[captndingpot]

I've been going through a similar issue but my file explorer is taking up about 3.5 gigabytes of my ram after trying to redownload Minecraft Forge. I think me accidentally downloading the same java file did something because I did a full scan of my computer after my computer was lagging a ton and there was files it picked up and skipped, some of them might not even be in my file explorer anymore. I tried removing all the listed files. Anyone know what to do to fix this?

[Firesword]

I dont get it… can some1 explain how he did it step by step? I tried to make a new shortcut but idk what to type in the location of the item bar

[cloutgodwompy]

hey thanks man I was genuinely confused because I didn't want to have to reinstall windows 10, but that's what everyone was telling me I should do. Thanks for saving me like 2 hours of hassle lmao