# Fix File Explorer Slow or Stuck on "Working on it..." in Windows 11 URL: https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/fix-file-explorer-slow-working-on-it-windows-11/ Published: 2026-10-30 | Author: Ankit Kumar Tags: Windows 11, Shell, Performance, Fix Summary: File Explorer slow to open folders or stuck on "Working on it..."? Fix folder type detection, dead network drives, thumbnails, and shell extensions. Recommended app: PC-Troubleshooter, https://www.mytechnician.tech/apps/windows-troubleshooter/ (Microsoft Store: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9N7RWKW8SP24?hl=en-us&cid=mytechnician-web). Optional; every step below uses built-in Windows tools. ## The Problem You open a folder and File Explorer shows a green bar crawling across the address bar with **"Working on it..."**. Files appear seconds later, or a few at a time. Sometimes it happens in every folder, sometimes only in **Downloads** or a folder full of photos. File Explorer is waiting for something before it can draw the folder: reading file details, making thumbnails, reaching a network drive that is not there, or running an add-on from another program. Find which, and the delay goes away. ## Symptoms * **"Working on it..."** for several seconds in a folder with many files. * **Downloads** or a media folder is slow while other folders are instant. * File Explorer takes a long time to open, or **Home** loads slowly. * Right-clicking a file takes seconds before the menu appears. * It is slow for a minute after startup, then fine. ## Quick Checks 1. Note whether it is **one folder** or **every folder**. One folder points to Step 1 or Step 3. Every folder points to Steps 2, 4, and 5. 2. Disconnect from VPNs and unplug external drives, then try again. 3. Restart **Windows Explorer** from **Task Manager** (right-click it → **Restart**). ## The Fix: Step-by-Step ### Step 1: Optimize the Folder for General Items Windows guesses what is in each folder. When it decides a folder holds pictures, music, or videos, it reads extra details from every file (dimensions, length, artist) before showing anything. In a folder with thousands of files, that is the "Working on it..." delay. 1. Right-click the slow folder → **Properties** → **Customize** tab. 2. Set **Optimize this folder for** to **General items**. 3. Tick **Also apply this template to all subfolders**. 4. Click **OK** and reopen the folder. This is the most effective single fix for a slow **Downloads** folder. ### Step 2: Disconnect Dead Network Drives A mapped network drive or shortcut to a NAS that is offline makes File Explorer wait for it to time out, which can take 20 seconds or more. 1. Open **This PC** and look under **Network locations** for drives with a red X. 2. Right-click each one you do not use → **Disconnect**. 3. Remove pinned network folders from **Quick access** that point to offline PCs. ### Step 3: Turn Off Thumbnails for Big Media Folders Generating thumbnails for thousands of photos or large videos is slow the first time. * For one folder, switch to **Details** or **List** view (**View** in the toolbar). * To turn thumbnails off everywhere: **⋯** → **Options** → **View**, tick **Always show icons, never thumbnails**. * Turn off the **Preview pane** and **Details pane** (`Alt + P` and `Alt + Shift + P`) while testing. Some previewers are slow. ### Step 4: Clear File Explorer History **Home** loads your recent files list on every launch. A long or broken list slows it down. 1. **⋯** → **Options** → **General** tab. 2. Under **Privacy**, click **Clear** next to **Clear File Explorer history**. 3. To stop Home from listing recent files, untick **Show recently used files** and **Show frequently used folders**. 4. Optionally, set **Open File Explorer to** **This PC** instead of **Home**. ### Step 5: Find a Slow Shell Extension Shell extensions are add-ons from other programs (archivers, cloud storage apps, antivirus, Git tools, and media codecs) that run whenever you browse or right-click. One slow extension delays every folder. 1. Download **ShellExView** from NirSoft's website. 2. Run it, click **Options** → **Filter by Extension Type** → **Context Menu**, and sort by **Company**. 3. Select all **non-Microsoft** entries, right-click → **Disable Selected Items**. 4. Restart Explorer and test. If it is fast, re-enable a few at a time until the slow one returns, then leave that one disabled or update its program. ### Step 6: Check Cloud Sync Folders OneDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox check sync status for every file you browse. With **Files On-Demand**, opening a folder of online-only files can be slow on a poor connection. * Pause sync and test the folder again. * Right-click a folder you use often → **Always keep on this device** to keep it local. * For sync errors, see [fix OneDrive sync issues](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/fix-onedrive-sync-issues-windows-11/). ### Step 7: Reset Folder Views Damaged view settings can slow Explorer down everywhere. 1. **⋯** → **Options** → **View** tab. 2. Click **Reset Folders**, then **Restore Defaults**. 3. Click **OK** and restart Explorer. ### Step 8: Check the Drive Itself If every folder on one drive is slow (especially a hard drive rather than an SSD) the drive may be struggling. 1. Open **Task Manager** → **Performance** → select the disk. If **Active time** is near 100% while you browse, see [fix 100% disk usage](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-fix-100-disk-usage-windows-11/). 2. Check the drive's health with [check SSD or hard drive health](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/check-ssd-hard-drive-health-windows-11/). ## What Not to Do * **Don't turn off Windows Search to speed up File Explorer.** Search does not slow down folder browsing, and turning it off breaks search in Start and Explorer. * **Don't install a "File Explorer booster".** The settings above cover what they do. * **Don't disable Microsoft shell extensions** in ShellExView. Stick to third-party entries. ## FAQ ### Why does File Explorer say "Working on it..."? It is still reading information about the files in the folder before showing them. In most cases this is because Windows treats the folder as a picture, music, or video folder and reads details from every file (Step 1). ### Why is only my Downloads folder slow? Downloads collects thousands of mixed files, so Windows often marks it as a media folder. Set **Optimize this folder for** to **General items** (Step 1), and clear out old downloads. ### Does clearing File Explorer history delete files? No. It only clears the list of recently opened files and folders shown in **Home**. Your files are not touched. ## Still Slow? If File Explorer freezes or crashes instead of just being slow, follow [fix File Explorer crashing](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/fix-windows-11-file-explorer-crashing-not-responding/). If the whole PC is slow, not just Explorer, start with [speed up a slow Windows PC](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/speed-up-slow-windows-pc/). If search inside File Explorer is the slow part, see [fix Windows 11 search not working](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/fix-windows-11-search-not-working/). --- Source: https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/fix-file-explorer-slow-working-on-it-windows-11/ (My Technician, free Windows 10/11 troubleshooting guides). Related tool: PC-Troubleshooter (PC-Troubleshooter is a system diagnostic and repair tool for Windows 10 and Windows 11: hardware, drivers, network, and common fixes in one app.): https://www.mytechnician.tech/apps/windows-troubleshooter/ More guides: https://www.mytechnician.tech/llms.txt