Forum Discussion
File Explorer is broken after July 2026 Update
Recently updated my system on July 16, 2026. Applied the latest available update as July 2026 cumulative update.
After that I face with very annoying bug(s) regarding the file explorer.
The bug: the explorer.exe(all file explorer windows) process freezes for some seconds, then gets halted and restarted.
How to produce the above bug? using either of the followings:
1) selecting(single click) any image file (jpeg, webp, ...) (but selecting some other file types like text, pdf, or ... are okay)
2) right-click on a file (although right-click on drivers in my pc works as expected, or a folder, but crash on any file)
3) double-click to open a zip file
Hiding the preview panel in file explorer didn't help.
Please fix it, very annoying.
In my machine, I have the following applications which may have some context manu:
PDF-X
7-zip
Media-player classic (codec), and km-player
MS one-drive
Python, Matlab, VSCode
Thank you for your time and consideration
Dear Jamony, thank you so much.
I checked the event logs, and I realized the error is related to "widget.exe". I tried to disable widgets by group-policy which didn't help.
Today I got another update and applied that, but hopefully error log changed to notepad++ context dll.
I just disabled notepad++ context integration and now the bug is no more producible.
Thanks.
5 Replies
If you are running OneDrive, it could be related to some update in July 2026, from the past 2 weeks, which causes any interaction with Windows Explorer that involves renaming files or folders, deleting or moving files or folders, to stall, pause, hang Windows Explorer for 5 to 10 seconds. This happens if OneDrive is in the double-white-arrow in blue circle "sync" mode, even if it is just "looking for changes..." which it will do endlessly at times. If you are doing a file move or delete, even a single 1 byte file, it will actually pop-up the time estimation window -- it is that slow. If you are doing a file or folder rename, the actual rename field with the cursor will freeze on-screen within Windows Explorer, the mouse cursor shape will freeze (or not show at all), for up to 10 seconds. It is completely beyond reason that this type of work interruption has passed performance and regressions checks, and has not been found, diagnosed, and corrected in weeks.
You’re seeing Explorer freeze and restart when selecting images, right-clicking files, or opening ZIPs, and disabling Preview made no difference. Microsoft’s current Windows 11 release-health pages do not list this pattern, so the July update’s timing is a clue, not proof. Those actions may also invoke third-party Explorer integrations.
First reproduce once, then inspect Reliability Monitor (perfmon /rel) and Event Viewer > Windows Logs > Application for the explorer.exe failure and faulting module. Test Safe Mode; if stable, perform a clean boot. Use Microsoft Sysinternals Autoruns’ Explorer tab, hide Microsoft entries, and temporarily disable third-party extensions, re-enabling them in halves. Then run elevated DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth, followed by sfc /scannow.
Record the exact KB/build. Only after backup and those tests, temporarily uninstall that quality update; some updates cannot be removed and removal reduces security. Submit Feedback Hub feedback with “Recreate my problem” diagnostics and the KB/build.
Everything working great, visual icons of JPGs in file explorer today.
Saw there was a windows update in the middle of working and figured, I'll take a break and let the Update process itself.
Came back, everything OriginalPoster noted is taking place.
File explorer sluggish, right clicking files the pop-up has half the listed line items just blank with spinning icon on them. My thumbnails of jpgs are blank-paper icons.
Rebooted multiple times. Turned thumbnails on and off a few times. Changed to Lists instead of thumbnails a few times. No changes.
For me it was notepad++ context menu dll file. You may just produce the bug, and then check out the windows log to see what was the actual root of error.
It was widget.exe first, then after an update notepad++. I just disabled the notepad++ context menu integration, and everything is fine now.
Dear Jamony, thank you so much.
I checked the event logs, and I realized the error is related to "widget.exe". I tried to disable widgets by group-policy which didn't help.
Today I got another update and applied that, but hopefully error log changed to notepad++ context dll.
I just disabled notepad++ context integration and now the bug is no more producible.
Thanks.
