Heather_Poulsen​ would this be an area you could help find a contact to share a solution for this inquiry? Not sure if this is your wheelhouse or not. Worth a shot. :)

Thank you either way! - jill

I'm amazed using File Explorer doesn't work anymore. Just upgraded to Windows 11 and I cilick and cilick and click on the File Explorer icon, and nothing.

I reallly wish I had not upgraded to 11. Big mistake.

Now: trying to make it work... Where is the Clear Cache command?? I have restarted it n number of times. The screen goes dark, comes back, and no change. No button, nothing for Clear Cache. Really MS, can't you do the simplest thing?????????

I'm amazed using File Explorer doesn't work anymore. Just upgraded to Windows 11 and I cilick and cilick and click on the File Explorer icon, and nothing.

I reallly wish I had not upgraded to 11. Big mistake.

Now: trying to make it work... Where is the Clear Cache command?? I have restarted it n number of times. The screen goes dark, comes back, and no change. No button, nothing for Clear Cache. Really MS, can't you do the simplest thing?????????

None of these work for me also. Most of them are not usable. The current version of Windows 11 does not have a Control Panel, for example. File Explorer does not show up in Task Manager. Windows has latest updates. The scan showed no problems.

No, it has not been solved by any of the methods listed and tried.  And, now my external drive won't load telling me the file format is not recognized!  I don't want to know what won't function next.

Okay, none of these solutions work for me... 
I have "This PC" set as 'Open File Explorer to' option.
I cleared File Explorer history.
I tried putting c: in "quick access" section...
but what I experience is that none of the icons in Quick access, do anything when clicked.
I can select folders under C:, and the folder tree will expand, but no files are ever displayed anywhere.
I tried 'sfc /scannow' in an Admin console; it said it fixed some system files, but after reboot, these issues are still present...

I am using Windows 11 Home Version 24H2 (01/04/25), OS build 26100.3476
All available updates are installed.

This does not fix Win11 unintuitive & messy file explorer tree.

If File Explorer on Windows 11 is disorganized and unresponsive:

1. Restart Explorer: Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc, find Windows Explorer in Task Manager, and click Restart.
2. Clear File Explorer Cache: Open File Explorer Options, go to the General tab, and click Clear under Privacy.
3. Update Windows: Check for updates in Settings > Windows Update to fix potential bugs.

If the issue persists, consider resetting File Explorer settings or creating a new user profile.

To fix File Explorer issues on Windows 11:

1. Restart Explorer: Open Task Manager, right-click Windows Explorer, and choose Restart.
2. Clear Cache: Go to File Explorer Options, click Clear under Clear File Explorer history.
3. Run SFC: Open Command Prompt (Admin) and run sfc /scannow.
4. Disable Quick Access: Set Open File Explorer to: This PC in File Explorer Options.
5. Check Updates: Ensure Windows is up to date in Settings > Windows Update.

If the issue persists, reset File Explorer settings or create a new user account.

I suggest disabling the quick access option. Open File Explorer and select View, then Options. In the Folder Options window, under the General tab, change the option for "Open File Explorer to:" to This PC instead of Quick access. Click OK.