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file explorer crash whenever user search for files

Tags: Microsoft, Operating Systems, Windows

Whenever a user search for files in File Explorer, File explorer crashes.
I have deleted recently used files and folders option in File Explorer but problem persist.

Please advise

OS: Windows 11

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In reply to file explorer crash whenever user search for files

Only when searching for content, or also when searching on filename or date or so?

Things to try:
1. Go back to a Restore point when all was still fine.
2. Do a chkdsk on the disk that gives this problem, first only reading, if necessary also fixing.
3. Do it after booting into Safe mode.

Please report your results.

Chuckle.

In reply to file explorer crash whenever user search for files

It was about 1998 that I was in Redmond, WA at the Microsoft Campus to meet with Microsoft engineers about this. I had a file that when put in a folder would crash Windows File Explorer. If you put the file on the Desktop the machine would lock up.

I thought that this should get Microsoft’s attention and a fix issued.

Instead the engineers replied “Don’t do that.” and “you should delete that file.”

Here we are 27 years later and the bug still lives on.

So for now the fix for you is to wipe and reload the PC or use other search methods such as:
1. The command line. The use of the DIR command is easy and something I expect an employee to learn.
2. Other search apps. Such as the one called “EVERYTHING”.

[Author]

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