Restart Explorer.exe with CMD or PowerShell in Windows 11

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To restart Explorer.exe from Command Prompt in Windows 11, run taskkill /f /im explorer.exe && start explorer.exe; in PowerShell, run Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force and start it again with Start-Process explorer.exe if the taskbar does not come back.

This guide covers both shells, a one-click batch file, the Task Manager fallback, how to confirm Explorer is running and what to do when the screen stays black.

Restart Explorer.exe in CMD

Explorer.exe draws the taskbar, Start menu, desktop icons and File Explorer windows. Ending it and starting it again clears a frozen taskbar without signing out or rebooting.

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe && start explorer.exe

taskkill /im explorer.exe picks the process by its image name and /f ends it forcefully. The && operator runs start explorer.exe only if taskkill succeeded, so Explorer launches again straight away.

You should see: The taskbar and desktop icons disappear for a moment, then return as Explorer starts again.

Open Command Prompt from Start search before you run it, because the taskbar is gone until Explorer starts again. Explorer runs under your own account, so a normal (non-administrator) Command Prompt is enough.

Restart Explorer.exe with CMD or PowerShell in Windows 11
The /im switch picks Explorer by image name and /f ends it forcefully before start explorer.exe runs. (Image: Microsoft)

Restart Windows Explorer with PowerShell

PowerShell uses Stop-Process to end Explorer by name. Add -Force so PowerShell never stops to ask for confirmation.

  1. Open Windows PowerShell or Terminal from Start search.
  2. Type Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force and press Enter.
  3. Wait a few seconds and watch the bottom of the screen for the taskbar.
  4. If the taskbar does not return, type Start-Process -FilePath explorer.exe and press Enter.
  5. Confirm the taskbar, Start button and desktop icons are back.

Stop-Process only works on processes on the local computer. It asks for confirmation only when the process belongs to another user, which is why -Force is harmless here.

Restart Windows Explorer with PowerShell using Stop-Process -Name
Stop-Process -Name stops every process with that name; add -Force so explorer ends without a prompt. (Image: Microsoft)

How to restart Explorer.exe without Task Manager in Windows 11

Command Prompt, PowerShell and a saved batch file all restart Explorer without opening Task Manager. Pick the one that matches what you have open.

Your situation Use this Why
Command Prompt is already open taskkill /f /im explorer.exe && start explorer.exe One line ends Explorer and starts it again
PowerShell or Terminal is open Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force, then Start-Process -FilePath explorer.exe if needed Native cmdlets, no confirmation prompt
The taskbar freezes often A batch file on the desktop Double-click to restart Explorer with no typing
Screen is black and no window is open Task Manager > Run new task > explorer.exe Starts Explorer when nothing else is reachable
Restart Explorer.exe without Task Manager from a Windows Terminal profile
Windows Terminal lists Windows PowerShell and Command Prompt in its tab menu, and either shell runs the restart command. (Image: Microsoft)

Restart Explorer.exe with a batch file

A batch file saves the Command Prompt line so you can run it with a double-click whenever the taskbar or Start menu hangs.

  1. Open Notepad from Start search.
  2. Type taskkill /f /im explorer.exe on the first line.
  3. Type start explorer.exe on the second line.
  4. Save the file to your desktop with a .bat extension, for example restart-explorer.bat, and make sure Notepad does not add .txt.
  5. Double-click the file whenever Explorer freezes to end and restart Explorer.

Command Prompt runs the two lines in order, the same as the one-line && version, because the Windows Command Processor reads a batch file from top to bottom.

Restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager when the screen is black

When the taskbar and desktop are gone, Task Manager is the one window you can still reach with one of its keyboard shortcuts. Microsoft lists this as the fix for a blank screen that still shows a mouse cursor.

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Find Windows Explorer in the process list.
  3. Right-click Windows Explorer and select Restart.
  4. If Windows Explorer is not listed, select File > Run new task.
  5. Type explorer.exe and press Enter.

The Run new task box also accepts cmd or powershell, which opens a shell for the commands above when Start search is unavailable.

Restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager when the screen is black
On a black screen, press Ctrl + Alt + Del, launch Task Manager and restart Windows Explorer from there. (Image: Microsoft)

taskkill and Stop-Process switches for Explorer.exe explained

Part Shell What it does
taskkill Command Prompt Ends one or more tasks or processes
/im explorer.exe Command Prompt Selects the process by image name instead of process ID
/f Command Prompt Ends the process forcefully
&& Command Prompt Runs the next command only if the previous one succeeded
start explorer.exe Command Prompt Launches Explorer.exe in a new process
Stop-Process -Name explorer PowerShell Stops every running process named explorer on the local computer
-Force PowerShell Stops the process without a confirmation prompt
Start-Process -FilePath explorer.exe PowerShell Starts Explorer.exe as a new process
Start-Process -FilePath switch that starts Explorer.exe again in PowerShell
Run Start-Process -FilePath explorer.exe when the taskbar does not return after Stop-Process. (Image: Microsoft)

Check Explorer.exe is running again

  1. In Command Prompt, run tasklist /fi "IMAGENAME eq explorer.exe" and confirm a line for explorer.exe with a PID appears.
  2. In PowerShell, run Get-Process -Name explorer and confirm at least one explorer process is listed.
  3. Select the Start button and confirm the Start menu opens.
  4. Press Windows logo key + E and confirm a File Explorer window opens.

A new PID compared with before the restart proves Explorer was ended and launched again, not just left running.

Check Explorer.exe is running with the tasklist IMAGENAME filter
Run tasklist /fi "IMAGENAME eq explorer.exe" and look for an explorer.exe line with a PID. (Image: Microsoft)

Explorer.exe will not restart from CMD or PowerShell

The screen stays black after taskkill

Explorer was ended but the start command did not run, so no shell is loaded.

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Select File > Run new task.
  3. Type explorer.exe and press Enter.

Stop-Process asks for confirmation

Stop-Process prompts before ending a process that belongs to another user.

  1. Add -Force to the command: Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force.
  2. To stop an Explorer process owned by another user, open PowerShell with Run as administrator and run the command again.

Explorer crashes on start or the taskbar never appears after the restart

On some managed Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 PCs, XAML packages that Explorer depends on do not register in time after an update.

  1. Select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.
  2. Install every available update; Microsoft fixed the issue starting with the June 23, 2026 update (KB5095093).
  3. Restart the PC once the updates finish.

File Explorer still will not open after a restart

Pending updates or a damaged Windows installation.

  1. Check for updates in Windows Update and install them.
  2. Restart the device so pending updates finish installing.
  3. If File Explorer still fails, reset the PC from the Windows recovery options.

Restart Explorer.exe from command line FAQ

What is the command to restart Explorer.exe in CMD?

Run taskkill /f /im explorer.exe && start explorer.exe in Command Prompt. The first part ends Explorer forcefully by image name, and the second part starts it again only if the first part succeeded.

What is the PowerShell command to restart Windows Explorer?

Run Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force in PowerShell. If the taskbar does not return within a few seconds, run Start-Process -FilePath explorer.exe to launch Explorer again.

Do I need administrator rights to restart Explorer.exe?

No. Explorer.exe runs under your own user account, so a normal Command Prompt or PowerShell window can end and restart it. Administrator rights are only needed to stop a process owned by another user.

How do I restart Explorer without Task Manager?

Use Command Prompt or PowerShell. Run taskkill /f /im explorer.exe && start explorer.exe in Command Prompt, or Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force in PowerShell, or save the two taskkill and start lines as a batch file.

How do I start explorer.exe when the screen is black?

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, select File > Run new task, type explorer.exe and press Enter. This works when the taskbar and desktop are gone but the mouse cursor is still visible.

What does taskkill /f /im explorer.exe do?

It forcefully ends every process with the image name explorer.exe. The taskbar, Start menu and desktop icons disappear until Explorer is started again with start explorer.exe.

How can I tell if Explorer.exe is running?

Run tasklist /fi "IMAGENAME eq explorer.exe" in Command Prompt or Get-Process -Name explorer in PowerShell. Either command lists explorer.exe with its process ID when it is running.

Philip Celasco
Philip Celasco

Philip is a Texas-based technology writer and IT administrator at Techdows.com with more than 10 years of experience creating practical content for everyday users and professionals. He specializes in web browsers, particularly Chromium-based platforms such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Opera. Through his work as an IT administrator, Philip has hands-on experience managing devices, configuring browser policies, troubleshooting software and network issues, and helping people resolve problems that affect productivity and security. His articles are based on practical testing and real-world technical experience. He covers browser settings, extensions, performance problems, privacy controls, security features, and Windows troubleshooting. Outside work, Philip enjoys the quieter side of life in Texas and stepping away from the screen when he can. He has two kids, two cats and loves to play golf with his mother during the weekends.

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