Fix: My Downloads folder is not responding on Windows ten/eleven

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  • When the Downloads folder is not responding, that unremarkably signals a problem with File Explorer.
  • You have to address this trouble quickly because you lot might not exist able to access any of your files and folders every bit well.
  • This consequence may exist caused by file corruption or only by low memory due to many apps being opened at the same time.

Fix My Download folder is not responding on Windows 10 and 11

XINSTALL Past CLICKING THE DOWNLOAD FILE

The Downloads directory stores files that you download with browsers. However, an unresponsive Downloads binder can take ages to open. Some users have stated that they tin't open Downloads at all.

When that folder is not responding, File Explorer might so stop working and that tin be extremely frustrating because y'all won't exist able to access your files.

What to exercise if I tin't open up the Downloads folder?

This outcome tin appear on all operating systems, and fifty-fifty Windows 11 users reported that the Download binder non responding.

If you have two Download folders on Windows, it'southward possible that you're lacking certain privileges thus being unable to admission this folder.

I fashion to fix this is to modify the download location on your PC, redownload the file, and check if the problem is gone.

In case the trouble is still in that location, you tin can always endeavor using the solutions mentioned in this guide.

Why is the Downloads folder non responding?

The main problem with the Downloads problem can be the fact that information technology accumulated besides much content and information technology'southward difficult for the arrangement to process information technology.

So, if File Explorer is working fine and only the Downloads folder is opening slowly or being unresponsive, take the time and delete the bigger files there when it does open.

In the situation where File Explorer is deadening on unresponsive, yous can also read our piece on how to fix File Explorer issues in Windows 10/11 and go fifty-fifty more solutions.

However, there are a lot of causes for this trouble, from file corruption to bug in the Registry keys and some others in between.

So, read on to observe out how you can prepare an unresponsive Downloads folder that takes a while to open or doesn't open at all.

What can I do if my Downloads binder is not responding?

1. Run DISM and SFC scans

  1. Click the First button, blazon cmd and select Run as administrator from the results.
  2. Input the following command and press Enter to run it: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
  3. Subsequently the scan finishes, paste the post-obit control in Command Prompt and press Enter: sfc /scannow
  4. Restart Windows after the scan.

If you lot tin can't open the Downloads binder at all, there might be corrupted system files. The System File Checker fixes corrupted system files.

Should the SFC end unexpectedly, read our guide on what to do if the scannow command failed, and fix the problem effectively.

two. Use the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter

  1. Click the Start button and select Settings.
  2. Choose Update & Security.
  3. Select Troubleshoot from the left, then click on Boosted troubleshooters from the right pane.
  4. Scroll down until yous observe Windows Shop Apps, click on it to expand, then hit the Run the troubleshooter button.
  5. Proceed with the troubleshooter to prepare File Explorer and the Downloads folder.

The Downloads folder problem is directly continued to File Explorer so running the Windows Shop Apps troubleshooter may prepare the app and indirectly the same folder.

3. Optimize the Downloads folder for General items

  1. Press the Windows key + E to open File Explorer.
  2. Right-click your Downloads directory and select Backdrop.
  3. Select the Customize tab and select Full general items from the drop-down menu.
  4. Then click the Also utilize this template to all subfolders checkbox, select the Use selection, and click OK to close the window.

An unresponsive Downloads folder is frequently due to Automatic Folder Type Discovery that automatically optimizes directories for specific file types.

Folder Discovery is great for the Videos, Pictures, and Music folders that include 1 very specific file type. However, it doesn't work and so well for the Downloads directory that includes more variable files.

Thus, Folder Discovery tin can be more than of a issues that considerably slows down the Downloads binder's load time. File Explorer doesn't include an choice to switch off Binder Discovery.

Thus, optimizing Downloads for general items only like in our solution to a higher place might prepare that binder.

4. Select the E'er show icons option

  1. Press the Windows key + Eastward to start File Explorer.
  2. You tin configure Explorer to show icons only past clicking its File tab and selecting Change folder and search options.
  3. Click the View tab and select the Always bear witness icons, never thumbnails option.
  4. Press the Apply push and then click OK to close the window.

5. Disable Automated Folder Blazon Discovery

5.one Disable Automatic Folder Type Discovery using the Registry Editor

  1. Printing the Windows central + R to start a Run window, type regedit and hitting Enter or click OK.
  2. Navigate to the post-obit Registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Trounce
  3. Now, delete the subkeys Bags and BagsMRU subkeys under Shell.
  4. Adjacent, right-click on Crush and select New, then Cardinal to recreate the Bags subkey.
  5. Right click the newly created Bags and select New and Key to create a new AllFolders subkey.
  6. And under AllFolders, create a new key and name information technology Shell.
  7. If yous've followed the steps correctly, y'all should have the follolwing path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell
  8. Right click on the right pane, select New and String Value and name it FolderType.
  9. Double click FolderType and set up its value to NotSpecified, then click OK.
  10. Lastly, restart your PC for the changes to accept effect and see if the Downloads folder is working now.

This solution is a bit complicated for inexperienced users and it may crave your full attention as a wrong arroyo to modifying the Registry may lead to some serious issues.

However, below y'all will also find a solution that uses a dedicated tool that will do this same job a lot easier and then read on.

5.2 Disable Automated Folder Blazon Discovery using Winaero Tweaker

  1. Download and install Winaero Tweaker.
  2. Press the Windows key + E to start File Explorer, open up WinAero's ZIP file, click the Extract all push button, and cull a path other than Downloads to extract it to.
  3. Open the software's installer from the extracted folder to install Winaero, then, later the installation, start the tool.
  4. Click File Explorer on the left of the window to expand farther options.
  5. Select Automatic Folder Type Discovery on the left of the window, and so click the Disable automated folder blazon discovery checkbox.

As mentioned, you tin can't turn off Automated Folder Blazon Discovery with a File Explorer option. However, the Winaero Tweaker customization software does include a Disable automatic folder type discovery setting.

Thus, you can select that option to ensure Folder Discovery no longer slows downwardly the Downloads directory.

How tin I fix the Downloads folder in Windows 11?

It's no surprise that the Downloads folder can become unresponsive in Windows 11 and that's because the new Os inherited a lot of Windows 10's problems.

Apart from a lot of design modifications and new features, Windows xi is not so dissimilar from its older counterpart.

Nosotros take an in-depth article on Windows eleven vs Windows 10 performance comparison and best features article that tin can requite yous a lot more than information nearly that.

However, returning to the problem at mitt, all the solutions nosotros provided above to prepare the Downloads folder in Windows 10 volition work perfectly fine on the new OS.

The only differences are in the design of the windows only as yous can run into in the screenshot higher up, the Downloads binder and the options list are the aforementioned.

Some of those resolutions will gear up an unresponsive Downloads folder and then that information technology opens and loads more chop-chop and we hope that the problem was resolved.

Every bit the Downloads folder tin be accessed through File Explorer, y'all might also be interested in our guide on what to practice if File Explorer is crashing in Windows 10.

Y'all will discover that about of the solutions at that place volition also apply to Windows 11 and that's proficient to know if yous switched to the new Bone.

But if you didn't do that nevertheless, hither'southward how to download Windows 11 ISO or update from Windows 10 and continue upwards with the trend.

If you have any other suggestions or ideas, don't hesitate to write united states all most them in the comments section below.

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