Windows Explorer High Memory? Here’s How to Fix It

Windows Explorer high memory usage consuming 2GB or more of RAM? You’re not alone. This frustrating issue affects thousands of Windows 11 users, causing sluggish performance, system crashes, and reduced multitasking capability. When Windows Explorer high memory problems strike, your system can grind to a halt, especially on machines with 8-16GB RAM. This comprehensive guide provides proven solutions to resolve Windows Explorer high memory leaks permanently, based on 15+ years of IT troubleshooting experience.

TL;DR

Windows Explorer high memory usage (2GB+) typically results from problematic shell extensions, corrupted caches, or indexing issues. Quick fix: Restart explorer.exe via Task Manager for temporary relief. Permanent solution: Disable third-party shell extensions using ShellExView, clear thumbnail caches, and update Windows to the latest build. Success rate: 70-80% with proper diagnosis.

⏱️ 11 min read
✅ 70% success rate
📅 Updated December 2025

Key Takeaways

Windows Explorer high memory leaks often stem from third-party shell extensions integrated by antivirus, cloud storage, or GPU utilities
Memory usage above 500MB during idle periods indicates a genuine leak requiring investigation
ShellExView from NirSoft enables systematic identification and disabling of problematic extensions
Recent Windows builds (26220.7523+) address duplicate indexing issues that cause excessive RAM consumption
Systems with 8GB RAM experience more severe impact from explorer.exe memory leaks

At a Glance

Difficulty: Intermediate
Time Required: 30-60 mins
Success Rate: 70% of users
Tools Needed: ShellExView, Process Explorer (optional)

What Causes Windows Explorer High Memory Usage?

Understanding the root causes of Windows Explorer high memory consumption helps target the right solution. The explorer.exe process manages your desktop, taskbar, and File Explorer windows, typically using 100-300MB under normal conditions. When memory balloons to 2GB or more, several culprits may be responsible.

Third-party shell extensions represent the most common cause. Applications like antivirus software, cloud synchronisation tools (OneDrive, Dropbox), GPU utilities (NVIDIA Control Panel), and thumbnail handlers integrate deeply into Explorer. These extensions load into the explorer.exe process and frequently leak memory or maintain excessive caches. According to Microsoft Support documentation, improperly coded shell extensions are the leading cause of Explorer instability.

Duplicate indexing during searches affects earlier Windows 11 builds. File Explorer redundantly indexes identical paths across multiple drives or mapped network folders, consuming excessive RAM. This inefficiency was addressed in Windows Insider Preview Build 26220.7523 but continues to affect systems running older versions.

Thumbnail and preview cache accumulation occurs when temporary files generated for thumbnails, file previews, and large file operations accumulate without proper release. The working set grows as Explorer caches data for performance but fails to clear it appropriately, particularly when browsing folders with thousands of images or videos.

Virtual memory misconfiguration on systems with limited RAM (8GB or less) exacerbates memory pressure, causing Explorer to struggle with normal operations. Insufficient pagefile settings make Windows Explorer high memory issues more severe and noticeable.

Windows Explorer High Memory Quick Fix

Restart Explorer and Clear Immediate Memory Easy

Time Required: 2 minutes | Success Rate: 100% temporary relief

Open Task Manager
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc simultaneously to launch Task Manager. Alternatively, right-click the taskbar and select “Task Manager” from the context menu.
Locate Windows Explorer process
In the Processes tab, scroll down to find “Windows Explorer” or “explorer.exe”. Note the current memory usage in the Memory column—likely showing 2GB or more.
Restart the process
Right-click on “Windows Explorer” and select “Restart” from the menu. Your screen will briefly flash as the desktop, taskbar, and File Explorer windows reload. This action immediately releases the accumulated memory.
Monitor memory usage
Keep Task Manager open and observe the explorer.exe memory column. After restart, usage should drop to 100-300MB. If memory climbs rapidly back to 2GB+ within minutes, a deeper issue requires investigation.

✓ Explorer restarted successfully. Memory should temporarily return to normal levels (100-300MB).

Important: Restarting Explorer provides only temporary relief. The Windows Explorer high memory leak will recur if the underlying cause isn’t addressed. Use this as immediate relief whilst implementing permanent solutions below.

Permanent Windows Explorer High Memory Solutions

Identify and Disable Problematic Shell Extensions Intermediate

Time Required: 20-30 minutes | Success Rate: 70-80%

Third-party shell extensions are the primary cause of Windows Explorer high memory leaks. This systematic approach identifies and disables the culprit without affecting system functionality.

Create a system restore point
Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl, press Enter. Navigate to the System Protection tab, click “Create”, name it “Before Shell Extension Changes”, and click Create. This safety net allows rollback if issues occur.
Boot into Safe Mode for verification
Press Win + R, type msconfig, press Enter. Navigate to the Boot tab, tick “Safe Boot” (Minimal option), click OK, and restart. In Safe Mode, open Task Manager and monitor explorer.exe memory usage for 10 minutes. If usage remains normal (below 500MB), third-party extensions are confirmed as the cause. Restart normally to continue.
Download ShellExView
Visit the official NirSoft ShellExView page and download the tool. Extract the ZIP file to a folder. Right-click shexview.exe and select “Run as administrator” to launch with necessary permissions.
Export current configuration
In ShellExView, click Options menu > Export to HTML or Export to Text. Save this file as a backup. This allows you to restore all extensions if needed.
Identify non-Microsoft extensions
Click the “Company” column header to sort extensions by manufacturer. Focus on extensions from antivirus vendors (Norton, McAfee, Avast), cloud storage providers (Dropbox, Google Drive), GPU manufacturers (NVIDIA, AMD), and media codec packs. These are common Windows Explorer high memory culprits.
Disable extensions systematically
Select one suspicious non-Microsoft extension, right-click, choose “Disable Selected Items”. The extension turns red. Open Task Manager, locate explorer.exe, right-click and select “Restart”. Monitor memory usage for 10-15 minutes whilst performing typical file operations.
Test and identify the culprit
If memory remains stable after disabling an extension, you’ve likely found the problem. If not, re-enable that extension (right-click > Enable), and disable the next suspect. Repeat until you identify the extension causing Windows Explorer high memory usage.
Seek updates or alternatives
Once identified, visit the software manufacturer’s website to check for updates that may fix the memory leak. If no updates exist, consider alternative software or contact the vendor’s support team.

✓ Problematic shell extension identified and disabled. Explorer memory should stabilise below 500MB during normal operation.

Common Culprits: OneDrive sync status overlays, antivirus context menu scanners, NVIDIA thumbnail handlers, and codec packs for video previews frequently cause Windows Explorer high memory issues. If you use systems experiencing general slowdowns, shell extensions may be contributing to overall performance degradation.

Clear Caches and Update Windows Easy

Time Required: 30-45 minutes | Success Rate: 50-70%

Accumulated caches and outdated Windows builds contribute to Windows Explorer high memory consumption. This solution addresses system-level issues.

Run Disk Cleanup
Press Win + R, type cleanmgr, press Enter. Select your system drive (typically C:). Tick “Thumbnails”, “Temporary files”, and “Temporary Internet Files”. Click “Clean up system files” button for additional options including “Windows Update Cleanup”. Run the cleanup process.
Clear icon cache manually
Open File Explorer, navigate to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local. If you don’t see AppData, click View menu and tick “Hidden items”. Locate and delete the file named IconCache.db. Open Task Manager, restart explorer.exe to force icon cache regeneration.
Delete thumbnail cache database
In the same AppData\Local folder, locate and delete the IconCache.db file and any files starting with “thumbcache_”. These accumulated databases can grow to hundreds of megabytes, contributing to Windows Explorer high memory usage.
Check for Windows updates
Open Settings (Win + I), navigate to Windows Update, click “Check for updates”. Install all available updates, particularly cumulative updates and feature updates. Build 26220.7523 or later includes fixes for duplicate indexing that causes memory leaks. Restart when prompted.
Run system file integrity checks
Open Command Prompt as administrator (search “cmd”, right-click, “Run as administrator”). Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and wait 10-20 minutes for completion. Then run sfc /scannow (5-15 minutes). These commands repair corrupted system files that may cause Explorer instability. Restart your system.
Monitor post-restart memory usage
After restart, open Task Manager and monitor explorer.exe memory during normal operations for at least 2 hours. Perform typical tasks like browsing folders, searching files, and opening multiple Explorer windows. Memory should remain stable below 500MB.

✓ Caches cleared and system files repaired. Windows Explorer high memory usage should be resolved if caching or corruption was the cause.

Advanced Windows Explorer High Memory Diagnostics

Process Explorer Analysis and Virtual Memory Optimisation Advanced

Time Required: 45-60 minutes | Success Rate: 60-75%

For persistent Windows Explorer high memory issues, advanced diagnostics identify specific components causing leaks and optimise system memory management.

Download Process Explorer
Visit the official Microsoft Sysinternals Process Explorer page and download the tool. Extract and run procexp.exe as administrator for full access to system processes.
Configure detailed memory monitoring
In Process Explorer, click View > Select Columns. In the Process Memory tab, enable “Private Bytes”, “Working Set”, “Peak Working Set”. In the Process Performance tab, enable “Handles” and “Threads”. Click OK. These metrics provide detailed insight into Explorer’s memory behaviour.
Analyse memory growth patterns
Locate explorer.exe in the process list. Monitor the Private Bytes and Working Set columns over 30 minutes during typical usage. True Windows Explorer high memory leaks show continuous growth without plateauing. Normal caching increases during activity but stabilises during idle periods. Note if Private Bytes continuously climb even when idle.
Examine handles and loaded DLLs
Select explorer.exe, press Ctrl + H to view handles. Look for excessive file handles (thousands) or unusual paths that might indicate stuck file operations. Press Ctrl + D to view loaded DLLs. Identify non-Microsoft DLLs that may indicate problematic integrations from third-party software.
Optimise virtual memory settings
Open Settings > System > About > Advanced system settings > Performance Settings > Advanced tab > Virtual Memory > Change. Uncheck “Automatically manage paging file size”. Select your system drive, choose “Custom size”. Set Initial size to 1.5× your RAM (e.g., 12288 MB for 8GB RAM) and Maximum size to 3× RAM (e.g., 24576 MB). Click Set, then OK. Restart your system. This provides adequate pagefile space to prevent memory pressure.
Generate diagnostic dump (if needed)
If Windows Explorer high memory persists despite all solutions, right-click explorer.exe in Process Explorer, select “Create Dump” > “Create Full Dump”. Save the file. Open Feedback Hub (Win + F), submit a report under “Files, folders and storage” > “File Explorer”, attach the dump file with detailed description of your issue for Microsoft engineering analysis.

✓ Advanced diagnostics completed. Memory patterns identified and virtual memory optimised for better performance.

Caution: Incorrect virtual memory settings can cause system instability. Only adjust if you have at least 20GB free disk space. Do not set maximum virtual memory below 2× physical RAM on systems with 8GB or less. Creating memory dumps requires disk space equal to your RAM size.

Preventing Windows Explorer High Memory Issues

Prevention is more effective than cure when dealing with Windows Explorer high memory leaks. Implement these practices to maintain optimal Explorer performance:

Audit shell extensions regularly. Use ShellExView monthly to review installed extensions. Remove integrations from uninstalled software and disable extensions you don’t actively use. Minimise installation of applications that add context menu integrations.

Perform weekly maintenance. Run Disk Cleanup weekly to clear thumbnail and temporary file caches before they accumulate to problematic levels. This simple habit prevents cache-related Windows Explorer high memory issues.

Keep Windows updated. Install Windows updates monthly, prioritising cumulative updates and feature updates that address known Explorer issues. Enable automatic updates to ensure you receive critical fixes promptly.

Monitor baseline memory usage. Use Task Manager or Process Explorer to establish normal explorer.exe memory usage on your system. Investigate immediately if usage exceeds 500MB during idle periods or shows continuous growth patterns. Early detection prevents severe performance degradation.

Optimise folder views. Avoid simultaneous searches across multiple network drives or mapped folders. Limit folder views to necessary locations. Disable thumbnail previews in folders with thousands of files by switching to List or Details view.

Upgrade RAM if necessary. If you regularly work with large directories, network shares, or multiple drives, upgrade to 16GB RAM minimum. Systems with 8GB experience memory pressure more readily, making Windows Explorer high memory leaks more impactful.

Use 64-bit applications exclusively. Avoid legacy 32-bit software that may have inefficient memory handling. Modern 64-bit applications manage memory more effectively and integrate better with Windows 11.

Disable unnecessary visual effects. Navigate to Settings > System > About > Advanced system settings > Performance Settings. Select “Adjust for best performance” or manually disable effects like “Animate windows when minimising and maximising” and “Show thumbnails instead of icons” if you experience persistent issues.

Schedule system maintenance. Run monthly system file integrity checks using sfc /scannow and DISM commands to prevent corruption-related memory issues. Maintain at least 20% free disk space on your system drive to ensure adequate virtual memory operation.

For users experiencing related issues, addressing Windows update problems can also improve overall system stability and prevent Explorer memory leaks.

Windows Explorer High Memory Summary

Windows Explorer high memory usage consuming 2GB or more RAM significantly impacts system performance, particularly on machines with 8-16GB RAM. This issue typically stems from problematic third-party shell extensions, accumulated caches, duplicate indexing in older Windows builds, or virtual memory misconfiguration.

The most effective solution involves systematically identifying and disabling problematic shell extensions using ShellExView, achieving a 70-80% success rate. Clearing thumbnail and icon caches combined with updating to the latest Windows build resolves cache-related Windows Explorer high memory issues in 50-70% of cases. Advanced users can employ Process Explorer for detailed diagnostics and optimise virtual memory settings for systems under memory pressure.

Prevention through regular maintenance—including weekly cache clearing, monthly shell extension audits, and prompt Windows updates—maintains optimal Explorer performance and prevents recurrence. For persistent issues after implementing all solutions, generating diagnostic dumps and submitting reports to Microsoft via Feedback Hub enables engineering investigation of complex underlying causes.

By following this comprehensive troubleshooting guide, you can resolve Windows Explorer high memory leaks permanently and restore your system to optimal performance. Remember that memory usage below 500MB during normal operation indicates successful resolution, whilst continuous growth patterns signal the need for further investigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Not necessarily. On systems with 32GB+ RAM, Explorer may legitimately cache 1-2GB for performance optimisation. The issue is when memory continuously increases over time without plateauing, or when it causes performance problems on systems with 8-16GB RAM. Use Process Explorer to monitor 'Private Bytes'—if this value grows indefinitely during idle periods, it indicates a genuine leak. Normal usage rarely exceeds 500MB on typical systems.

No. Restarting explorer.exe via Task Manager provides temporary relief by clearing its memory, but the underlying cause remains. The leak will recur during normal usage. Restarting is useful for immediate relief whilst investigating the root cause, but permanent resolution requires identifying and addressing the specific trigger such as shell extensions, caching issues, or system problems.

Yes, frequently. Antivirus applications often integrate deeply with Explorer through shell extensions to scan files in real-time, add context menu options, and monitor file operations. These integrations can leak memory or maintain excessive caches. Common culprits include real-time scanning modules and cloud-based reputation checking features. Test by temporarily disabling antivirus shell extensions using ShellExView to confirm if your security software is the cause.

Use Process Explorer to monitor 'Private Bytes' and 'Working Set' over time. Normal caching causes memory to increase during activity but plateau during idle periods. A true leak shows continuous growth even when Explorer is idle. Additionally, normal caching rarely exceeds 500-800MB on typical systems, whilst leaks can reach 2GB or more. If memory releases when you close all Explorer windows, it's likely caching rather than a leak.

Not as a first step. Whilst search indexing can contribute to memory usage, completely disabling Windows Search removes useful functionality. Instead, update to the latest Windows build (26220.7523+) which fixes duplicate indexing issues, or exclude problematic locations from indexing via Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows > Advanced indexing options. Only disable the Search service if diagnostics specifically implicate it as the cause.

~32 min

Intermediate

6 sections

Sections

1 What Causes Windows Explorer High Memory Usage? 2 Windows Explorer High Memory Quick Fix 3 Permanent Windows Explorer High Memory Solutions 4 Advanced Windows Explorer High Memory Diagnostics 5 Preventing Windows Explorer High Memory Issues 6 Windows Explorer High Memory Summary