This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable launch folder windows in a separate explorer process by default for your account in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Each process running in Windows is assigned a unique decimal number called the process ID (PID) to identify an active process. This number is used to specify the process when for example attaching a debugger to it.
By default, all File Explorer windows, including the desktop shell, run in a single explorer.exe process. If one File Explorer window hangs or crashes, it will cause all File Explorer windows running in the same process to hang or crash until the process restarts.
You are able to use the Open in new process context menu to manually open folder windows (File Explorer) in a new process.
If you like, you can enable to launch folder windows in a separate process by default. This way each explorer.exe process will have its own process ID (PID) to improve stability of the explorer shell.
Separate explorer processes appear to no longer work for the new File Explorer with tabs.
Contents
- Option One: Enable or Disable Launch Folder Windows in a Separate Process in Folder Options
- Option Two: Enable or Disable Launch Folder Windows in a Separate Process using REG file
EXAMPLE: Same or separate explorer.exe process (PID) for folder windows (File Explorer) in Task Manager
1 Open Folder Options.
2 Click/tap on the View tab. (see screenshot below)
3 Check (enable) or uncheck (disable - default) Launch folder windows in a separate process for what you want.
4 Click/tap on OK.
1 Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.
2 Enable Launch Folder Windows in a Separate Process
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Enable_Launch_folder_windows_in_a_separate_process.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"SeparateProcess"=dword:000000013 Disable Launch Folder Windows in a Separate Process
This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Disable_Launch_folder_windows_in_a_separate_process.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"SeparateProcess"=dword:000000004 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
5 If you have Smart App Control turned on, you will need to unblock the downloaded REG file.
6 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
7 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
8 Either restart the explorer process, sign out and sign in, or restart the computer to apply.
9 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
Last edited:
