Solved Odd 'crash' after closing Windows Explorer through Task Manager...

I just made a Registry Editor change in order to revert Windows 11's context-menu back to classic Windows'. That went fine. My guide gave the option to then either Restart the PC or else close Windows Explorer in Task Manager and then open Windows Explorer again--I think verbatim it was just "restart Windows Explorer through Task Manager". Anyway, as soon as I closed Windows Explorer as a Process in Task Manager my Desktop just turned a blank dark grey colour. I could still see the apps that were currently open, until I closed them, but no Desktop at all and the system wasn't responding to any keyboard-shortcut inputs at all. I could see and move the mouse-cursor. I had to hold the power-button until it gave me the option to "Scroll down to Shut-Down", which I then did. And now I'm back, seeming back to normal.

It's probably a pointless question to ask whether my system's been affected by this 'crash', and I'm just going to guess that the system and my files are fine. But I thought I'd ask for some insight as to what happened there nonetheless.

Shutting down File Explorer from within Task Manager does shut things down but programs can keep running, just may not have access to file storage. And it frequently requires the 3-finger salute to restart the computer. Restarting File Explorer clears the screen and Taskbar temporarily, useful when something hangs or stalls.

If this is as it seem's a 'one-off' issue i'd ignore it otherwise do the usual SFC and DISM checks

Rollback_Jockey said:

If this is as it seem's a 'one-off' issue i'd ignore it otherwise do the usual SFC and DISM checks

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Yes, great. I actually want to check the 'health' of my computer anyway for other reasons, and am presuming that those "SFC" and "DISM" checks are to do with that. You couldn't give me a summary of what those checks are could you?

Berton said:

Shutting down File Explorer from within Task Manager does shut things down but programs can keep running, just may not have access to file storage. And it frequently requires the 3-finger salute to restart the computer. Restarting File Explorer clears the screen and Taskbar temporarily, useful when something hangs or stalls.

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I guess it's fine then. What's the "three-fingered salute" btw?

_william said:

Yes, great. I actually want to check the 'health' of my computer anyway for other reasons, and am presuming that those "SFC" and "DISM" checks are to do with that. You couldn't give me a summary of what those checks are could you?

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This information appears in just about every post in this forum, but..

from a CMD prompt...

SFC /SCANNOW

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

_william said:

I guess it's fine then. What's the "three-fingered salute" btw?

Click to expand...

CTRL ALT DELETE

_william said:

I guess it's fine then. What's the "three-fingered salute" btw?

Click to expand...

Ctrl+Alt+Del [been around for decades], allows shutdown when nothing in an Operating System works, last alternative before pulling the power cord out is holding the power button in for about 8 to 10 seconds.